ã€ŠGlass Kanin [BOOK 1 STUBBING ON JANUARY 11TH!]ã€‹


 Chapter 1 - Liminal Space

    ¡°Kanin! You¡¯re on set in ten.¡±

    Shit. I scarf down the last lump of half-frozen burrito, and it slides down my throat in a spiteful ball of cold rice and processed cheese. At least the next scene involves a lot of grimacing. I toss the wrapper away, and it bounces off the rim of the trashcan.

    So, it¡¯s going to be one of those days, huh?

    I make the basket on my second shot, then snatch my script from atop the microwave and jog toward the main set. As I go, I flip through the pages to double-check my lines, but I¡¯m pretty sure I¡¯ve got it all down. It¡¯s not exactly prime-time television. That said, I absolutely intend to bawl at all the emotional bits and flex my delts in every shirtless shot.

    Don¡¯t judge me. It¡¯s my first lead role, and everyone¡¯s gotta start somewhere.

    The set is a bustle of pre-filming action as I stop by the producer. ¡°I thought I wasn¡¯t up until this afternoon.¡±

    Patricia doesn¡¯t even look at me as her fingers dart across her phone. ¡°Larry can¡¯t make it.¡±

    I raise an eyebrow. ¡°Got somewhere more important to be?¡±

    ¡°Got the flu,¡± she says. ¡°Been shitting his brains out all morning.¡±

    That explains my abbreviated lunch break. ¡°Then we¡¯re skipping to one of my scenes?¡±

    ¡°Nope.¡± She drops her phone into her purse and gestures sharply for me to follow. ¡°You¡¯ll be standing in for Larry.¡±

    I blink, and Patricia is halfway across the room before I think to catch up. ¡°Uh, but he¡¯s my stunt double. He¡¯s supposed to stand in for me.¡±

    She waves me off. ¡°If you¡¯re able to drag him off the toilet, be my guest.¡±

    ¡°We can wait until he¡¯s back,¡± I suggest. ¡°Shoot my scenes in the meantime.¡±

    Patricia holds out her hand, and someone deposits a coffee into it like magic. ¡°You already know the scene. The lines. And you can do a breakfall, right?¡±

    ¡°Well¡ª¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re on a deadline, Kanin,¡± she interrupts with a flat look. ¡°And the network won¡¯t be waiting for us. If you¡¯re passionate about employment, then the show must go on.¡±

    ¡°We really don¡¯t have backups or anything?¡± I know I¡¯m grasping at straws.

    Patricia snorts. ¡°Who do you think we are, Disney? Look, it¡¯s very simple, Kanin. This is a tiny-ass show with a tiny-ass crew, and you¡¯re going to play your own character in an extremely simple stunt scene, or we¡¯re fucked.¡±

    I rake my fingers through my hair, and one of the stylists gasps. I can¡¯t let my show die before it¡¯s even had a chance for the critics to tear it apart¡ªnot to mention my career!

    ¡°Alright,¡± I say with a sigh. ¡°What do I need to do?¡±

    Patricia smiles like an eel. ¡°That¡¯s just what I wanted to hear.¡±

    She beckons me over to the set, where the final touches are still being added to the scene.

    ¡°The choreography is pretty basic,¡± Patricia says. ¡°Most actors don¡¯t even use doubles for stuff like this.¡±

    Feeling a little judged, I puff myself up. ¡°Can¡¯t risk damaging the face of the show, right?¡±

    Patricia snorts, as if I¡¯d made some kind of joke. Before I can clarify my sincerity, she hands me the prop gun I¡¯ll need for the scene, and then moves onto laying out all the rolls and breakfalls I¡¯ll need to do. And honestly, she¡¯s right¡ªit does seem pretty basic. Probably a minimal risk of messing up my hair. Hey, if I pull this off, maybe I can become one of those actors who do their own stunts. Fans love that stuff.

    ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough stage direction. You get the pic.¡± Patricia claps her hands and raises her voice. ¡°Let¡¯s go, people! Time is money.¡±

    The stage lights beat down with a stifling and familiar heat as I find my mark and wait for everyone else to file into place. My feet are only inches away from the Cliffs of Despair¡ªwhich is to say, a two-foot drop onto a padded blue mat. Beyond that the illusion of the set dissolves into the dimly lit studio, where a flurry of human noise and motion wisps through the dark.

    ¡°Hey Kanin,¡± Doug says, finding his mark as well. He¡¯s all decked out in his extremely villainous vampiric makeup, causing his eyebrows to arc dramatically. ¡°Wasn¡¯t this scene supposed to be with Larry?¡±

    I shrug. ¡°He¡¯s sick, so I¡¯m filling in. But don¡¯t count on me sticking around for the explosion scene,¡± I add as a joke.

    ¡°Oh yeah,¡± Doug agrees, straight-faced. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t play to your strengths.¡±

    I tip my head. ¡°Acting?¡±

    ¡°Being a pretty face.¡± Doug winks. ¡°Careful not to singe that perm.¡±Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

    ¡°Hilarious.¡± Your stand-up career will never pan out, Doug. ¡°But I¡¯m pretty sure they cast me for my acting.¡±

    Although, being hot certainly doesn¡¯t hurt.

    Doug is saved from conceding defeat when Patricia claps her hands and everyone rushes to find their spots. She folds her arms.

    ¡°Let¡¯s shoot the rehearsal.¡±

    Ah, fuck. Probably wants to use the practice take as a substitute for more film time. Can¡¯t really blame her, given the time crunch, but I¡¯d rather not have my first attempt at breakfalls and pretending to wield a gun immortalized.

    Hollywood, for ya.

    ¡°Final touches,¡± Patricia calls as she settles into her chair.

    ¡°Finals done.¡±

    I turn my back to Doug, focusing on the scene. My lines. I soothe all Kanin thoughts away and become Jack Stone: Cryptid Hunter.

    ¡°Camera ready?¡± Patricia asks.

    ¡°Ready.¡±

    ¡°Quiet on set.¡± She waits for the last rustle of papers to die away. ¡°Roll sound.¡±

    ¡°Sound speed.¡±

    ¡°Scene 4, rehearsal.¡±

    There¡¯s a snap as the clapperboard clacks shut.

    Silence. The gun feels heavy in my grasp. Dozens of lights blink in my peripheral. The set and everyone backstage are equally frozen, like some kind of liminal space, the moment between inhale and exhale.

    And then Patricia calls, ¡°Action!¡±

    I spin and point the gun at Doug (or Count Fang) and he smacks it away with a defiant laugh.

    ¡°You think such primitive weapons would work against a being like me?¡± the vampire snarls. ¡°You¡¯re out of your depth, Hunter.¡±

    I grimace, throwing a fake punch at the Count, who blocks it with ease. He delivers a return blow, and I dive to the side in an exaggerated roll. My shoulder hits first with a stabbing pain, but I roll to my knees to strike a defiant pose. Ow! This is why Larry gets paid for this shit.

    ¡°You won¡¯t get away with this,¡± I say, tossing my hair out of my eyes so the camera gets the money shot. ¡°I¡¯m going to free that fairy orphanage from your tyranny. Do you know why?¡±

    Count Fang sneers. ¡°Do enlighten me.¡±

    I glance to the fallen gun, just inches from the cliff, and Count Fang looks, too. I look back up at him and smile, withdrawing a silver bullet from my pocket to display for vampire and viewer alike. ¡°Because you don¡¯t know Jack.¡±

    I dive for the gun. Doug hisses in fury (a bit much, in my opinion) and jumps for the weapon as well. Our hands close over it at the same time, dramatically wrestling for control. I appear to win for just a moment, pulling the gun away, but Count Fang knocks it from my grasp, where it falls back to the ground.

    Count Fang sneers, placing a hand on my chest. ¡°It appears you didn¡¯t understand the gravity of our situation.¡± And with one final, fake shove, I go stumbling back.

    This is the moment¡ªjust got to tuck my chin in and fall into the waiting arms of a slightly uncomfortable drop pad. I plaster on my most surprised face¡ªthen let out a gasp as my foot comes down on something unexpected that slips beneath my shoe, turning my fake stumble into a real one. The prop gun skids away as I take another step back¡ªand this time, there¡¯s nothing beneath me. My stomach lurches as I fall from the Cliffs an unexpected step too soon. I¡¯ve rolled too far back. No time to brace myself. Impact¡ª

    Darkness.

    I blink against the sudden black. Shit. Had the stage lights gone out? Did I trip over an extension cord in my failed attempt of a stunt? Patricia is not going to like this. We¡¯ll have to reset everything and start from the top. Assuming Electric can fix it. If this delays the schedule even further, a sick stunt double will be the least of my worries. Crap, I hope this won¡¯t be a problem with the network¡­

    I pause. Why is everyone being so quiet? We aren¡¯t still rolling, are we?

    Guys? I call. Or, I try to. My mouth doesn¡¯t open. I try again, but my attempt is met with silence. Confused, I blindly try to climb to my feet. But my legs won¡¯t move, and neither will my arms. And my body¡ª

    Oh god, my body. Where is my body?

    Static numbness permeates my mind. There¡¯s nothing. No sight, no sound, no sensation¡ªjust unending black.

    What the fuck. What the fuck is this?

    Fear bubbles up in an unrealized scream. Horror and disorientation wash over me in waves. Everything is numb, and there¡¯s nothing¡ªnothing¡ªI can do¡ª

    ¡°...help! Somebody help!¡±

    ¡­Doug? The sound is so faint. Where is it coming from? Which direction? Does this place even have directions?

    The voices seem to get a little closer.

    ¡°Call an ambulance! Shit¡ª¡±

    Patricia. What happened? Where are we? But if I can hear them, then maybe they can hear me.

    Guys, I try again, but I can feel my thoughts swallowed up by the dark. I¡¯m here! I¡¯m right here.

    ¡°¡­Oh my god, Kanin¡­¡± Patricia cries.

    What? I ask. What is it?

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t my fault,¡± Doug says. ¡°He just tripped¡ªI can¡¯t lose my job over this!¡±

    Fucking Doug.

    Something flickers past me. I snatch at the scrap of sensation, and my coworkers¡¯ voices vanish even as the light sharpens into focus. It¡¯s a¡­ shooting star? That doesn¡¯t seem quite right. There¡¯s something more to it¡ªsomething deeper¡ªlike shapes beneath the surface of moving water, their meaning just out of reach.

    Oh, hey! the star says, and I jump. I thought I was alone in here.

    Hello? I ask. Can you hear me?

    Of course! the star says. Well, as much as anything can really hear in this place, I suppose.

    Relief sweeps through me. Someone else to talk to. I¡¯m not alone. Or maybe I am alone and just going insane, but if that¡¯s the case, at least this is a more comforting delusion.

    Where are we? I ask.

    Well, I¡¯m not really sure how, but it sure seems like Between to me, the star says.

    Between? I repeat. Between what?

    Everything, I think. The star sounds thoughtful. The space between worlds. Between dimensions, maybe even between time. Between states of matter, life and death. At any rate, it¡¯s not a place you¡¯re supposed to linger. I mean, that¡¯s what they say, anyway. I¡¯m no wizard!

    Alarm bells start going off in my head. The star¡¯s ramblings shouldn¡¯t be making any sense, but¡­

    Between life and death? I repeat. No. No, that can¡¯t be right.

    Between everything, the star says. I was on my way to Miasmere, myself. Never used a telepad before, but Rezira assured me they were safe. So much for that, ha ha! The star seems to sober a little. Although I do hope I¡¯m not stuck here forever. When I get back, that orc will never live it down¡­

    I¡¯m hardly listening. Snippets of my coworkers¡¯ conversations float through my head, and they¡¯re starting to make terrifying sense. Patricia was calling an ambulance. Doug didn¡¯t want to be blamed. I try to think back to the last thing I can recall before the darkness: I was falling.

    Head-first. I remember the ground rushing up to meet me, and then¡ª

    Even though temperature doesn¡¯t seem to be a thing in this place, I suddenly feel very, very cold.

    I¡¯m dead, I say quietly, and the star stops its rambling.

    Sorry?

    I¡¯m dead, I repeat, and this time the sadness hits me.

    Because I know it¡¯s true. Because even if I hadn¡¯t felt the impact, even though I can¡¯t remember any pain, somehow, some part of me just intrinsically understands the tragic reality of it:

    I¡¯m dead as a doorknob, and my last meal was a frozen cheese burrito.

 Chapter 2 - Shadows in the Dark

    Oh fuck. Oh fuck fuck fuck!

    You sure like that word, the star observes.

    This isn¡¯t real. Those voices weren¡¯t actually my coworkers. This has got to be some kind of dream. Some drug-induced delusion. The pressure¡ªthat¡¯s it! The pressure from starring in my first gig got to me, and I snapped.

    Because I can¡¯t actually be dead. I¡¯m not even thirty. I never found my soulmate. I never got to see India or the Eiffel Tower or the inside of the Playboy Mansion! And my show¡ª

    My show is as dead as me. Dead as my career. Dead dead dead.

    It¡¯s not fair, I moan. I¡¯d barely started living!

    Oh, don¡¯t be like that, the star says. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s not as bad as you think!

    What do you know? I sulk. You¡¯re just a star.

    The star laughs. What are you talking about? I¡¯m not a star, I¡¯m an elf.

    An elf? The unexpected comment briefly derails me from my misery, but I don¡¯t let it distract me long.

    Sure, I say, sinking back into my despair. And I¡¯m a dwarf.

    Are you? The star sounds curious. Where abouts? My neighbors are dwarves¡ªthe Brookbanks. Heard they come from quite an extended family. Always talking about their cousin¡¯s kid¡¯s husband¡¯s sister¡¯s cooking. Maybe that¡¯s why they moved out into the country. Can be a bit grouchy, but they mean well.

    The conversation is so absurd it almost helps me forget about my own untimely demise. You¡¯re serious?

    Of course I am, the star says. Sorry, am I rambling? Rezira always tells me I ramble, but given our circumstances I don¡¯t suppose there¡¯s much else to do.

    If I had a head, I would shake it. Nothing makes any sense. None of this feels real. Maybe I¡¯m still on the floor of the studio, experiencing some final fit of delusion as my neurons fritz out, firing their last desperate signals into oblivion.

    You know I¡¯m not actually a dwarf, right? I ask.

    All I really know about you is that you seem extremely confused, the star says.

    I suppose that¡¯s fair. I¡¯m a human, I say. I don¡¯t know why I¡¯m even bothering to explain. I just feel like crawling in a hole and never coming out again. My name¡¯s Kanin. Kanin Reed.

    Nice to meet you, Kanin! The star is far more chipper than any disembodied maybe-dead entity has any right to be. I¡¯m Noli Nettlebane.

    Noli the elf, who looks very much like a star. Sure. Why not?

    So how¡¯d you die? I ask glumly.

    Noli chuckles. Now that I¡¯m focusing, Noli¡¯s voice seems to take on a feminine tone. I sure hope that telepad didn¡¯t kill me. I¡¯m just stuck between two places. You really think you¡¯re dead?

    I try to summon up the last sights I can recall: Doug pushing me toward the edge, me tripping over the gun. The fall was all wrong. My head wasn¡¯t tucked. And was I even still aiming for the padding? I can¡¯t remember. God, it had happened so fast.

    But really? Tripping on a prop? I¡¯d be embarrassed if it weren¡¯t so sad.

    Yeah, I sigh. Pretty sure.

    I¡¯m sorry, she says, and I feel a wave of sympathy emanate from her. Well, at least you¡¯ve got me to keep you company before you pass on to the afterlife. Right?

    I pause. You mean this isn¡¯t the afterlife?

    Gods no! Noli laughs. I mean, it¡¯s not what I think the afterlife is supposed to look like. Is this what you were expecting?

    I guess not, I agree. But I¡¯d never really known what to expect¡ªnot completely. Heaven? Hell? Something else entirely? I had sort of figured no religion got it 100%, but most had gotten it at least a little right. This, though. This seems like oblivion.

    I nervously edge closer to Noli. You don¡¯t really seem too bothered by any of this.

    I get the impression of a mental shrug from her. It¡¯s then I realize I¡¯m not even hearing her words, exactly, so much as understanding her intent. It¡¯s impressions more than sounds; like her thoughts are getting beamed straight into my head. I try to wrap my mind around how exactly we¡¯re communicating, but the more I try to focus, the more dizzying the idea becomes.

    Maybe best to just roll with punches for now.

    I¡¯m not too worried, she says. I know we¡¯ll find a way out of this trap some way or another!

    Trap? I repeat. I thought you said this was, uh, Between? And even if that¡¯s true, why am I here instead of¡­ Dead. I shiver, shaking the word off. ¡­Wherever I¡¯m supposed to be?

    Great questions! Her words spark with delight. And you¡¯re right. Normally, if you really did die, you shouldn¡¯t be able to remain here. Well, technically I shouldn¡¯t either. The point is, this place is supposed to be a transitory state.

    Noli drifts away. Instinctively, I reach to follow, and surprisingly, I do. It¡¯s hard to say how I can tell I¡¯m moving without any reference points¡ªlike trying to distinguish shadows in the dark¡ªbut somehow I can tell there¡¯s motion, movement, and it¡¯s propelled by my will.

    Here, she says. Can you feel it?

    Feel what? But even as I ask, I can sense something manifest in the black. A tingling sensation, a numbness. And as I drift closer, the feeling amplifies into discomfort, and then into¡ªAh!

    Careful! Noli cries. Don¡¯t go poking your fingers in the flame, now.

    Thanks for the heads up, I grumble.

    But the jolt of pain vanishes as quickly as it came, and I tentatively try to examine it once more. It¡¯s like a wall of electricity. Crackling nothingness. I follow it in one direction, keeping carefully away from its burning touch, but it doesn¡¯t seem to end.

    What is it?

    What indeed? Noli muses. Some kind of planar magic, that¡¯s for sure.

    Magic, I repeat with a laugh. But Noli isn¡¯t joking. Of course she¡¯s not. She¡¯s an elf. From a world with dwarfs and teleportation pads. Yeah. Okay.

    Realizing the futility of remaining skeptical, I decide to lean into the absurdity. Magic created this¡­ barrier?

    Seems like, Noli says, either unaware of my bafflement or choosing to ignore it. It must be incredibly powerful to reach Between. Not to mention, to be able to last here for any amount of time.

    Well, we haven¡¯t been here that long, I say. It¡¯s been¡­ Wait. How long has it been? We can¡¯t have been talking for more than a handful of minutes. But how much time passed before I found Noli? Seconds? No, that doesn¡¯t feel right. Hours? Just like trying to understand how Noli and I can talk, the more I try to focus on how long I¡¯ve been in this place, the more the very concept of time seems to slip away.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

    No sense in trying to make sense of time outside of time, Noli says. But that¡¯s beside the point. Here, it¡¯ll be easier for you to understand if you experience it yourself. Take a spin about the place.

    The idea of striking out into the void by myself sets all kinds of alarm bells ringing in my head. What if I can¡¯t find you again?

    You will, she says, and there¡¯s a tinge of resignation to her assurance. Trust me.

    I¡¯m not entirely sure I do, but on the other hand, what is there to lose? I¡¯m already dead. Hesitantly, I move along the wall of magic, and Noli¡¯s presence grows distant. But it doesn¡¯t vanish. In fact, as I move, I notice a peculiar development taking place. First she¡¯s behind me, then to my side, then, eventually, in front of me once more. I pause, then strike out in a different direction. But the barrier inevitably takes me circling back to where I started. And it¡¯s like this in every direction.

    We¡¯re trapped, I realize. Stuck inside some kind of sphere.

    I feel Noli¡¯s agreement. This spell¡¯s keeping us stuck Between. Tucked away in a little pocket of nothingness. And as long the spell keeps going, we¡¯ll be kept from where we should be going.

    How¡¯d we even get in here? I wonder. Why just us?

    I¡¯m not sure, Noli says, but I can speculate.

    The gravity of her tone is not filling me with much confidence that her speculation will be to our benefit.

    My hometown was on the coast, she says. Fishermen abound. Visitors would come and fish with hooks, but all us locals¡ªwe used nets. Hooks just catch one fish at a time. You have to lure them in. But nets could be used on a whole school. You¡¯d cast them out and draw them up as fast as you could. Most of the fish would dart away, but you¡¯d always manage to snag a few unlucky ones.

    I don¡¯t like where this metaphor is headed. You think someone cast their net Between to catch us?

    Maybe not to catch us, specifically, Noli says. But they happened to cast their net at the exact moment we were moving Between. A moment earlier or later, and it might have been someone else. We¡¯re the unlucky fish.

    The wide, open dark suddenly seems a lot more close and claustrophobic. And what¡¯ll happen when the fisherman pulls in their net?

    For the first time Noli feels serious, and I don¡¯t like it one bit. Guess we¡¯ll be learning that together.

    Oh, hell no. We have to get out of here! I race back along the invisible wall of static. There¡¯s got to be some way out. If someone can make it, then someone can break it, right?

    Noli doesn¡¯t try to stop me. I¡¯ve already looked, I¡¯m afraid. There¡¯s no way out. But hey! Her enthusiasm bubbles back up once more. Maybe someone from the outside will help us?

    Well we can¡¯t just sit around and wait for that, I say. If this is a trap, then the person who made it wouldn¡¯t have anything good planned for us, would they?

    Maybe, Noli says. Or maybe I have this all wrong! No sense in assuming the worst, right? But¡­ are you sure you want out? she asks. Even if we could escape, it¡¯s the only thing keeping us Between. Without it, I¡¯ll be back on my way to Miasmere. And you¡­

    ¡­I¡¯ll be dead. For real dead. On my way to¡­ whatever happens after this. And maybe if I had any idea what that entailed, it would seem less scary. Paradise, if I¡¯m lucky. If I¡¯m not¡­

    Right at this moment, I don¡¯t particularly feel like much of a gambling man.

    Anyway, Noli says, no sense in panicking over something we can¡¯t control. Unless you¡¯ve got some very interesting spells tucked up your sleeve, we¡¯re stuck.

    Spells. Magic. The words don¡¯t seem as absurd as they should. I guess once you¡¯ve faced your own death, everything else becomes easier to swallow.

    Talk about out of the frying pan and into the fire. Or maybe this is the frying pan, and out there is all the fire, just waiting for me to slip out.

    On the bright side, I don¡¯t see how anything could get any worse.

    Tremors echo through the darkness.

    Some¡­ thing¡­ ripples through the black. Distant, outside of our little bubble, but I can still sense it clearly. Instead of Noli¡¯s curiosity and friendliness, however, it radiates only hunger. It¡¯s so intense, I feel it as if it¡¯s my own.

    What is that? I ask, hushed. As far as I can tell, it hasn¡¯t noticed us yet, and I intend to keep it that way.

    Noli doesn¡¯t reply. When I turn my attention back to her, she seems smaller. Less noticeable. Like she¡¯s no longer broadcasting her thoughts.

    Noli? I drift closer.

    Hush. Her thoughts are barely a whisper. But even muted, I can sense her fear, and that scares me more than the creature in the dark. Being stuck in this infinite black without a body or any control over the situation hadn¡¯t even fazed her, but this creature has her scared stiff. Rein it in.

    I¡¯m not sure I really know how to do that, but the creature in the dark doesn¡¯t make it hard to shrink back. What is it? I ask again.

    I don¡¯t know, she admits. There shouldn¡¯t be anything out there. Nothing should be able to live Between.

    Maybe it¡¯s stuck, like us? I suggest. But that doesn¡¯t feel right. It¡¯s drifting silently through the black, without fear or restraint. It¡¯s searching. Hungry.

    A predator.

    Claustrophobia is replaced by vertigo as my perspective of this place abruptly shifts. We¡¯re not just stuck in some tiny trap: We¡¯re a fishbowl cast into the ocean. Surrounded by unfathomable depths. And though dark, the surrounding waters aren¡¯t nearly as empty as they first appeared.

    Another tinge of motion radiates through the dark, this time much closer. I don¡¯t quite understand what it is until I feel Noli¡¯s sliver of apprehension. It slips from her like a crack in a mask.

    Time¡¯s up, she says.

    The space around us shivers, and I realize this new sensation isn¡¯t due to the predator; our line¡¯s being reeled back in.

    Think there¡¯s any possibility I¡¯ll go back? I ask, nervously edging away from our constricting net. Instead of¡­ you know. Moving on?

    I don¡¯t know, Noli says, but there¡¯s doubt in her tone.

    Waking up on the studio floor with a broken neck doesn¡¯t seem terribly enticing. But my other options are the afterlife, an encounter with that predator, or wherever this fishing net is taking me. I¡¯m not terribly stoked about any of these options.

    Our cage draws tighter. There¡¯s a sensation of motion now, of some inevitable outcome fast approaching.

    Do you believe in an afterlife? I ask Noli. I don¡¯t give her a chance to say no. What¡¯s yours like?

    It¡¯ll be alright, Kanin, she says, which I think is about the worst possible thing she could have chosen to say. When is it ever alright when someone says that?

    Maybe we could pull back against the net. Find some way to stay here a bit longer. I try to ground myself in place, but as our magical enclosure pulls closer around me, I chicken out and shy away from the encroaching pain at the last second. Sweeping my awareness around our prison, I desperately search for some hole I¡¯d missed before. I mean, we¡¯ve been alright this long, haven¡¯t we? What¡¯s a few more hours spent in an infinite abyss?

    Kanin¡ª

    It¡¯s not like time really passes here, right? I continue to ramble. I¡¯m not ready. I need more time.  A minute. A day. All the same, here. I couldn¡¯t even tell you how long it¡¯s been since¡ª

    Kanin! Watch out!

    The wall of our prison slams into me in an electrifying jolt. I jerk away, but the net is thrashing about, making it almost impossible to avoid. Hunger presses in at me from all sides¡ªexcitement¡ªanticipation¡ªmalice. The predator clamps down around us, and I can feel the walls of our prison creaking beneath its will.

    Suddenly, getting the fuck out of here seems like a great idea.

    Never mind! I press toward the other end of the net, as far away from the creature in the dark as I can manage. Reel, fisherman, reel!

    We¡¯re almost there, Noli says.

    Our cage cracks, and eager hunger spills in.

    At the same time, I can feel we¡¯re on the brink of something real¡ªon the brink of space, and time, and light.

    Shadows tear through our enclosure. They crash into the walls and ricochet about, greedily snatching for anything they can sink their claws into.

    Warmth. For the first time in what seems like an eternity, sensations begin to flood into me. The Between stretches away¡ªI¡¯m falling back into reality. In just another moment, we¡¯ll have escaped the predator.

    A spear of darkness stabs into me. And it¡¯s not like getting stabbed in the flesh; it¡¯s nothing as insignificant as physical pain. It stabs into my soul¡ªinto the very core of who I am¡ªand every inch of me screams.

    The darkness evaporates away, but a cold agony stays with me. I¡¯m enveloped by sights and sounds and a gentle softness, but I can only concentrate on that sharp pain in my mind, a tension in my soul, of a retreating hunger, growing more distant¡ª

    The agony dulls to an ache. Slowly, I¡¯m able to register my surroundings. Colors swim around me, out of focus. Sounds seem to echo down a distant hall. Warmth spills over me. It¡¯s physical. It¡¯s real. The darkness is gone.

    I would sigh with relief if I weren¡¯t so exhausted. I feel like I¡¯ve been shredded apart and stuck back together again, one atom at a time.

    [New presence recognized. System Compatibility: Accepted.]

    Noli? I groggily call. The voice is feminine, yet stiff and artificial¡ªnothing like Noli¡¯s bubbliness. And I don¡¯t sense her mind anywhere anymore. Then again, I no longer sense the predator either. I¡¯m back in my own solitary head. Alone.

    [Processing role.]

    Or maybe not. Hello? I try to call. But the voice doesn¡¯t seem to be listening. I can¡¯t even tell where it¡¯s coming from. Summoning all of my strength, I try to bring my surroundings into focus, and my efforts are rewarded as shapes and sounds begin to take meaning.

    Hah! I¡¯m alive again! Not whisked off to the afterlife after all. Take that, Noli. I will myself to move, and I¡¯m rewarded with a small rocking motion. That¡¯s okay. Baby steps.

    [Designation acquired.]

    Abruptly, words spill out over my vision, imprinting on my mind.

    [Name: Kanin Reed]

    [Gender: Male]

    [Age: 28]

    [Weight¡ª]

    What the fuck is this? What is happening? There¡¯s dozens of lines, filling my vision and mind with strange words and lists of numbers until I can¡¯t see or think or hear anything else. It¡¯s too much¡ªtoo much to understand¡ª

    [Abbreviating stats,] the voice says. Most of the words vanish, and the list repopulates, much shorter this time.

    [Name: Kanin]

    [Species: N/A]

    [Class: None]

    [Level: 1]

    [HP: 10/10]

    [Mana: 10/10]

    [Void: 1%]

    What the hell? What is all this? I try to blink the words away, but I discover two things at once.

    First, I don¡¯t have eyes, and therefore cannot blink. Second, no one is actually speaking to me: The words are all in my head.

    But the weird mind-voice isn¡¯t done with me yet.

    [Role: Homunculus]

 Chapter 3 - Homunculus

    Level? Hit points? What is all this¡ªsome kind of video game? And what the fuck is a homunculus?

    A shadow looms over me, and my vision swims as the shapes curve across my field of view in a disorienting manner. I feel nauseous, but I can¡¯t blink, or turn away, or even shut my vision off. A tawny face, bearded and gnarled, stretches before me¡ªbut behind me I can see the contents of a wooden work bench, and above me arcs the thatched roof of a cottage, while below is a distinct grainy pattern of wood, crossed with white stripes.

    It¡¯s like I can see in every direction, all at once.

    I want to be sick.

    The giant face moves closer, peering at me with one gray eye which stretches around my view like a fisheye lens. He grins, and says something in a deep, wispy voice.

    What did he say? I can hear¡ªor at least I think I can hear¡ªbut it¡¯s nothing more than a string of nonsensical sounds.

    [Foreign language detected. Activate translation?]

    Uh. I still don¡¯t understand who the voice belongs to¡ªif it belongs to anyone at all. But at the very least, it seems to be friendly. Yes?

    [Activating.]

    Like a switch has been flipped in my brain, the old man¡¯s words suddenly snap into focus.

    ¡°...more than anticipated. Two for one! How fascinating. I¡¯ve never had this happen before.¡±

    Who is this guy?

    The mind-voice takes that as an invitation.

    [Name: Trenevalt]

    [Species: Halfling]

    [Class: Null Summoner]

    [Level: 40]

    [HP: 20/50]

    [Mana: 28/800]

    Summoner? Halfling? As if this all couldn¡¯t get any weirder. But after my conversation with Noli and everything that happened Between, I¡¯m starting to develop an immunity to disbelief.

    Where is Noli, anyway?

    ¡°It¡¯s lucky another vessel was nearby for the excess magic to spill over into,¡± Trenevalt says, reaching out a hand. It hovers just above me, dwarfing my field of view. Halfling? This guy is huge!

    ¡°That could have been trouble.¡± He chuckles. ¡°Never thought my tinkering with such trinkets would end up being so useful.¡± Trenevalt¡¯s hand continues to move over me and reach for an object to my right.

    It¡¯s some sort of clockwork toy. Springs and gears decorate its copper shell, intricately integrated into all six of its spindly limbs. Some kind of octopus. Hexapus?

    It begins squirming when Trenevalt tries to pick it up. At the same time, the mind-voice speaks up once more.

    [Name: Noli]

    [Species: N/A]

    [Class: Woodland Ranger]

    [Level: 25]

    [HP: 30/30 (reduced)]

    [Mana: 20/20]

    Wait. That toy is Noli?

    Trenevalt chuckles as the clockwork octopus swipes at one of his fingers. ¡°Spirited core, I see. Though your form is a bit unorthodox. It will be difficult to figure out how to fix you to a more proper shell. Well, I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll find some use for you yet.¡±

    The toy¡ªNoli¡ªgestures in a way I choose to assume means something rude as Trenevalt turns back to me. I squirm under his gaze and am rewarded with a small rocking motion.

    ¡°Careful there,¡± he warns, steadying me with a finger. The finger is enormous, covering up most of my view of the ceiling. Next to me, Noli is struggling to get her many toy limbs under her. But if I¡¯m about her size, that means this Trenevalt fellow isn¡¯t huge at all, is he? We¡¯ve just become very, very small.

    I must be stuck in some kind of toy, too. But what shape? I can¡¯t see any limbs, despite somehow being able to see in every direction at once, and trying to move doesn¡¯t provide me with any mobility either.

    I may as well be Between all over again.

    But at least here I can see. And I can hear. And a warm beam of sunlight is trickling through a crack in the wall. It¡¯s something, at least.

    ¡°Can you understand me, core?¡± Trenevalt asks me.

    Can I speak? I think very hard about doing so, but nothing happens. With nothing else to do, I try wiggling once more. Only now that I¡¯m thinking about it, it¡¯s more like sloshing.

    How extremely unsettling.

    ¡°Excellent,¡± Trenevalt says, apparently taking my movement as some sort of confirmation. ¡°That should be sufficient until I¡¯ve enough mana to move you to your more permanent form. Now, stay put.¡± A strange tingling sensation passes through me. ¡°I¡¯ll be just a moment.¡± The halfling turns away and hobbles out of the room.

    Stay put? And wait for the fisherman to come back so he can start cleaning his fish? I don¡¯t think so. The second Trenevalt is gone, I give it my best wiggle.

    A buzzing sensation erupts through my mind.

    [Role requirement engaged,] the mind voice says. [Order received: Stay put. Sanity Level: 99%]

    What the hell? Role requirement? What did any of that mean?

    [Role: Homunculus. Condition: A homunculus must obey the commands of its creator.]

    She keeps using that word. What even is a homunculus? It sounds ridiculous.

    The mind-voice is happy to fill me in. [Homunculus: Animated by an arcanum-infused core, a homunculus is a creature of artificial origins designed to simulate life and serve its spell caster.]

    Artificial my ass! I lived a whole life before ending up here! Or half of a life. A quarter. Regardless, mind-voice must have it all wrong.

    I¡¯m so distracted by this infuriating revelation, I almost don¡¯t register the clockwork octopus crawling over to me. It¡¯s a little hard to miss, however, since I can¡¯t seem to turn my omni-vision off.

    Noli taps me with a copper tentacle, producing a ringing clink. I try to wiggle in acknowledgement, and that same buzzing sensation creeps into my mind, but I guess since I¡¯m not technically trying to go anywhere, the ¡°Stay put¡± order remains satisfied.

    Noli wiggles her arms nonsensically, but it doesn¡¯t mean anything to me. I wish we could communicate again like we could Between.

    [Foreign language detected,] the mind voice says. [Activate translation?]If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    Are they talking about Noli? But she isn¡¯t saying anything. She continues to wave two of her octopi limbs around, making strange swirling and jabbing motions. They seem sharp¡ªintentional.

    [Activate translation?]

    Wait, she is speaking, isn¡¯t she? Just not with spoken words¡ªit¡¯s some kind of sign language.

    Yes! I cry. Activate translation.

    The random motions abruptly gain meaning, the concepts appearing in my mind like they had when we were Between.

    ¡°...that really you?¡± Noli signs. It¡¯s crude, as if the signs she¡¯s producing with tentacle limbs are only a rough approximation of a much more nuanced language, but the translator in my mind seems to be working overtime to fill in the gaps. ¡°We¡¯re in quite a pinch, huh. Can you see me from in there?¡±

    In where? Not that I have any way of asking her to elaborate. Could I?

    Hey robot person, I call. Can I, uh, I don¡¯t know. Broadcast or something?

    [Command unrecognized,] she says.

    Didn¡¯t think so. Well, thanks anyway, um¡­ I pause. Do you have a name?

    [This interface is not a living entity and as such does not have a name.]

    How enlightening. So, what, you¡¯re like a computer program?

    [The existence of this interface is your primitive interpretation of the neuro-magical readjustment that was formed to bridge the divergences between extraplanar dimensions.]

    Uh¡­ sure. Clear as mud. But referring to it as the robot mind-voice isn¡¯t doing either of us any good. I¡¯m going to call you Echo, I decide, since you seem to have a response to whatever I say.

    The voice pauses as if performing a calculation. [Designation accepted.]

    The tinking rings through me again, and I flinch away from Noli¡¯s increasingly annoying taps.

    ¡°Can you feel this? I suppose even if you could, you wouldn¡¯t be able to say. Quite a pinch indeed!¡±

    How can she possibly sound so upbeat after having her mind stuffed into a toy octopus? It just isn¡¯t normal. I try to lean away from her taps, and she pauses.

    ¡°Aha! That got a reaction.¡± Her arms wiggle in excitement. ¡°Alright, how about this¡ªslosh around if you can understand me.¡±

    There doesn¡¯t seem to be many other options. I try rocking back and forth again.

    ¡°That¡¯s it! You can see me! Okay, so¡­ let¡¯s try, sloshing means yes, no sloshing means no.¡±

    Psh. I could have thought of that. But it doesn¡¯t seem like ¡®yes¡¯ and ¡®no¡¯ are going to lead to many rich and meaningful conversations.

    Noli clumsily skitters around me, looking for who knows what, and her image warps around my gaze. Ugh. This contorted vision is going to give me a headache.

    ¡°Okay,¡± Noli signs. ¡°I think I can roll you off that stand before our wizarding friend gets back. Er. You don¡¯t think you¡¯d break if I dropped you on the floor, do you?¡±

    I sure hope not. But her line of questioning is not instilling an abundance of confidence in me.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t wiggle,¡± she notices. ¡°So, ¡®no, you don¡¯t think you¡¯ll break¡¯. Or is that ¡®no, don¡¯t drop me¡¯? Or maybe ¡®no, you don¡¯t want to go¡¯. Or maybe¡­¡±

    I mentally facepalm. At this rate, nothing is going to get accomplished. One thing I do agree with her on, though, is getting out of here before Trenevalt gets back. I try to rock a little more forcefully, and immediately my mind is filled with uncomfortable static and alarm bells.

    [Role requirement active,] Echo stoically reports. [Order: Stay put. Sanity Level: 98%]

    Oh, right. I¡¯d nearly forgotten about that bullshit. Can¡¯t talk. Can¡¯t move. What¡¯s next?

    ¡°Here we are.¡±

    My heart sinks and Noli freezes as Trenevalt meanders back into the room. That must have been the shortest-lived escape attempt in history. What does he want? Why did he do this to us?

    Trenevalt sinks into a chair, reclining with a content sigh. Between his hands is a steaming cup of liquid. He smiles faintly, turning his face to a sunny window, and sips idly at his drink. A solid minute passes in silence.

    Um. What? Is this some kind of trick?

    Noli is just as baffled. ¡°I¡­ think he forgot about us.¡±

    Holy shit, she¡¯s right. Not a trick, then, just a joke. A very bad joke.

    ¡°Come on.¡± Noli crawls around behind my back. ¡°I think we can still sneak out of here.¡±

    But her squeaky gears and the scraping of her metal limbs against wood are anything but sneaky. Trenevalt cocks his head, then turns to look. Noli stops as the wizard stares at us for a long, unblinking moment.

    Then he passes a hand over his face and chuckles. ¡°Oh my. I really am getting old, aren¡¯t I? Can¡¯t forget about you two.¡± He sets the drink down and stands, sweeping me up in his grasp.

    The world spins around me¡ªtoo fast¡ªtoo disorienting¡ªbut at least his hand is covering half my vision, which helps with some of the vertigo. As I¡¯m lifted from where I was stuck, I can finally get a good glimpse of my surroundings.

    We appear to be in some kind of wooden shed. Strange tools and jars decorate the shelves on two of the walls. On the third wall is a window, where a line of clockwork toys similar to Noli are sitting all in a row, with one gap in their ranks. Beneath that is the table I had been sitting on, which has white circles and lines drawn all over it. At the center of the design is some sort of small metal stand¡ªthat must have been what I¡¯d just been sitting in. Trenevalt places a cloth lining in the stand, picks it up and rolls me back into the padded frame, then gingerly grabs Noli with his other hand. He carries both of us out the door at the back of the room. So much for his tea.

    Outside is almost sensory overload. There are pine trees¡ªwhich I can¡¯t smell¡ªand sunshine¡ªwhich fills me with warmth¡ªand chirping birds¡ªwhich I can hear. So I¡¯ve still got at least sight, sound, and touch. But smell, taste, and speech seem to be off the table. Not terrible, I guess. But what I really want is mobility, and it¡¯s all I can do to just watch and see where Trenevalt takes us next.

    ¡°That was my workshop,¡± he helpfully supplies as we circle around the small shed. ¡°You won¡¯t have to worry about that place much. It¡¯s just where I practice any new spells, and aside from you two, I¡¯m not practicing much arcana these days.¡±

    Noli is wiggling her octopus limbs at him frantically, but he doesn¡¯t pay her any mind.

    ¡°The wood pile is just behind,¡± he continues, pausing to show us his astonishingly mundane stack of logs. ¡°They can be chopped in the spring and summer, so there¡¯s time for them to dry before winter.¡±

    Fascinating. What mysterious wonders will the wizard show us next?

    ¡°The grounds become quite overgrown in warmer months,¡± he says, continuing on the apparent tour. ¡°They will certainly need tending. And these are the laundry lines.¡± A pair of pink flannel trousers flap in the breeze. ¡°They can be taken down in harsh winds, if need be. Up ahead is the main house¡­¡±

    Noli continues to fruitlessly attempt communication with the wizard. ¡°It¡¯s all lovely, it really is, but we would seriously appreciate being put down now¡ªor, even better, returned to our actual bodies.¡±

    He doesn¡¯t even glance her way. It¡¯s like being held captive to an old person¡¯s mind-numbing narration, but in a much more literal and dire sense.

    ¡°...And this is my home.¡±

    The cabin is half-built into the hill it¡¯s on, which in turn looks down over a valley dotted with lakes and wildflowers. Snow-capped mountains frame the picturesque vista, and there¡¯s no sign of any other homes or villages in sight. I suppose I can¡¯t blame the guy; if I were a hermit, this would certainly be a stunning location to choose to spend the rest of my days without the risk of any wayward salesmen or nosey neighbors.

    Which of course means there¡¯s no one else around to save Noli and I.

    Inside, his house is cozy, if not a bit messy, every surface covered with teacups and every wall packed with books. He shows us to the kitchen, the living room, the bedroom, and finally stops in some sort of study.

    ¡°Here we are,¡± he says, setting me down on a desk. ¡°It will be nice to have help again. Though I suppose that¡¯ll have to wait a few more days, until my mana stores have recovered. I¡¯m afraid I used a bit too much summoning you both here¡ªwon¡¯t have nearly enough to complete the binding. Not to mention twice over!¡± He places Noli next to me. ¡°Sorry, little one, but I don¡¯t have a body prepared for you, yet.¡±

    A body? Like, our real bodies? Thank god, then this is just temporary. Maybe this is all just some misunderstanding. Maybe he¡¯s here to help after all. I mean, he doesn¡¯t seem all that bad. A bit messy and more than a little forgetful, but I¡¯m starting to have my doubts about his supposed wizardly talents.

    Trenevalt turns his back to us as he busies himself with something behind the desk.

    ¡°Oh, gods,¡± Noli signs.

    I turn my attention back to her. She must see something I can¡¯t.

    Noli isn¡¯t trying to escape this time, however. She just watches Trenevalt, quietly, unmoving. Echo¡¯s translations may be able to figure out her signs, but it provides me no insight on her body language. Is she frozen in fear? Awe? Something else?

    Curse this lipless form.

    Then Trenevalt steps aside, and I notice several things.

    First, he¡¯s standing in front of something glassy and reflective. The structure isn¡¯t a mirror, but it¡¯s enough to provide me with a first very warped reflection of myself.

    I¡¯m a flask. Seated on the cushioned stand Trenevalt had placed me on before, I can make out a tear-drop shaped vial, about three inches across. Like one of those round chemistry flasks, but instead of an opening, the top part is hooked and sealed as if designed to be strung up like a pendant on a necklace. And inside that glass vessel is something dark¡ªa thimbleful of black ink. That¡­ that isn¡¯t really me, is it?

    [Check,] Echo chimes in, my thoughts clearly having triggered one of her commands. [Kanin, a Level 1 homunculus, summoned by the null-arcanum wizard Trenevalt.]

    Okay, so that¡¯s definitely me, then. I¡¯m a tiny glass vial with a teaspoon of ink. Man, why couldn¡¯t I have gotten Noli¡¯s body instead?

    But I¡¯m not given much time to dwell in self-pity as my attention is drawn to the thing that¡¯s providing me with my reflection.

    ¡°You won¡¯t be much use now,¡± Trenevalt says, setting something down on the table next to me. ¡°But once I¡¯ve got you properly bonded, you should be a big help around the house.¡±

    What he¡¯s stepped away from is a body¡ªsort of. There are two legs, two arms, something that resembles a torso, and even the impression of a head¡ªbut it¡¯s all made out of glass. And there¡¯s a hole in its chest that¡¯s suspiciously tear-drop shaped.

    I look at the thing Trenevalt put on the table, and it¡¯s like looking into a mirror. Another tear-drop vial, but this one is cracked and empty.

    Um. Check?

    [Check: Expired homunculus core,] Echo says. [This is the inactive core that once was used to power the homunculus shell owned by the null-arcanum wizard Trenevalt.]

    Oh, crap.

    ¡°It will be nice to have someone to talk to again,¡± Trenevalt happily hums to himself. ¡°Even if you won¡¯t be able to talk back. Gets lonely out here sometimes¡­ But nothing a bit of magic can¡¯t fix!¡±

    ¡°Gods,¡± Noli signs, her limbs limp and defeated. She seems to be piecing it together as well. ¡°He wanted to create a new core to power his homunculus¡ªbut instead, he got us. He doesn¡¯t even know two souls got stuck in his spell.¡±

    If I had a heart, it would be sinking into my stomach. I might not understand magic, but our circumstances are clear enough. Our minds have been stuffed into tumblers and toys, and the only chance of freedom rests in the hands of a senile wizard who summoned us to do his yard work.

 Chapter 4 - This is How I Roll

    Moonlight spills from a frosted window, providing the only light Noli and I have to work by, as Trenevalt sleeps in the next room over. I imagine him explaining all the tasks he expects us to perform once we have proper bodies is extremely exhausting for someone who typically only concerns himself with how his eggs are prepared on any given day: soft boiled, if you were wondering.

    ¡°There¡¯s got to be a way to make him understand us,¡± Noli signs, despite having already proven herself wrong dozens of times this afternoon.

    Even so, I give an affirmative ¡°Yes¡± jiggle just so she knows I¡¯m listening.

    ¡°Or maybe we¡¯d stand a better chance finding someone else to listen,¡± she suggests. ¡°There must be a town nearby. That tea he drinks is the same kind Rezira buys, I¡¯m sure of it. We could try walking there.¡±

    We can¡¯t do anything. Noli is the only one with any mobility between the two of us, and her tiny toy tentacles don¡¯t strike me as something that would weather miles of wilderness and potentially wild animals in one piece¡ªassuming she¡¯s right that there is in fact a town nearby, and that she even knows which way to go.

    Not for the first time, a wave of depression washes over me. I miss my body. I miss being able to walk and talk, and I¡¯d sell my soul just to be able to cry or complain. God, what I¡¯d give to have my glutes back. I had amazing glutes.

    And what¡¯s going to happen to my TV show now? My heart sinks. Without its star, it¡¯ll probably be dead in the water. Somehow, that hurts almost as much as losing my body. I spent my whole life trying to break out. All those years of acting classes, voice training, community theater, working out, strict diets, and countless auditions¡ªjust for it to be thrown away, the moment I finally got my shot. What was the point of all that struggle? It¡¯s not fair!

    A cloud passes overhead, and light catches in the creature-shaped glass husk that sits silently in the corner. Noli seems to notice it too.

    ¡°Well one thing¡¯s for sure,¡± she signs. ¡°We can¡¯t let you get bonded to that thing.¡±

    Oh? I mean, I¡¯m not thrilled about being stuck in a squatty glass body¡ªhe could have at least made it athletic looking¡ªbut having arms and legs again sure would be nice. Maybe then I could at least write something and clue Trenevalt into what¡¯s happening with us.

    ¡°Homunculi are mindless, soulless, magic-less constructs, right?¡± Noli signs. ¡°So what happens when a soul gets stuck to something that¡¯s designed only to obey its creator¡¯s commands? I mean, I don¡¯t know for sure it will be bad.¡± She wrings her octopus arms. ¡°But I also can¡¯t imagine it would mean anything good.¡±

    I suppress a shiver. I¡¯ve already run into a few of these ¡°Role requirements,¡± as Echo calls them, forcing me to obey Trenevalt¡¯s simple command to stay put. If I get bound to that glass body, and Noli¡¯s right, then what will happen to the remainder of the small scrap of autonomy I still have left?

    Trenevalt mentioned he needs to wait a few days for his mana stores to recover first (whatever that means). A few days doesn¡¯t feel like much to work with. But if my freedom is on the line, then we need to figure out a solution¡ªquick.

    ¡°Anyway,¡± Noli signs, clapping her limbs together. ¡°I could probably carry you, if it comes down to it. Although I¡¯m still figuring out these wobbly arms.¡± She attempts to pick up a feather quill and immediately drops it, not filling me with an abundance of confidence. ¡°Well, practice makes improvement, as they say! Unless you think you can roll around on your own?¡±

    That idea sounds significantly preferable to the alternative. This stand is preventing me from doing any rolling, but if Noli could help me out, then maybe I¡¯d have some options.

    But just as soon as my hopes are stoked, I remember that annoying buzzing sensation and Trenevalt¡¯s command: Stay put.

    Hey Echo, I ask. Do I still have to stay put? Do these commands, I don¡¯t know, have any kind of expiration date?

    [Negative,] Echo says. [An expiration timer must be established by the summoner in order to apply to a command. However, in this instance the command to ¡°Stay put¡± has become rendered null due to the summoner actively changing your location.]

    Perfect! I stash that bit of loophole knowledge away for future use, then answer Noli with a rock of excited agreement.

    ¡°Great!¡± Noli skitters over to me, tapping her limbs at my small metal stand. ¡°Now, let¡¯s see what I can do about all this¡­¡±

    I am starting to have regrets. Unlike a real octopus, she lacks any kind of suction cups or grip, and her metal tentacles produce a faint yet painful screeching sound when she runs them over my flask. I internally cringe, but I don¡¯t see any alternative; if she drops me, at least I¡¯m only an inch off the desk.

    Noli grounds herself on four of her limbs and uses the other two to wrap around me and squeeze. I can¡¯t say how, exactly, but the sensation makes me uneasy.

    [Crush status in effect,] Echo pipes up. [1 point of Crushing damage is sustained every second. HP: 9/10]

    Well that doesn¡¯t sound good. Noli tips back, and I come halfway out of the stand.

    [HP: 8/10]

    Hurry the fuck up, Noli! She leans further back, and I slip free from the stand. She¡¯s still holding me, though. Shit, we really should have fleshed out more methods of communication than just ¡®yes¡¯ and ¡®no.¡¯

    [HP: 7/10]

    Noli leans forward to set me down, but I slip from her arms and drop to the table with a jolting crack.

    ¡°Oops!¡± Noli cringes. ¡°Sorry.¡±

    [2 points of Fall damage sustained. Total HP: 5/10]

    Sheesh! That much damage from such a little fall? I¡¯m more fragile than I thought. But at least that ordeal is over. And I wasn¡¯t forced to find out what happens when my HP falls to zero¡ªan ignorance I¡¯d love to maintain.

    Without the stand to keep me still, I roll halfway over, my vision rotating disorientingly around me. I attempt to roll in the opposite direction, and succeed! A bit too well, however, as I continue to roll backward.

    I¡¯m barely able to catch Noli¡¯s ¡°Careful!¡± before she pounces on me, and I feel my HP drop another point.

    The world stops spinning, two of Noli¡¯s limbs keeping me secured in place, and it¡¯s only then I can see where I¡¯ve rolled; the edge of the table is inches away.

    I don¡¯t need to consult Echo to know that fall would cost me the last four points of my HP.

    ¡°Whew.¡± Noli carefully lets me go. ¡°Well, at least we know you can move around like this.¡±

    Mobility, yes, precision, no. The hook shape at the back of my glass is throwing off my balance. And if I¡¯m going to have to roll everywhere, I wouldn¡¯t be able to see much of anything while in motion. This body just keeps getting better and better.

    ¡°Should I put you back on the stand?¡±

    I don¡¯t bother moving¡ªto indicate a ¡®No¡¯¡ªas I take stock of my surroundings. No way down from the table that doesn¡¯t involve falling and shattering into countless glassy bits.

    I lean away from the edge of the table and begin to roll again¡ªslower, this time. Noli scurries after me like a mother hen, but I think I¡¯m getting the hang of it. It¡¯s like trying to balance on a see-saw; I have to keep shifting my weight from side to side if I want to stay put, and leaning one way or the other just a little bit is enough to break the balance and start rolling again. Awkwardly, I inch my way across the desk, pausing occasionally to gather my bearings.

    Noli skitters after me as I practice. ¡°There you go, you¡¯re getting it!¡±

    Thanks for the patronization. I bump into something and roll to an abrupt stop¡ªa messy stack of books. For a moment the words on the spine seem nonsensical, then just as quickly they snap into focus.

    Advanced Summoning Arcana. Planar Theories. Vessel Construction and Binding. Birds of Valenia North.

    Ah, a powerful wizard and a bird watcher. This Trenevalt is one multifaceted halfling.

    I pick a candlestick as my next checkpoint to travel toward and start rolling once again.

    ¡°Good, good!¡± Noli signs. ¡°Now if we can just get down from this table, we should be able to make a break for it. I¡¯m pretty sure I¡¯d be okay if I fell, but¡­¡±The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

    My glass is anything but durable. And even if we do make it down, I¡¯m not sure running is the best idea. I mean, I definitely don¡¯t want to get stuck in that glass shell and become a mindless magical maid, but if Trenevalt got us stuck in these bodies, he¡¯s still the best bet to get us unstuck, right?

    I bump into the candlestick and pause to take stock once more. There are some ink and papers nearby, which I decide to aim for next, keenly aware my vision will start swirling into a nonsensical blur the second I move. There has to be a better way to get around.

    ¡°Maybe we can find a different way to communicate,¡± Noli continues. ¡°Like rolling in a circle versus a straight line, or left or right could mean something, or up and¡­¡±

    I lose track of what she¡¯s saying as I roll. But she¡¯s right; we really need to work on making our conversations more than one-sided. Now that I¡¯m starting to get the hang of moving, that should come next. Maybe if I tipped that inkwell over and rolled through the ink, I could write something in cursive.

    I try and fail to recall the cursive alphabet. I¡¯d only ever practiced my name for signing autographs.

    Well, it was a good idea, anyway.

    I roll to a stop before running into the stack of papers. The inkwell is only a few inches away. Would bumping into it knock it over? Or would it crack me apart?

    That¡¯s not a gamble I¡¯m really wild about taking. But maybe Noli could help.

    I roll over to the inkwell and make a slow circle around it. There¡¯s a cork in the top, which proves an additional obstacle. Apart from the ink, only that cracked homunculus flask is nearby. I try to ignore the latter; something about that dead core gives me the heebee jeebies.

    ¡°What¡¯re you up to?¡± Noli asks, following me over. ¡°The ink?¡±

    I rock an affirmative ¡°Yes.¡±

    She takes a lap around it as well. ¡°You want to use this?¡±

    Yes! She¡¯s getting it.

    ¡°Great idea!¡± Noli wraps two limbs around the base, and works at the cork with two more. I roll back an inch to give her room, but her metal tentacles slip useless around the stopper.

    ¡°Hmm,¡± she considers after a minute of futile effort. ¡°We¡¯ll have to get it open some other way. Think we can break it?¡±

    Noli doesn¡¯t wait for me to answer. She knocks the well on its side, which clatters loudly, but does not crack.

    ¡°Maybe more height?¡± she suggests.

    I decide it¡¯s prudent not to stick around to find out. Rolling back, I¡¯m only a few inches away when Noli throws the inkwell at the table. The bottle skips and comes crashing back down onto the old homunculus flask, which shatters on impact.

    I cringe.

    ¡°Oops,¡± Noli signs.

    A grumble and rustling of blankets comes from Trenevalt¡¯s bedroom. Busted. What will he do when he finds us? He doesn¡¯t strike me as the quick-to-anger type, but given he sees us as something like Roombas and not actual people, my faith in his understanding is slim. Will he lock us up somewhere we¡¯ll have no chance of causing more trouble¡ªor escaping? I look desperately around for somewhere to hide¡ªmyself or the evidence, I can¡¯t even say¡ªbut short of risking a jump off the desk, my options are limited.

    ¡°Shoot!¡± Noli skitters to the left, then the right. ¡°What do we do?¡± She hesitates at the edge of the desk, and for a second, I think she¡¯s about to abandon me. It stings, but I can¡¯t blame her, really. We¡¯ve only known each other for a day, and we¡¯ve been able to communicate for even less. Then she hurries back over. ¡°Sorry about this, Kanin, but better to ask for forgiveness than permission!¡±

    Before I have a chance to figure out what she means, she scoops me up and rushes across the desk. Trenevalt¡¯s footsteps thump across creaky floorboards and a light turns on from in his room. Noli bumps into my stand, and I feel a stomach-lurching bout of weightlessness as she nearly drops me, juggling from arm to arm, as she tries to set me back in place.

    She¡¯s protecting me. If Trenevalt finds me securely in my stand while Noli¡¯s freely skittering about, then she¡¯ll take the blame for the broken flask. Guilt washes over me. I¡¯d tell her to stop if I could! It¡¯s my fault she was trying to open that stupid ink bottle in the first place.

    But there¡¯s nothing I can do. Since the moment I was dragged into this shitty fantasyland, I¡¯ve been completely useless.

    And I¡¯m fucking sick of it.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on out here?¡± Trenevalt grumbles, a ball of light floating over his shoulder and spilling color onto our surroundings as he limps into the room. The light glimmers off the shards of broken glass.

    ¡°Ah.¡± Trenevalt bends over his desk as Noli sits carefully still near the stack of books. ¡°I see some of us have been creating more messes than they¡¯ve been cleaning up.¡±

    His gaze lands on me for a moment before shifting over to Noli. Her limbs twitch. He reaches toward her.

    ¡°Hey!¡± he says as Noli jumps from the desk, landing on the floor with a thunk.

    She pauses to look back up at me. ¡°I promise I¡¯ll be back. Sit tight, Kanin!¡±

    As if I could do anything else.

    ¡°Get back here,¡± Trenevalt orders, but Noli skitters around the corner and out of view.

    Interesting. If Trenevalt had said that to me I would have had that annoying buzzing in my mind, and Echo saying [Order received] or [Role requirement engaged.] Did Noli not have an Echo rattling around in her head, too?

    She also seems to understand Trenevalt perfectly fine. If she doesn¡¯t have a mental translator, does that mean she can just speak his language? Are we in her world? And even if we are, why do each of us appear to be operating under a different set of rules?

    Either way, she¡¯s gone now, and Trenevalt is in a foul mood.

    ¡°What a mess,¡± he grumbles, peering down at the broken flask. He points a finger at the shards, mumbling something under his breath. A purplish glow appears at his fingertip, and he begins to sketch a symbol into the air above the glass. Then he hesitates. With a shake of his head, he withdraws his hand, and the light vanishes.

    ¡°Suppose I¡¯ll clean it up the old-fashioned way in the morning,¡± he sighs. ¡°Need to save all the magic I can afford for your spell. Then I won¡¯t have to clean up anything myself.¡±

    And I¡¯m so happy for him. But it¡¯s curious he seems so conservative about his magic. Like flexing an invisible muscle, I Check Trenevalt.

    [Trenevalt, a Level 40 halfling null wizard,] Echo says. [He specializes in summoning magic and null arcanum and is exceptionally tired.]

    Thanks for that, Echo. Exactly the information I care about.

    What about his magic? I ask. Um. Mana?

    [Mana: 50/800]

    Well that might be useful info if I remembered how much he¡¯d had before. Still, it seems low. I guess casting that net Between and yanking Noli and I back out costs a pretty penny. So how much mana does it cost to animate a homunculus? And how much time is left before I¡¯m doomed to senile-wizard servitude? He¡¯d mentioned a couple days, but did that include yesterday? How many is a couple? The uncertainty stirs anxiously in my chest.

    Or, glass, I guess. Whatever.

    Anything else you can tell me? I ask Echo. Anything else I can Check?

    [Check: broken flask,] Echo says.

    That¡¯s not exactly what I meant.

    [The broken remnants of an expired homunculus core. Attunement available.]

    What? What¡¯s that mean?

    [Broken: adjective. Fractured or damaged. Homunculus: noun. A creature of artificial¡ª]

    No, no, no, I interrupt. Echo must think I¡¯m stupid. Attunement. What¡¯s that?

    [Attunement,] Echo says. [A spell which allows the caster to form a magical bond with an object.]

    Magic? That¡¯s something I can do? I thought only wizards could do the glowy finger tricks. I suppose it¡¯s possible; there¡¯s a lot about this world I still don¡¯t understand. But even if I do, what would forming a magical bond with a broken pile of glass even accomplish?

    Trenevalt raises his glowing ball of light higher in the air, sweeping his gaze around the room. I don¡¯t see Noli anywhere, and I guess he doesn¡¯t either, because he gives another rumbling sigh and shakes his head.

    ¡°A problem for the morning, I think.¡± Lowering the light, he straightens up the bottle of ink, gives me an affectionate pat (ew, please don¡¯t,) and then lumbers back to his bedroom. The light snuffs out a moment later.

    So we¡¯re back here again. Stuck on a stand in magic-Frodo¡¯s house, abandoned by my clockwork friend. Really, who hasn¡¯t been there?

    I glance at the pile of glass. That Attunement thing still has me curious. Performing magic was never on any of my forecasted career paths¡ªat least, not since I gave up prestidigitation in 5th grade¡ªand it¡¯s not terribly appealing to me now that I know it¡¯s real, either. I just wish I had two heels I could tap together to send me back home, somewhere familiar and comfortable, where my biggest worries are forgetting my lines and trying to decide what I want to order for dinner. (Delivery is its own kind of magic, really.)

    But all of that is just fantasy now¡ªand yes, I¡¯m well aware of the irony. Currently, a wizard holds my fate in his hands, and my only ally is missing. If I want to get back to any sort of normalcy, I¡¯ll need to take things into my own¡ªmetaphorical¡ªhands.

    So what¡¯s involved with this Attunement process? I ask.

    [Attunement Requirements,] Echo says. [Mana: Variable. Time: Variable. Proximity: Must be in physical contact with the Attuned target object.]

    I Check my stats.

    [Name: Kanin]

    [Species: N/A]

    [Class: None]

    [Level: 1]

    [HP: 5/10]

    [Mana: 10/10]

    [Void: 1%]

    [Role: Homunculus]

    That¡¯s one more Hit Point than I had earlier, I¡¯m pretty sure. Which means the damage isn¡¯t permanent. Well in that case¡­

    I begin rocking back and forth, and I can feel the dark whatever inside me sloshing from side to side. Eventually the stand starts to wobble as well, and I give the next rock a little extra umph: I teeter, hanging at the edge of balance, and then fall in a gut-wrenching lurch.

    It¡¯s only an inch or two, about the height Noli dropped me from before, but I still wince when I hit the table.

    [2 points of Fall damage sustained. Total HP: 3/10]

    As expected. At least now I¡ª

    [Skill Obtained: Fall Damage Resistance.]

    Oh. That¡¯s new. Echo, what¡¯s Fall Damage Resistance do? Besides the obvious, I guess.

    [Skill: Fall Damage Resistance Level 1. When a user would sustain damage from falling, they sustain 10% less fall damage than the default.]

    Call me ungrateful but a 10% discount hardly seems like grounds for celebration, especially given a max HP of 10. Maybe the skill can level up at some point? But if that requires more falling, I¡¯d frankly rather focus my efforts elsewhere. Thanks anyway, I guess.

    I roll cautiously over to the pile of broken glass. The corpse of another homunculus, I suppose. Grim, but it only makes me more determined to not end up the same way. I¡¯m going to be fleshy and shredded again one day, no matter what it takes.

    Edging a little closer, my glass tinks softly as I bump into the closest shard.

    [Target Attunement acquired. Mana Cost: 2]

    And I have 10, right? Seems like a fair trade.

    [Time requirement: 2 hours]

    For a shard of glass barely an inch long? Okay well that¡¯s just excessive. What am I supposed to do for two hours while this thing is chugging away?

    Then again, I have no better ideas on how to spend my time.

    Anything else? I ask.

    [Attunement spell ready to be cast.]

    I guess that¡¯s a ¡®no.¡¯

    Alright then, I sigh with just a twinge of nervousness. Let¡¯s do this. I will this ¡®Attunement¡¯ thing to start working, and I feel something in my essence¡ªmy soul?¡ªreact to the thought.

    [Attunement activated,] Echo reports.

    I wonder if it¡¯ll look like those wisps of light Trenevalt was drawing in the air. Would my magic be similar? A different color? Did I need to sketch out some pattern to¡­

    My thoughts stutter, growing sluggish and disjointed.

    Oooh¡­ I groan, reaching for Echo. What is happen¡­

    My consciousness spirals away from me as Echo says something from a vast distance, and I¡¯m dragged down into a dreamless black.

 Chapter 5 - Attunement

    [Attunement complete.]

    I jolt awake. It¡¯s night, but nothing around me feels familiar. There¡¯re books along the wall, and wood beams in the ceiling, and I¡¯m on a desk filled with candles and ink and broken glass, and¡ª

    ¡ªAnd I¡¯m seeing all these things at once.

    Oh.

    Yeah.

    The events of the last day come crashing back into me, punctuated with a distinct sting of homesickness. It all feels like a waking dream. Wild events that are happening to a different Kanin. Real Kanin is back in his bed, lulled to sleep by midnight traffic instead of crickets and owls, headlights streaking by outside the window instead of stars. The smell of dust and fast-food wafting through the apartment instead of, well, nothing.

    God, what I¡¯d give for a cheeseburger.

    ¡°Kanin?¡±

    I jump at movement in the dark.

    ¡°You did move. You¡¯re alive!¡± Noli skitters across the desk to wrap me in an uncomfortable metal-on-glass hug. ¡°Thank the gods, I thought you were dead. Like, again. But for real this time.¡±

    No, no. That¡¯s not still a sore subject or anything. Please, go on.

    ¡°I came back after the wizard was asleep but you weren¡¯t moving at all,¡± Noli continues. ¡°And you were touching this piece of broken flask that was glowing all strange like. It looked like it was sucking the magic right out of you.¡±

    Oh! The Attunement. I¡¯d nearly forgotten. But it wasn¡¯t really sucking magic out of me¡­ right?

    [Attunement cost: 2 mana,] Echo says. [Injecting your magic into the target object results in said object being bound to your soul and will.]

    So it wasn¡¯t the shard taking magic from me, but rather me putting magic in the shard. I wonder what I could do now that I¡¯d ¡°Magically bonded¡± to a piece of glass. It still looks like any other bit of broken bottle. And I suppose it is a bit of broken bottle, isn¡¯t it?

    Good god, I¡¯ve just bonded my soul to a piece of trash.

    But somehow, I can sense it sitting there. I can feel the faint texture of woodgrain beneath it. Like it¡¯s an extension of myself. Curious, I mentally reach into the shard. And it moves.

    Ahhh! The shard rattles across the table. Holy shit! I mentally instruct the glass to leap into the air, and it responds to my intent, hovering next to me like a mouse-sized sword.

    Oh my god. I can control it with my mind.

    I¡¯m a mother-fucking Jedi.

    ¡°Woah!¡± Noli has apparently noticed as well. ¡°Kanin, watch out!¡± She swats at the glass.

    Ah, crap. I swing the shard behind me and out of her reach. Come on, I just got this thing!

    ¡°Careful,¡± she signs with snappy kung-fu-like movements. ¡°It¡¯s trying to attack you!¡±

    This is not the shit I need to be dealing with right now. I push the shard further away, and at the same time I feel my hold on it waver.

    [Range limit,] Echo warns.

    Of course. Of course there¡¯s a range limit.

    I reel the shard back in, not about to lose the only crumb of control I¡¯ve managed to scrape together so far in this world, and I use it to give Noli a gentle¡ªand disciplinary¡ªbop on the head.

    [0 points of Bludgeoning damage dealt,] Echo happily reports.

    Oops. Well, zero damage is good, right? I hadn¡¯t meant to attack her.

    But wow, my strength is shit.

    Regardless, it seems to do the trick. Noli pauses, one tentacle frozen mid-swipe. I retract the glass shard. Neither of us move.

    ¡°Oh!¡± she signs abruptly, and I flinch. ¡°Are you doing that, Kanin?¡±

    Oh thank god¡ªand all Noli¡¯s gods¡ªand whatever else they worship here. I swivel the shard back and forth in a poor attempt to wave.

    ¡°Wow! That¡¯s amazing,¡± Noli cheers. ¡°Sorry about all that. But hey, now we have an even better way to communicate! Let¡¯s see; if you can point that thing up, down, left and right, then that¡¯s at least four different things you can say! The possibilities are limitless!¡±

    No, the possibilities are four. And while that does double my vocabulary¡ªlook at me doing math¡ªit¡¯s still a far cry from full sentences.

    Luckily, this tool now makes my writing idea possible.

    I decide to forgo another attempt at the inkwell and head straight for the stack of empty parchment sitting on Trenevalt¡¯s desk. Sorry, dude. Hope these aren¡¯t worth much.

    Noli follows and watches closely as I position a jagged point of the glass over the paper. Even if it doesn¡¯t cut all the way through, I should at least be able to leave enough of an impression to get the message across¡ªnot just to Noli, but hopefully to our halfling friend as well. I decide on something simple to start; then, once Trenevalt realizes we¡¯re actual sentient (and upset) people, we can work up to more complex messages. Once he knows we need help, would he be able to send me back to Earth? Maybe heal my body while he¡¯s at it? Hell, anything¡¯s possible with magic, right?

    Excited, I focus on painstakingly scratching the glass across the paper. It catches every once in a while, causing a letter to skew or skip, but the message is clear enough:

    HELP

    I proudly roll back as Noli leans over to read. She traces the letters with one of her tentacles, then turns back to me.

    ¡°Are these chicken-scratches supposed to mean something?¡±

    What? I check my writing. I mean, sure, they aren¡¯t perfect, but they¡¯re totally legible! The P might look a bit more like a D, but the first three letters are easy enough to read.

    ¡°Are you trying to communicate?¡± she goes on. ¡°Because this isn¡¯t any language I¡¯ve ever seen.¡±

    Oh. Oh no. She¡¯s right¡ªit¡¯s English. I¡¯d just forgotten everything I¡¯m seeing and reading and hearing is being translated for me. But that confirms she must not have an Echo in her mind translating everything for her as well¡ªand that means Trenevalt might not, either.

    Can you show me what to write in their language? I ask Echo. Can you¡­ er¡­ reverse-translate for me?

    [Negative,] Echo says. [Translation may only occur to the user¡¯s language, not from.]

    Which means I¡¯m back to square one. Forget cursive; as long as Noli and Trenevalt can¡¯t understand English, I have no way to communicate with either of them.

    I stab my glass utensil into the paper in frustration, and it sticks in the pages with vindictive satisfaction.

    ¡°Hmm.¡± Noli prods at the glass shard. ¡°Not to your liking, huh? Well, don¡¯t give up yet. Keep trying! I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll get the hang of it and be able to write something legible in no time.¡±

    If only that were the issue. If only I could explain my dilemma! Every time I think I¡¯ve taken one step forward, it turns out it¡¯s two steps back. Now what am I supposed to do with this glass toothpick?

    [Sculpt spell available,] Echo says.

    Sculpt? Elaborate, I demand.

    Echo eagerly obliges. [Sculpt: Change the shape or function of an Attuned item. Duration: 2 minutes. Mana: variable.]

    Two minutes is certainly better than two hours. What can I Sculpt it into? I ask.

    [Maintaining mass, the target may be changed into any shape the caster desires before the time limit expires,] Echo says.

    Seems pretty straightforward. But what to make? I¡¯m not sure how changing the shape of a shard of glass will help me. Then again, this is the first thing I¡¯ve really been able to control in this world, and if I want any chance of fixing this mess I¡¯ve found myself in, I¡¯ll need to master every tool at my disposal. Okay, Echo. How much mana to sculpt this piece of glass?

    [Mana cost: 2.]

    Sounds reasonable to me. Like before, I mentally try to will this Sculpt thing to happen, and I¡¯m rewarded with a strange tingling sensation spreading through the Attuned glass.

    This time, I see what I¡¯d apparently slept through before. The glass shimmers with an unreal light¡ªa light not of any color I¡¯ve ever seen. It almost appears to be lit with a black glow, though even as I witness it, I can¡¯t understand how that can be.

    ¡°Oh!¡± Noli signs. ¡°It¡¯s doing that thing again. That¡¯s you, right? You¡¯re doing that?¡±Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.

    I give her a little affirmative wobble¡ªgeez, I guess we¡¯re back to this again¡ªbut continue to concentrate on the glass. When I¡¯d controlled it with my mind before, it felt like grasping a solid blade. Now it feels like putty softening in my hands. But no time to waste marveling at the sensation now. I mentally press at it, and gradually the glass begins to meld into a new form.

    It¡¯s slow going, but I get a kind of elation out of seeing something I want to happen take shape. Damn, it feels good to have control over something again, even if it¡¯s weird magic shit. In a way, it¡¯s the same kind of satisfaction I get over nailing my lines. Nothing beats manifesting something into the world you worked hard on creating.

    Before the two minutes is even up, I¡¯ve finished my design: All the jagged edges have smoothed out, and all the sharp angles have straightened into one long rod. Like an exaggerated needle, one end is wide and round, while the other end tapers down to a sharp point. This should be easier to control, and it gives me two different tools to work with depending on which end I need to use. I¡¯m already getting new ideas about what I¡¯ll be doing with the next few shards of glass I get my hands on.

    ¡°Fascinating,¡± Noli signs, examining the rod. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were a wizard, Kanin!¡±

    I¡¯m not a wizard. I mean, am I? I could have sworn it said Noli had some mana as well when I¡¯d Checked her before. Can¡¯t everyone here do magic?

    Mysteries upon mysteries. And somehow, the more I learn, the longer that list seems to grow.

    ¡°So what¡¯s it for?¡± Noli asks.

    What, my glass? I don¡¯t know, Noli, what are hands for?

    She has a point though. With writing off the table, I¡¯ll need a new plan if I want to save my free will from a death by octogenarian. I tap the pointed end of the glass on the table. I could scratch the surface, if I wanted to, but it could also work as a pen tip, if I got some of that ink and wanted to draw pictures. That might be my best bet at communicating ideas for now, however artistically-inept I may be.

    ¡°Um. You want to use it to write?¡±

    Obviously not, given how well the first attempt went. I wave it in a way that I hope looks like a head-shake.

    ¡°Oh. Then¡­ It¡¯s a tool?¡± She guesses.

    Yes!

    ¡°For the wizard¡¯s yard work?¡±

    No!

    I flip the glass around and thump the blunt end on the table in exasperation.

    ¡°Pounding?¡± She tries again. ¡°Is it a pestle so you can grind up herbs and spices?¡±

    This has become the most depressing game of charades in existence.

    ¡°Tapping¡­ Oh!¡± she exclaims. ¡°Growing up, sometimes our village used smoke signals to send messages to our sister town. You could use that glass the same way. Tap the table with pauses in between to send a message.¡±

    Like Morse code. That¡¯s actually brilliant¡ªif I knew how to tap out anything other than S.O.S.

    Fuck, being a human has really not prepared me for this.

    Noli must have noticed my lack of reaction. ¡°Is that a no? Well, we can use this to replace our previous ¡®yes¡¯ and ¡®no¡¯ at least. How about, two taps for yes, one tap for no?¡±

    Finally, we¡¯re getting somewhere. I tap out a ¡°Yes.¡± Better than the rocking, at least. But it¡¯s still not good enough. I need to be able to communicate, not just agree and disagree with Noli¡¯s ramblings. And if speaking and writing are off the table, then I¡¯ll need to take a page out of Noli¡¯s book.

    I roll back over to the pile of broken glass.

    ¡°Oh,¡± Noli signs as I go. ¡°Are we done? Okay well¡­ good work, team!¡±

    Hey Echo, I say. Can I Attune multiple things at once?

    [Affirmative,] she replies. [Given mana requirements are met; Attunement duration will likewise compound depending on the number of simultaneous Attunements.]

    Fair enough.

    And is it going to knock me out again? I ask.

    [Attunement requires complete attention,] Echo says. [During the duration of the spell, the caster enters a trance-like state wherein they are able to achieve resonance with the target object.]

    That sure would have been a nice thing to know before it knocked me out the first time.

    I use my newly forged tool to nudge the pile of glass apart, shuffling a few of the largest pieces to the front. The shards tinkle quietly as I¡¯m rooting around.

    Sorry about this, I think toward the dead homunculus shell. I don¡¯t expect anything is listening, but it feels right to at least pay a bit of respect. I¡¯ll be needing to borrow some more of your glass. Hope you don¡¯t mind. I mean, you¡¯re dead, so it¡¯s probably all the same to you. But if it¡¯s any consolation, I¡¯m counting on you to help me avoid the same fate.

    The broken flask opts not to respond, so I roll forward and touch three shards of glass.

    [Attunement targets acquired,] Echo says. [Mana cost: 6]

    Let¡¯s do it, I say. This time the trance-like state doesn¡¯t catch me off guard. In fact, losing consciousness is almost a relief. In the day or so I¡¯ve been in this place, I haven¡¯t slept at all. Actually, I¡¯m beginning to wonder if sleep is something this body is even capable of¡­

    <hr>

    [Attunement complete,] Echo says. [Attunement spell level up!]

    ¡°...hurry up, hurry up, hurry up, hurry up!¡±

    Noli is leaning over me, worrying two of her tentacles against each other as she shifts impatiently from leg to leg¡­ to leg to leg.

    What is it now? I stir, mentally reaching for the newly acquired pieces of glass I¡¯ve added to my arsenal.

    ¡°Oh thank goodness,¡± Noli signs. ¡°You have to get back on your stand! I didn¡¯t want to disrupt you when you were doing all that magic¡ªPa always said never to interrupt magic unless you wanted to get turned into a chicken¡ªwhich I guess considering the circumstances isn¡¯t the worst option at this moment¡ªbut now you¡¯re awake! Quick¡ªthe wizard¡¯s getting up. I¡¯ll need to hide again, and you need to get on that stand!¡±

    In the midst of all of Noli¡¯s rambling, I take in a distinct change in our surroundings; sunlight¡¯s glowing in through the window, filling the room with a faint, orange warmth.

    And Trenevalt¡¯s moving around in the room next door.

    Shoot. No time to Sculpt my glass now or ask about that level up¡ªand hardly any time to hide them, either. I don¡¯t want Trenevalt to sweep them in the bin along with the rest of the trash; as soon as they¡¯re out of range, I won¡¯t be able to control them any longer. But that¡¯s the least of my worries. If he finds me outside of my stand, would he stick me somewhere more secure? If he sees me wielding the glass, would he think he did the spell wrong and decide a scrap and reshoot is in order? The dead homunculus core is enough evidence to know he sees us as expendable.

    Can¡¯t take any chances until I know more.

    But where can I hide my shards in the meantime? Under the books? No, my cracked slivers of glass wouldn¡¯t be strong enough to lift them. Between the pages of the loose papers? That could maybe work, if Trenevalt isn¡¯t looking closely. What else do I have to work with?

    [Inventory space free,] Echo offers.

    Sure, more things that haven¡¯t been explained. So do you come with like a manual or something, or am I just going to have to stumble my way into every new helpful tidbit you¡¯re keeping from me?

    Echo doesn¡¯t reply. Rather smugly, in my opinion.

    Okay, fine, the inventory, I relent. What is it? How do I use it?

    [Inventory space: 0/50. Add items to inventory?]

    Well that doesn¡¯t really explain anything. But sure, I say. Yes. Why not? Just assume I¡¯ll say ¡®yes¡¯ to any useful suggestion you throw my way in the future.

    [4 glass shards added to inventory,] Echo says. And the shards vanish.

    ¡°Woah!¡± Noli jumps. ¡°Did you see that?¡±

    Hot damn I did. That¡¯s useful. How do I take them back out again? I ask.

    [The user may manifest items that have been placed in their inventory at will. Remove items from inventory?] Echo asks.

    No, no. Not yet. But if it¡¯s that easy, then I¡¯ve just gained an incredible asset.

    An asset I¡¯ll have to experiment with later.

    I roll back over to my stand, and Noli hurries after. This time she doesn¡¯t ask if I want help. Before I¡¯ve even stopped rolling, she roughly juggles me between two limbs¡ªdropping my HP a point¡ªand pushes me back into the padded stand, where I settle down into familiar immobility. But this time, I haven¡¯t returned empty handed.

    ¡°I won¡¯t be far,¡± Noli promises. ¡°Good luck!¡± And with a final wave of one of her octopus limbs, she jumps off the desk and scampers away.

    It¡¯s another few minutes before Trenevalt emerges, yawning.

    ¡°What a day,¡± the wizard grumbles, his gaze falling on me before moving to the glass homunculus shell still sitting menacingly in the corner of the room. He examines two of his fingers, rubbing them against one another and producing a wisp of magical light. ¡°Hmm.¡±

    I ask Echo for a Check.

    [Name: Trenevalt]

    [Species: Halfling]

    [Class: Null Summoner]

    [Level: 40]

    [HP: 20/50]

    [Mana: 70/800]

    His HP looks the same, I think, and the Mana has definitely increased. But it¡¯s not even a tenth of its full amount¡ªand if it¡¯s been about a day since we were first spirited away to this world, then that means it¡¯ll be another 9 days or so before his tank¡¯s back to full. That¡¯s comforting. We should have over a week to figure out how to communicate our circumstances to him.

    Unless, of course, he doesn¡¯t need a full tank to bond me to that homunculus shell.

    I try not to think about that possibility.

    Trenevalt scratches his back as he hobbles into the kitchen. Soon I hear the hiss of something cooking on the stove, and a distant warmth follows. Ahhh. At least I can still feel things. Not going to lie, though. Kind of miss eating.

    The old wizard reappears a few minutes later with a plate full of eggs, a thick slice of toast, and¡­ some sort of spiky purple fruit, I think. Looks like I¡¯m going to be here a while.

    Echo, can I Sculpt those other pieces of glass while they¡¯re still in my inventory? I ask.

    [Negative,] Echo replies, which I was kind of expecting. But then she continues, [Mana: 0/10].

    Oh shit, I totally forgot about that. Can I get it back? Do I need to, like, recharge or something? I¡¯m reminded of the video games I played when I was a teen, and the floating blue orbs of energy that would restore health or energy. I somehow doubt I¡¯ll find any of those bobbing around here.

    [Affirmative,] Echo says. [Your Mana and Health will regenerate passively at a rate of one point every ten minutes.]

    Not the fastest regeneration, but I guess I¡¯ll take it. What¡¯s my health at again? Check.

    [Name: Kanin]

    [Species: N/A]

    [Class: None]

    [Level: 1]

    [HP: 2/10]

    [Mana: 0/10]

    [Void: 14%]

    [Role: Homunculus]

    Holy crap. I¡¯m almost dead! Again. Or at least, I assume I¡¯ll die if my HP hits zero. Certainly not a theory I¡¯m willing to test. I need to start paying better attention to these stats.

    My HP is almost out, my Mana is at zero, and¡­ Void? Wait, what¡¯s that? I don¡¯t remember seeing anyone else with that status. For that matter, neither Trenevalt or Noli seem to have a Role either.

    Hey Echo, what was that about a level up earlier? I ask.

    [Attunement: Level 2,] she says. [Attunement costs and duration are reduced by 10%.]

    Well that¡¯s handy¡ªassuming I can even get my non-existent hands on any more glass. I don¡¯t imagine a 10% discount applied to 2 mana will do anything, but if I Attune several things at once maybe it¡¯ll start to add up. And a 2 hour Attunement duration reduced by 10% is¡­ uhhh. Shit.

    I struggle for a moment with the mental math. Ten minutes? I think it¡¯s about a ten minute discount. Okay, well, that¡¯s also not stellar, but if I keep leveling it up maybe I can get its duration to start trending down.

    Trenevalt reaches a hand over my head, and my attention snaps back to him. I tense, ready for him to pick me up, but his hand moves past me, touching a spot on the table instead. The broken homunculus remains.

    ¡°How did¡­¡± He frowns. ¡°Oh¡­ Oh yes. That aberrant vessel broke it last night.¡±

    I¡¯d feel bad for the dude if he didn¡¯t pose such an existential threat to my existence.

    ¡°I suppose I should clean this up.¡± He grunts as he pushes himself to his feet, then hobbles over to collect a dust pan. I guess he¡¯s really serious about saving up his magic. But if I were in his shoes, I¡¯d have brooms and dusters dancing around my house like it¡¯s some kind of Disney princess castle.

    Wait. Would I be doing to those cleaning supplies what Trenevalt is doing to me?

    The glass chimes sadly as he sweeps it off the table and into a bin. I watch it depart with regret, wishing I¡¯d had more time¡ªor mana¡ªto Attune more of it. A trek to and from the contents of the trash can seems unlikely.

    ¡°I will be happy to never clean up another mess again,¡± Trenevalt says. I think he¡¯s talking to himself until he looks at me and gives a wink. ¡°It will be nice to have an extra set of hands around the house again. As soon as you¡¯re able, your first task will be to tidy up this room.¡±

    A familiar static creeps through my mind, and Echo says, [Order received.]

    Oh, no.

    Trenevalt hums an absent tune to himself as he carries the trash away, but I can already feel his Command taking effect.

    Growing more insistent every second, a prickly pressure in my head is urging me to get up, start moving, and get to work on that wizard¡¯s chores.

 Chapter 6 - Motherflippinâ€™ Chores

    [Role requirement,] Echo warns. [Sanity Level: 97%]

    Maybe I can ignore it. I mean, it¡¯s just an obnoxious, constant pressure in my head. An itch that¡¯s getting worse and worse the more I don¡¯t scratch it. A mental white noise that¡¯s progressively hissing out all other thoughts.

    [Role requirement. Sanity Level: 96%]

    But that doesn¡¯t mean I have to, right? I still have free will. I¡¯m still my own man!

    Well, not technically speaking, but¡­

    [Role requirement. Sanity Level: 95%]

    I¡¯m sure that sanity level stat has absolutely no ominous implications at all.

    [Role requirement. Sanity Level: 94%]

    I wish I had teeth to grit. Fingers to stuff in ears. Eyes to screw shut. But there¡¯s nothing I can do to stop it. It¡¯s like a mental tinnitus, a ringing that gets higher and higher and higher and¡ª

    [Role requirement. Sanity Level: 93%]

    FUCK okay!

    I¡¯ll go wash a dish or something. Happy?!

    The mental pressure immediately recedes, my ¡°Sanity level¡± holding at a steady 93%, and I breathe a metaphorical sigh of relief. That was awful, and I never want to experience it again. But that means I¡¯ll have to actually follow through with Trenevalt¡¯s order. Indignation washes over me. Even though there¡¯s no one to actually witness this defeat, and the wizard himself seems blissfully unaware of what he¡¯s done, it still stabs me right in my pride.

    The static nibbles at the edge of my mind as I hesitate.

    Alright, alright, I sigh. I¡¯m going. The question is, how?

    Now that I¡¯m back up on the stand, I know it¡¯ll knock another 2 HP out of me if I decide to fall onto the table (not to mention how I¡¯ll even get down from the table). Last I checked, that¡¯d put my total hit points at a big old goose egg. And using my mana isn¡¯t an option, either, since it¡¯s already run out.

    At least I have the passive regeneration. But I can¡¯t afford to wait hours for my health and mana to get back up to their max¡ªHell, I can¡¯t even afford to wait ten minutes for them to go up one point. This ¡°Role requirement¡± doesn¡¯t seem to understand patience.

    But wait a sec, I say. If my health regenerates six points an hour, then shouldn¡¯t I have healed back to full health last night?

    [Negative,] Echo replies. [When Attunement is in effect, health and mana regeneration is paused.]

    And it took 8 hours to do all those attunements. Damn, quite the trade-off.

    [Sanity Level: 92%]

    A trade-off I will have to consider at a later date.

    How about my inventory? I ask. That doesn¡¯t take mana to use, right?

    [Affirmative,] Echo says. [Retrieve items from inventory?]

    I don¡¯t see any other options at my disposal. I call my only belongings, four hunks of glass, back into existence. They blink into reality before me. One is smooth and pointed, while the other three are still jagged shards. I guess that¡¯ll have to be enough.

    I lean three pieces of glass against my stand in a sort of makeshift ramp, and use the fourth to start gently nudging myself off the stand. This should keep me from taking any fall damage, but there¡¯s just as great of a risk of the ramp accelerating me off the table before I have a chance to stop. Gently now¡­ Careful¡­

    I tip over the stand¡¯s rim and slip down the ramp. As I¡¯d feared, I spin out of control, colors whipping past me faster than I can make out.

    But I can still feel the shards, like anchors in reality, giving me some perspective of direction and motion and even speed. Using the shards to ground myself, I resist the direction of my roll, tensing every atom of my¡­ glass¡­ and finally slow to a stop.

    Phew. One hurdle down, who knows how many more to go.

    I call the shards over to me just as Echo begins to warn they¡¯re nearly out of range, and they huddle around me like tiny glass dogs, ready to leap into action. Awww. They¡¯re kinda cute.

    If I don¡¯t think too hard about the surreal and existentially horrific circumstances I currently find myself in.

    Maybe I can sit on them like some kind of hovercraft. They float, right? And I¡¯m not that much bigger than them. Worth a shot.

    I gather the glass around my base, and try to lift the pieces into the air. And they do lift up¡ªbarely¡ªbut just as quickly come to a halt, unable to levitate me with them. Seriously? I¡¯m like a three-inch tall hollow orb of glass, I can¡¯t be that heavy.

    Okay, new plan. I roll as close as I dare to the edge of the table and look down; just a sheer drop to the wooden floor below. Making a quick lap around the table, I find this is the case in every direction. There¡¯s a chair on one end which would cut the drop in half, but that¡¯s still more than enough fall damage to claim my last two hit points. But without any messes to actually tidy up on the table itself, I don¡¯t have much of a choice.

    [Sanity Level: 91%]

    The static digs its claws deeper and deeper into my mind with every passing moment. God. What happens when that counter hits 0%? Will it eventually drive me mad? Or will I desperately fling myself off the edge before it gets that bad?

    Come on, come on, think!

    The glass isn¡¯t strong enough to levitate me. But could they be strong enough to hold my weight? I already hate the idea, but I don¡¯t have any others.

    I arrange the four pieces of glass around me once more, positioned like deflated petals of a flower. Slowly, carefully, I push the pieces of glass up underneath me, maneuvering them from being flat on the desk to pointing upright like a set of stilts. If I had a stomach, it would have dropped through the floor, because soon I¡¯m balancing on four tenuous slivers of glass that could give out¡ªor drop me¡ªat a moment¡¯s notice.

    I decide I¡¯m not going to think about that.

    Quivering, I lean back, pick up one of the front shards, and edge it forward. I lurch, dropping the fraction-of-an-inch gap to where the shard is waiting, but it catches me. Leaning forward, I pick up one of the back shards to shuffle up closer behind me. Then I take another step. And another.

    Oh my god. I¡¯m walking! Like a person!

    A four-legged glass-bottle person!

    It¡¯s amazing. It¡¯s freedom! I can finally go where I choose, and I don¡¯t have to do it while spinning nauseatingly end-over-end, unable to see where I¡¯m going.

    I miss a step, my gut lurches, and I wobble precariously. Swinging a glass leg around, I catch myself. Stabilize. Box away the realization I nearly just died. Again. (Again again.) Keep walking.

    Maybe I¡¯ll just¡­ slow it down a little from now on.

    I hate what I¡¯ll have to do next, but seeing as I¡¯ve made it this far, I can¡¯t stop now.

    Nervously humming a Queen song to myself, I edge up to the lip of the desk. No fancy curves or indents, the leg runs straight down to the floor¡ªwhich will probably save my life.

    I remove one of my four legs and stab it into the side of the desk. It feels secure. Or I guess, as secure as a tiny shard of glass can possibly feel. I lower myself back to the surface of the desk, then stab another piece of glass into the side of the table. And the third.

    The three shards of glass extend from the wood like a cluster of porcupine quills¡ªthey¡¯ll be the only thing that stops me from dropping straight down to the floor. I hover the fourth leg in the open air, at the end of the three, like some sort of morbid crossbar on a death rollercoaster. Taking in a mental breath, I roll into the arms of my glass net.

    The shards tinkle faintly, quivering under my weight. But they hold. Oh, thank god, they hold. Step 1 complete. I¡¯d sure love to not die in step 2.

    I remove one of the three glass legs, so just two of them are holding my weight, then lower it half an inch down the table leg and stab it back into the wood. Once I feel it¡¯s secure, I repeat the process, removing one of the higher shards so I drop the half-inch in a gut-wrenching lurch to the lower two. I move the highest shard lower than the others, and brace myself for the next lurch. Then I do it again. And again.

    It would be an exaggeration to say I¡¯m inching my way down the table. The tortoise and the hare would be equally embarrassed. Before I even reach the halfway point, the very hungry caterpillar would have already finished gorging itself and spun into a cocoon.

    Chrysalis?

    Which one¡¯s for butterflies?Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

    I don¡¯t know how much time it actually takes to reach the floor, but it feels like hours. I don¡¯t seem to have stamina, so I¡¯m not physically exhausted, but man would I love to be able to turn my brain off for a while. This all takes way too much concentration, and that damn ¡°Role requirement¡± just won¡¯t stop pestering me. 90% sanity, by the way.

    But I make it. On the floor. Ready to do some motherfucking chores.

    The question is, where to start?

    If I were back in my apartment, I could wash dishes, or sweep the floor (that¡¯s a lie, I never sweep the floor), or put some clothes away. But somehow, all these things seem slightly out of reach for what amounts to a tiny glass crab.

    So what is within my capabilities?

    The ground thumps, rattling my glass, and I teeter out of the way just in time for Trenevalt to walk past. He doesn¡¯t look down as he hobbles toward the front door. No, wait! Maybe if he sees me, he¡¯ll realize he unintentionally gave me orders and put an end to this madness.

    Or maybe he¡¯d have me wash his socks.

    Or maybe he¡¯d realize he¡¯d botched his spell and decide I¡¯m destined for the scrap heap.

    Before I can decide, the door thuds closed, and Trenevalt is gone.

    [Sanity Level: 89%] Echo warns.

    No time for pondering. The stupid mind fog needs action.

    I start walking, just to abate the encroaching mental static. And if I¡¯m allowed to say so, I¡¯m starting to get pretty damn good at this. There¡¯s a sort of rhythm involved, one foot at a time. And once I have more mana, I¡¯ll get these shards all shaped the same so I don¡¯t feel like a drunk pirate on mismatched peglegs.

    Things sure look different at ground level. The ceiling is so far away, and all the furniture seems inverted, only giving me a peek of its underbelly instead of what might be on its surface.

    And the floor. My god, it¡¯s filthy.

    Dirt shoved in the cracks between floorboards; sticky black gunk of unknown origin squished into the grain; dust bunnies everywhere, but especially under the desk and bookshelves.

    Aha. An idea.

    I might not be able to wash any clothes or sort books by the author¡¯s ego, but dusty floors are something I can do something about.

    I take a quick (relatively speaking) lap around the house, cataloging the state of each room. Trenevalt¡¯s Command is technically just to clean the main room, but since the study is more of a nook than its own space, the kitchen and living room both fall in the same open-concept layout. I hear those are all the rage these days.

    The dust bunnies are bad in the kitchen, tucked beneath the lip of the cabinets and drawers, and even worse underneath the plush chairs and coffee table in the living room. But it¡¯s here I find what I¡¯m looking for. A stray feather has been swept underneath the chair, untouched for possible decades, judging by the other filth that¡¯s migrated beneath the furniture.

    Either Trenevalt¡¯s last homunculus was really bad at its job, or it was never tasked with optimizing his feng shui.

    I reluctantly roll off my makeshift legs (ew, oh god, I¡¯m going to get smeared with Trenevalt¡¯s old skin dust) and then use my shards to grab the feather.

    Well, try to grab the feather is more accurate. It¡¯s like using chopsticks with the wrong hand. My one small consolation is that no one is here to witness this embarrassment.

    ¡°Kanin!¡± Noli appears like a magic trick, skittering over to my side. ¡°You made it off the table! Amazing! And you have more of those glass things¡ªthat¡¯s great too, I think!¡±

    Oh please, just walk away. Walk away and let¡¯s pretend this never happened.

    I finally manage to clamp the base of the feather between two pieces of glass. Hah! Success.

    ¡°What are you up to?¡± Noli asks. ¡°Is this some sort of camouflage?¡±

    I wonder how long I can sit here not doing anything before the ¡°Role requirement¡± starts to eat away at my mind. Surely, that¡¯s preferable to the blow to my ego that will result from Noli watching me dust this wizard¡¯s floor.

    I hate this so much.

    ¡°Or is it for a spell?¡± Noli covers her nonexistent mouth with two tentacles in some ridiculous impersonation of a shocked gasp. ¡°You are a wizard! Or maybe a warlock. Or maybe a sorcerer. Or maybe a mage. Or maybe¡­¡±

    She¡¯s almost worse than the mind static. I can¡¯t take it any longer. I roll out from under the chair (ew! Ew ew ew!) and sweep the feather after me. Immediately I feel the itching pressure on my sanity lessen, and relief washes over me.

    [Sanity Level: 93%]

    Noli, unfortunately, follows after. ¡°So what¡¯s the plan? Is this a spell to cause some kind of distraction? Then we make a break for it?¡±

    God, this all would be so much more tolerable if she wasn¡¯t watching. I angrily brush the feather from side to side. This however only stirs up the dust bunnies, rather than consolidating them into one pile. Ugh. This is why I got a Roomba.

    Noli watches with apparent confusion. ¡°That¡¯s not like any spell I¡¯ve ever seen.¡± I swirl the feather in a circle in an attempt to corral the dust. ¡°Um. Do you need help drawing a spell circle? Are you trying to form a pyre? No?¡±

    I roll a little way down the length of the chair and repeat the process, forming a pint-sized pile of dust and hair that I desperately try not to think too hard about.

    ¡°Wait¡­¡± Noli follows, examining each pile I leave behind. ¡°Are you¡­ dusting?¡±

    Bingo. Now if she could just step out of the way of that hairball¡­

    ¡°Oh no!¡± Noli signs, horrified. ¡°Did he put a spell on you? Are you cursed?¡±

    I mean, I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s technically the case, but it sure feels like it. I pause to tap out a ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Oh, Kanin, I¡¯m so sorry,¡± she laments. ¡°I never should have left you alone! Now you¡¯re stuck cleaning his house for eternity¡ª¡±

    I sure hope not.

    ¡°¡ªand I haven¡¯t been the slightest help at all!¡± Her signs switch from dramatic and sad to choppy and fierce. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll figure out how to get you out of here. And if I can¡¯t, then I¡¯ll avenge you!¡±

    Okay, now hold up. Let¡¯s rewind back to the ¡°Getting me out of here¡± part before we jump right to ¡°Vengeance.¡±

    ¡°Should I go try to find Trenevalt?¡± she wonders. Before I can tap out a hasty ¡°No,¡± she¡¯s shaking her head. ¡°No, he¡¯d only try to capture me. Maybe I can help you clean up instead. Then we can get it done faster, so you can take a break!¡±

    Well, I certainly won¡¯t object to that. Noli hurries off to fulfill whatever idea her hyperactive whims have supplied her with. That¡¯s fine with me; easier to sweep the dust up without her scurrying around, and bonus: now I might not die from mortification.

    Cleaning, thrilling though it may be, leaves me a lot of time to myself to think. If Noli is right, and this is some sort of spell or curse, the question becomes: How to break it? Trenevalt should be able to, once he knows what¡¯s going on. I mean, he would want to break our spells, right? Surely, once he understands what happened, he¡¯d want to help us?

    The uncertainty disturbs me. And maybe I¡¯m getting ahead of myself. Either way, I need to master this glass magic and figure out a way to communicate with him, first.

    Or Noli can. She can probably write. She seems to be able to understand Trenevalt, so they probably speak the same language. We¡¯ll still need to get that ink open, but once it is, she could write him a note.

    If only I could communicate this idea to her. I mean, she should be able to figure it out on her own, right? I look for Noli, and find her tugging at the corner of a curtain. I pause, baffled, as I wait to see what she has planned. Yanking a little harder, the corner rips. Noli jumps back. Hesitates. Then runs away.

    Aren¡¯t elves supposed to be elegant and smart or something?

    I go back to sweeping.

    Echo, I ask. How long has it been? What are my health and magic at now?

    [Sanity Level: 100%]

    [HP: 4/10.]

    [Bonus HP: 8]

    [Mana: 2/10.]

    Hello. Bonus HP? What¡¯s that?

    [Bonus Hit Points,] Echo recites, [represent impermanent additions to the caster¡¯s total health. These may come in the form of spell enhancements, body augmentation, or Attunements.]

    Sweet. So if I keep adding more attunements, that means I¡¯m less likely to die? How come this didn¡¯t show up the last time I did a Check? I ask.

    [The Attuned glass was stored in the caster¡¯s inventory,] Echo says. [If the source of Bonus HP is destroyed or out of the caster¡¯s range, the Bonus HP will be reduced accordingly.]

    That¡¯s fair, I guess. I can¡¯t hoard Attuned glass in my inventory to act like some kind of discount horcrux. Unfortunately, it also seems like it doesn¡¯t stop my main body from taking damage, but at least I could maybe use it to cushion any future blows.

    I turn my attention back on my mana. I need to start planning out how I¡¯m going to spend it in advance. Sculpting is pretty quick, but Attunement costs me almost an hour for each mana point I use. Which means no matter how fast my stats recover, it will still take around ten hours if I use all my mana to Attune more glass at once.

    Or maybe I¡¯m not thinking big enough. Maybe I could accomplish a lot more with a lot less if I wasn¡¯t just working with tiny shards of glass in my arsenal.

    Echo, can I Attune these floorboards? I ask. Or the whole house for that matter. Like a knock-off Baba Yaga.

    [Negative,] Echo says. Ah well, I had sort of expected it would be too big. But she continues, [Affinity needed for attunement.]

    Affinity? I repeat. You mean only certain things will work?

    [Affirmative,] Echo says. [Your current affinities include: Glass, void.]

    There¡¯s that void thing again. What does void mean? I ask.

    [A subfield of null arcanum,] Echo says.

    Obviously. And what is null arcanum?

    [The essence of Between.]

    I can Attune with that? I ask, skeptical. With¡­ the metaphysical concept of the moment between time and place between space?

    [Affirmative,] Echo says, as if this is a perfectly normal thing to have an affinity for.

    I can¡¯t even wrap my mind around what the implications of attuning the physical manifestation of ¡°An instant¡± would even entail. But I guess there¡¯s only one way to find out.

    Alright Echo. Let¡¯s Attune some void.

    [No target selected,] Echo replies.

    Oh. You mean I have to be touching it in order to Attune it?

    [Affirmative.]

    Well that¡¯s ridiculous. How the heck do you expect me to touch a concept?!

    Echo remains silent.

    Well. I guess that¡¯s off the table for now, then.

    Glass was the other affinity you mentioned, I say, pivoting to the far more concrete and familiar option.

    [Affirmative.]

    Is there any more around here I could pick up for later Attunement? I ask.

    [Unknown,] Echo says. [Skill for locating objects with your affinity not obtained.]

    Well can I just¡­ obtain that? I ask.

    [Negative,] Echo says.

    Of course not. Thanks for all your super helpful suggestions.

    So this means I¡¯ll need to find those pieces of glass Trenevalt threw away if I want to Attune anything else. That, or there¡¯s always that glass body still sitting back in the corner of his study.

    Naw. Nope. Not touching that with a ten-foot pole.

    Sculpting, then, I finally decide. I should have enough mana now to at least Sculpt one of these legs. And since it won¡¯t knock me out, like Attunement, I can keep up the dusting while I¡¯m at it.

    I carefully maneuver one of the glass shards away from my rustic feather duster, still using the other three pieces of glass to continue sweeping. The shard tinks against my side. [Target acquired,] Echo reports as I activate a Sculpt.

    Splitting my attention between the glass shard I¡¯m Sculpting and the feather I¡¯m still holding is a bit like patting my head while rubbing my belly, but I manage it with only a little fumbling. If I had to throw rolling into the mix I¡¯m sure I¡¯d break something, but luckily there¡¯s plenty of dust to go around, so I don¡¯t have to move at all in the two minutes it takes to smooth out my tiny glass appendage. Soon, I have two identical smooth and Sculpted legs to work with.

    [Sculpt level up!] Echo says. [Sculpt level 2: Mana cost is reduced by 10% and spell duration is increased by 10%.]

    Nice! But again, not really much of a discount when each of these Sculpts is only taking 2 mana to start with. Not to mention, I¡¯ll need to wait another 40 minutes to save up the mana for Sculpting these last two legs, if I¡¯m not wrong. Fortunately (or unfortunately?) at the rate I¡¯m inching my way through this living room, that won¡¯t be an issue.

    As the morning drags on, I dust and finish Sculpting the last of my legs, while Noli skitters around picking up pieces of litter too big for me to move. Along the way, Echo bequeaths me a ¡°Cleaning Skill,¡± which, as far as I can tell, does nothing, and is entirely useless. Even so, we¡¯ve made shockingly decent progress. There¡¯s a pile of dust forming in the middle of the room that I¡¯ll have to figure out what to do with later, but in the meantime, the floor is looking decades younger.

    A wooden thumping of footsteps alerts us to Trenevalt¡¯s return only seconds before he steps back into the house. Noli dives under a nearby chair. I hastily look around, but there¡¯s no time to get back up to my stand.

    Echo, put the glass back in my inventory, I hurriedly order. The shards vanish, leaving the feather to drift silently to the floor, just as Trenevalt steps inside. The wizard pauses in the doorframe, a basket of mushrooms in hand. And I¡¯m just sitting there out in the middle of the room, like a kid caught with its finger up its nose.

 Chapter 7 - A Lesson in Linguistics

    Trenevalt notices the pile of dust first, frowning as he squints down at the mound of lint and trash. I stay perfectly still¡ªthis must be what deer feel like when cars are barreling toward them¡ªas if he somehow won¡¯t notice his magical glass flask has teleported rooms.

    ¡°My, my,¡± Trenevalt mutters, rubbing his head. ¡°What is this? Did I¡­¡±

    Light must have caught in my glass, as his eyes snap abruptly to me. I start to roll away, futile though it may be. The floorboards shake as Trenevalt follows, and in the next moment something warm closes around me, my rolling comes to an abrupt halt, and I¡¯m dizzyingly swept up into the air.

    ¡°Stars above,¡± the wizard mumbles. ¡°What are you doing here? How did you get down? Why, it¡¯s a miracle you didn¡¯t shatter falling off that desk.¡±

    You¡¯re telling me.

    Trenevalt tuts to himself. ¡°And this mess you¡¯ve created.¡± Hey! ¡°Seems like I need to put you in a more secure¡­¡± He trails off, his gaze sweeping around the room. It¡¯s not spotless, but all the corners are a little less fuzzy and gray, and all the little bits of flotsam that time collects were now gathered in one place.

    ¡°Were you cleaning?¡± he asks. His features soften. ¡°Already! Why, I had no idea you were so eager.¡±

    Yeah, that¡¯s totally it.

    ¡°I do appreciate the enthusiasm¡ªand assistance.¡± He steps around my trash pile, carrying me back over to his desk and my awaiting stand. ¡°However, that¡¯s more than enough cleaning for today.¡±

    [Command paused,] Echo says. [Sanity Level: 100%]

    Tension goes out of me as the Role Command retracts its prickly claws from my mind. Whew. Free from that order, at least.

    ¡°It¡¯s dangerous to be exerting yourself in this form,¡± Trenevalt continues. ¡°There will be plenty of time for that in a more suitable body.¡± He places me carefully back in my stand and sinks into the chair next to me with a wince. ¡°Can¡¯t come soon enough, I¡¯ll say. Getting too old for this. Too forgetful.¡± He lifts a beaded bracelet to show me; two of the glass beads are clear, while the rest glow with a faint moonstone light. ¡°Why, I wouldn¡¯t even remember to renew your spell without this to remind me how long it¡¯s been. Learned that lesson the hard way.¡± He glances back at the hollow homunculus shell.

    Um. Excuse me?

    Echo, what the fuck is that bracelet for?

    [Check,] Echo says. [A bracelet imbued with a simple charm by the wizard Trenevalt. It is designed to indicate the time remaining in a spell of his design.]

    A spell? I repeat. Which spell? What does it do?

    [Core Bond,] Echo says. [A spell which secures a target energy source to a vessel of the caster¡¯s choosing.]

    Echo¡¯s not making it easy for me to follow, but the gist I do understand is sending nervous prickles across my mind.

    And I¡¯m the target? I ask.

    [The charm is targeting two separate entities, one of which is you.]

    The other is probably Noli. So we¡¯re being kept in these bodies by one of Trenevalt¡¯s spells. I feel a brief spark of hope. That means we can break the spell. Or at least stop him from renewing it. If the spell ends, it would send us both back to our own bodies, right? I ask Echo.

    [If the energy which is sustaining the Core Bond spell were to expire, the energy stored in both vessels would return to the planar dimension from which they were summoned.]

    And by planar dimension, you don¡¯t mean Earth, do you? I¡¯m not optimistic, but one can hope, anyway.

    [Between,] Echo says, dashing that briefly held dream to pieces.

    If the spell expires, we¡¯ll end up Between again.

    But maybe that¡¯s okay. Without whichever spell Trenevalt cast that got us stuck Between in the first place, we should pass right through it, right? Noli would snap back to her body. And I¡­.

    I¡¯d move on to the afterlife.

    And that¡¯s assuming Noli and I could even complete our journey Between without immediately getting swallowed up by that creature in the dark. I can almost feel it waiting there for us to return.

    My hope sinks back into dread as dark as the Between.

    I don¡¯t like any of this. There has to be some other outcome I¡¯m not seeing. Something else we could do. Although, that spell limit will be the least of my worries if I don¡¯t figure out how to stop Trenevalt from binding me to that homunculus shell, first. As if one existential threat wasn¡¯t bad enough.

    Trenevalt sighs, rubbing at his knuckles, and his sleeves fall over the charmed bracelet, obscuring it once more. Shit, I should have paid more attention to how many of those beads were glowing.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    ¡°Well, you¡¯ll soon help keep me straight, won¡¯t you?¡± Trenevalt says, smiling sadly.

    Damn. I don¡¯t want to, but I kinda feel bad for the guy. I¡¯m still pissed he summoned me here against my will. I¡¯m still humiliated at being forced to carry out his chores, and the frustration stings even worse knowing he has no idea that he¡¯s done any of that. But it¡¯s hard to hate someone you pity. Living your last few years in isolation while your body falls apart and you slowly lose your mind is not a fate I¡¯d wish on many.

    I guess feeling betrayed by your own body is something the two of us have in common.

    After a time the wizard¡¯s gaze grows distant, and I wonder if he remembers his conversation (such that it was) with me at all. His gaze alights on the basket of mushrooms he¡¯d left in the living room when he¡¯d found me, and with a creaking grunt, he pushes himself to his feet and busies himself with the bushel of fungus in the kitchen.

    While he¡¯s gone, I¡¯m left to my own devices, which I wish I could say is rewarding.

    Can¡¯t speak. Can¡¯t eat. And at this point I¡¯m pretty sure I can¡¯t sleep, save for the comatose-like state Attunement provides me. I seriously miss my smartphone and computer. I¡¯d do unspeakable things for a streaming service.

    And god, I miss feeling like I¡¯m accomplishing anything. I miss acting. I spent years honing my skills and body for that one purpose¡ªand I was damn good at it! The only thing I was ever really good at. And now, no one will ever get to see my show. They¡¯ll never see me.

    Somehow, that makes me feel even more alone.

    I spend my time watching Trenevalt shuffle about his depressingly mundane day. I count motes of dust as they drift past the window. Check, I tell Echo, bored to metaphorical tears.

    [Name: Kanin]

    [Species: N/A]

    [Class: None]

    [Level: 1]

    [HP: 10/10]

    [Mana: 10/10]

    [Void: 24%]

    [Role: Homunculus]

    Finally! All healed up. I guess if nothing else, I can use my HP and Mana as a way to gauge the passage of time. Though I see my Bonus HP stat is gone again, now that I don¡¯t have any of my Attuned glass out. My level is still 1. Geez, what¡¯s it gunna take to level up around here?

    And that Void stat¡­ That definitely seems higher than last time. Ominous.

    Echo, you mentioned I have affinities for glass and void, I say.

    [Affirmative.]

    Does this Void stat have something to do with that?

    [Affirmative.]

    You know, my favorite thing about Echo is how explicit and illuminating her replies always are.

    How? I press. What does it mean?

    [The Void stat increases with the rate at which you access the void.]

    I¡¯m not accessing any void, I object.

    Echo remains silent. Great, I feel so informed. Well, there¡¯s not much I can do about it without Echo¡¯s input; I guess I¡¯ll just have to pay better attention to my stats and start Checking myself more often going forward.

    The afternoon stretches on uneventfully, until a flash of movement finally catches my eye. Noli peeks out from around a corner, waving a tentacle in my direction. She waits there a little longer, probably seeing if Trenevalt is around, but he retired to his workshop an hour ago.

    I bring my glass out of my inventory as she approaches. I suppose I could use it to climb off the stand once more, but I don¡¯t really see much point. Noli¡¯s still the only one with any versatility between the two of us. She¡¯s capable of doing far more about our situation than me¡ªif I can communicate that to her.

    When Noli finally makes it up to the desk, I watch her closely. And I mean, really watch her.

    ¡°Hey, Kanin!¡± she signs. ¡°Some day, huh? I nearly got eaten by a bird. It¡¯s crazy out there. I think we might be in the Firestone Mountains. Or it could be the Stonefire Mountains. Or maybe¡­¡± She continues to ramble on about geography that means nothing to me.

    But this time, I don¡¯t just let the translations wash over me as she talks. I pay attention to each movement, follow every wave of her limbs. It doesn¡¯t really mean anything to me¡ªeven with Google Translate working in the back of my head¡ªand it¡¯s even harder to find a pattern now that I¡¯m paying attention. But I don¡¯t have to understand each movement. Not yet, at least. I just need to find something I can copy.

    There. Noli crosses her arms in an X shape, and just as she¡¯s continuing on to another word, I use two of my glass limbs to recreate the shape.

    Noli stops mid-sentence. ¡°Hm?¡± she asks. ¡°Are you trying to say something?¡±

    She didn¡¯t catch it then. But at the end of her sentence there¡¯s a lifting motion, almost like a shrug, and I break my X to try to copy the gesture.

    This time she reaches out to tap one of my limbs. ¡°What¡¯s this? Are you copying me?¡±

    There it is again¡ªthe pseudo-shrug. Is that her sign-language equivalent of a question mark? I tap one of my limbs twice in a ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Oh. Oh!¡± Noli¡¯s signs light up with excited animation. ¡°You can sign? That¡¯s amazing!¡±

    I hurriedly tap out a ¡°No.¡± Not yet, at least.

    ¡°You¡¯re¡­ trying to sign?¡± she guesses.

    ¡°Yes,¡± I tap. Then I add the shrug.

    Noli laughs. ¡°No, like this.¡± She nudges my glass around. It looks the same to me, but she appears satisfied.

    ¡°You¡¯re a strange one, Kanin,¡± Noli signs. ¡°You can understand my signs, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± I tap.

    She cocks her head. ¡°But you don¡¯t know how to sign?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± I tap.

    She shakes her head. ¡°Stranger and stranger yet. But you won¡¯t be able to make much with just those four sticks. I¡¯m surprised you can even understand much from these things!¡± She wiggles two of her bronze tentacles. ¡°Fingers and faces do a lot of the heavy lifting, you know.¡±

    I¡¯d figured as much. If I want to be able to communicate effectively, I¡¯ll be needing more glass. Not that I have much of a vocabulary to articulate that at the moment.

    ¡°Here, hold them out,¡± Noli signs.

    I levitate my four glass rods before me, and she begins to nudge them around in the air.

    ¡°Not much to work with, but this one is pretty close to ¡®What?¡¯¡± She uses another two limbs to move the glass while keeping them in the same orientation. ¡°Good. Now you try.¡±

    I move the glass back into the position she¡¯d just shown me and wait for her approval.

    ¡°No!¡± Noli cries. ¡°You can¡¯t just keep it there. It¡¯s the movement, see? The movement is part of it. Honestly, you¡¯ve been watching me talk all this time and you haven¡¯t figured that out¡­¡±

    Noli shows me a handful of other signs my four pieces of glass are barely capable of approximating, and I¡¯ll be lucky if I can remember half of them. But in spite of everything, I find myself having fun.

    It¡¯s hard. Noli is an encouraging yet terribly impatient teacher, at once showering me with encouragement while also nitpicking every shape and motion I make. Yet the handful of signs I pick up fill me with so much pride, it feels like nailing a scene on the first go. I learned this. No help from magic voices or mana. Just me and my own brain, learning new things. I feel an urge to smile.

    Fate sure is throwing everything it can my way, but maybe I¡¯ll find some way to make it through. Maybe I¡¯ll find ways to cope.

    Just maybe, I got this.

 Chapter 8 - Ready? Fight!

    [Command resumed.]

    Huh?

    I lower my glass, which I¡¯d been using to practice some of Noli¡¯s signs, and glance around the room.

    It¡¯s late¡ªor maybe early. I haven¡¯t been keeping track of time, and I don¡¯t have any more glass to Attune in order to mimic sleeping and skip through the night. Noli left a couple hours ago to go map out the property, and as far as I can tell, Trenevalt¡¯s asleep. Had I just imagined Echo speaking up? Nothing has changed, except¡­

    [Sanity Level: 99%] A familiar static begins to eat its way into the peripheral of my mind.

    Damn it.

    What¡¯s going on? I ask Echo.

    [Command resumed,] Echo repeats.

    Yeah no shit. The curse is already sinking its fangs into me once more. Why? I press.

    [The Role Command was paused with the amendment, ¡®that is more than enough cleaning for today.¡¯ Command resumed when the day ended.]

    Of course.

    Grumpily, I reposition my glass legs to lift myself out of my stand. It¡¯s sort of like wearing roller-skates; it¡¯s not my first time, anymore, but it still takes a minute to adjust and remember how to not fall on my face.

    I¡¯m going, I say, just to abate the Command¡¯s insistence. I don¡¯t like it, but there¡¯s also not much I can do to fight it.

    Which just makes me resent it even more.

    But what to do, is the question. Trenevalt swept up that pile of dust Noli and I collected, along with my feather-duster. Damn, I should have thought to put that in my inventory. Too late now. So what does that leave?

    I pause worrying about cleaning to instead worry about making it down the desk alive. Stabbing my glass into the desk¡¯s leg¡ªprobably leaving tiny holes behind, but who¡¯s counting¡ªI begin to inch my way down, and quickly determine it¡¯s no less terrifying the second time. I¡¯m only halfway to the floor when Noli shows up.

    ¡°Hey! Didn¡¯t expect to see you down here,¡± she signs, rather conversationally. ¡°Did you want to come help me scout? I¡¯ve learned a little about our surroundings. There¡¯s a road¡ªwell, more of a path¡ªwell, more of an impression¡ªwell, it might be an animal trail¡­¡±

    Finally making it to the ground, I ready my glass to reply to Noli, but Echo interrupts me first.

    [Climbing skill obtained!]

    Gee, thanks for giving me that now. ¡°No,¡± I sign to Noli.

    ¡°Oh.¡± Noli considers. ¡°Then why are you down here?¡±

    I wish she¡¯d taught me something for ¡°Exasperation.¡± Instead, lacking any nuanced vocabulary, I mime sweeping the floor.

    ¡°Oh! Oh, right. Is it the curse again?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± I sign.

    ¡°Well!¡± Noli folds two arms. ¡°In the middle of the night? That¡¯s just rude.¡±

    You¡¯re telling me. This is some reverse Cinderella bullshit.

    [Sanity Level: 98%] Echo says.

    I don¡¯t even need her to tell me; the pressure is building in the back of my mind. It¡¯s taking every fiber of my being to ignore it. I¡¯m pushing things just by stopping to have this conversation. Stinging with resentment, I give in, and start moving once more.

    The relief is instantaneous. Like I¡¯ve let a tension out of my shoulders. But what to do? What cleaning can I even manage in this form?

    Noli skitters after as my current aimless trajectory takes me to the kitchen. Not much to do on the floor. But up on the counter¡­

    Eugh. I¡¯d rather not.

    I pause to sign a question mark at Noli. She tips her head.

    ¡°What are you asking?¡± She looks around the kitchen. ¡°You¡¯re asking for ideas? For chores?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± I sign. It would be great if she had better ideas than me.

    ¡°Oh, well¡­¡± She hesitates. ¡°There¡¯s always the dishes, right?¡±

    Sigh. Yeah.

    Yeah.

    There¡¯s always that.

    With the Command urging me on, I begin my climb to the kitchen counter. It¡¯s fairly similar to the desk, actually, and if I stay toward the edge, I can dodge around all the cliffs and crevices of the drawers. I¡¯m not sure if that newly acquired Climbing Skill is doing anything, or just tracking my progress, but I suspect it¡¯s just as useless as the Cleaning Skill turned out to be.

    I keep a cautious pace, despite the Command pressure that begins to press at me from my slow progress; still better to try to ignore the growing mental tinnitus than to be hasty and miss a step, falling to my death.

    Or at least, that¡¯s the idea.

    [Sanity Level: 95%] Echo says as the minutes stretch.

    That is starting to get really annoying. The mind-static is getting louder, harder to ignore, but I¡¯m almost there. There¡¯s only the lip of the countertop above me. I lift my next leg to stab into the top surface, but instead of sinking into the wood, it skips over the top with a slight glassy screech.

    I pause, tapping at it again. Dread sinks into me with the realization: It¡¯s not wood.

    It¡¯s stone.

    ¡°You got this Kanin!¡± Noli signs from below.

    I run my limb over the countertop, feeling for any purchase within range, but it¡¯s all depressingly, horrifically smooth.

    No, Noli. I don¡¯t think I got this.

    [Sanity Level: 94%]

    The Command is pressing in on me. Do I have time to climb back down? Can I search for somewhere else to clean? There has to be something¡ªanything¡ªI can do. But the static is getting worse. The pressure is clouding out every other thought. There¡¯s no time to think, and as the tinnitus swells, so does a hint of my panic.

    [Sanity Level: 93%]

    I know. I know! The Command¡¯s eating up my mind, discomfort edging toward pain. I desperately try to hook my leg over the lip of the kitchen counter and leverage myself up, but the glass slips over the slick surface, and I nearly lose my hold.

    From below, Noli gasps. ¡°Careful!¡±

    This would be about a thousand times easier without Noli and Echo distracting me.

    I pick up one of the three legs I have stabbed into the side of the cabinet and lodge it higher, then push, inching myself up¡ª

    ¡°There!¡± Noli cries.

    I roll onto the counter with relief. Getting back down will be its own issue, but for now, at least, step one is complete.

    [Sanity Level: 95%]

    The mental pressure recedes a hair, and I use the opportunity to gather my wits. There are more cabinets above me, a cutting board and knife block on the counter, a forest of used teacups and, of course, a washing basin set into the countertop. Weaving my way through the mugs, it¡¯s at the basin I find what I¡¯m looking for: soap, a pitcher of water, and stacks upon stacks of moldy dishes.Stolen novel; please report.

    Jeez, even I wasn¡¯t this much of a pig in my bachelor pad. Leaving dirty dishes to pile up for a day or two¡ªor, okay, maybe a week¡ªis one thing, but literally mold growing over the plates is something else. Ugh. I am not looking forward to this.

    Tipping the pitcher over will be tricky. The soap at least I can manage.

    Channeling my inner cat, I walk over to the edge of the basin and casually kick the soap off the edge. It bounces off stacks of bowls and mugs on the way down, striking the metal bottom with a loud thud, before finally knocking into one of the glasses, which tips over with another loud clatter. I cringe. Trenevalt, however, doesn¡¯t show.

    Next I walk over to the pitcher of water. Definitely won¡¯t be able to tip it over. But I have a different idea brewing. Hey, Echo, I say, touching the pitcher. Can I put this in my inventory?

    [Affirmative.] The pitcher vanishes. [Jug of water added to inventory.]

    Sweet! Now I just need to make it reappear over the sink and I¡¯ll be set. I look down into the basin.

    Hmm. That glass I knocked over is looking pretty tempting, and I sure could use some more to Attune. But with the sink full of water, I might not be able to reach it.

    I Check my sanity level: 97%. Repositioning the soap helped abate some of the mental static, so I think I¡¯ve got time to investigate. Maybe staying in motion will trick the Command into thinking I¡¯m being productive and buy me a few more minutes while I¡¯m at it.

    I make a lap around the sink, scouting out the best way down. Haphazard stacks of plates, bowls, glasses, and miscellaneous silverware are piled up against the sides, so it¡¯s not the biggest obstacle I¡¯ve faced. As long as I can get back up, I¡¯ll be fine.

    Totally fine.

    Selecting a staircase of plates as my entry point, I take a tentative step forward. My glass gives off a faint yet painful screech as it slides across the ceramic, then catches. I pause, then try a second limb. It slips, but holds. Carefully, slowly, I progress down the tower.

    It¡¯s kind of like walking on ice. I still don¡¯t feel completely stable on these glass limbs of mine, and the slippery surface isn¡¯t helping. But once I get the hang of it, it¡¯s not so bad. Slow and steady sets the¡ª

    A plate shifts to the side, one of my legs slips from the surface, and I crash into the stack of dishes.

    [1 point of Fall damage sustained.]

    Colors swirl nonsensically around me as I hit something else.

    [2 points of Fall damage sustained.]

    It¡¯s too fast to do anything. None of my limbs have any purchase, and I don¡¯t know which way is up or down regardless. I slam into something that rings hollowly, feel a sickening crunch, and then everything is still.

    [4 points of Fall damage sustained.]

    [HP: 3/10]

    [Bonus HP: 8]

    You¡¯re useless, Bonus HP. Useless!

    [Fall Damage Resistance skill: Level up! Now resist 20% of damage sustained from falling.]

    Gee. Thanks.

    I guess that¡¯s one way to get down. I slowly move each of my limbs, making sure they¡¯re not broken. It doesn¡¯t hurt, exactly¡ªat least, not how things hurt when I had a real body. But it¡¯s distinctly uncomfortable. And something feels¡­ fragile, almost.

    I roll over, and quickly discover the source of that discomfort. Part of my vision is blurred, a series of cracks spiderwebbed across my surface. Yeesh, sure hope that¡¯s fixable. In the meantime, I¡¯ll just have to try to not put that side under any undue stress. Rotating to point the damaged portion upward and away from my glass legs, I carefully position my limbs back underneath me and limp to my feet.

    This wasn¡¯t one of my worst ideas, but it certainly wasn¡¯t one of my best.

    At any rate, I¡¯m down here now. I creep over to the glass that I¡¯d knocked over a minute before. Tch, no cracks at all. Typical. I lean against the rim.

    [Target acquired,] Echo says.

    Nice! Can I Attune it?

    [Attunement unavailable,] Echo says.

    What? Why?

    [Attunement cost: 18 mana. Time required: 18 hours.]

    Shit, I forgot about that. The Command definitely won¡¯t let me wait for hours to get to work on these chores. And I don¡¯t have near that much Mana anyway. With the static slowly creeping back in, I decide this is a Future Kanin problem; time to get back to work.

    I¡¯ll be back for you, later, glass.

    As I¡¯m surveying my trek back up Moldy Plate Mountain, something moves in the shadows behind me. I freeze. Was that Noli?

    I wait, but the night remains still. I hold a limb defensively in front of me, pointing the sharp end into the dark. I¡¯m sure I didn¡¯t imagine it. It¡¯s hard not to notice things when you can see every which way at once.

    A creature skitters from the dark.

    Ahhhhh! I back up, clanking into a bowl, and wave my sword (toothpick) menacingly (haphazardly) in front of me.

    The beast is fast. It zig-zags across the basin, making a beeline straight for me. I stab toward it with my glass, but it slips right past. I brace for impact¡ªbut the creature stops a hair¡¯s breadth away from my vial and freezes, filling my vision with its awful visage.

    It¡¯s a cockroach. Or, some hideous variation thereof. Its hard shell gleams in the moonlight, sprouting far too many legs and quivering feelers, mandibles clicking open and shut mere millimeters from my face. From this vantage point, the insect is less disgusting and more some primordial horror. It couldn¡¯t really hurt me, right? I¡¯m made of glass. But one side of me is damaged, and I don¡¯t want to think about how much (or little) effort it would take for the cracked portion to collapse. I take a cautious step to the side.

    At my movement it bolts forward, placing two of its legs on my surface. Revulsion and fear shiver through me in equal parts. Oh hell no, I am not going to become some insect¡¯s midnight snack!

    I slash at the bug with my glass, and this time I connect. It jerks to the side at the attack, and I feel my glass skip over its shell.

    [1 point of Slashing damage dealt,] Echo reports.

    Oh my god. I actually hit it! I¡¯m amazing! I¡ª

    The cockroach bowls over me and I slip from my legs, rolling back a few inches until I crash into a plate.

    [1 point of Fall damage sustained.]

    Holy shit. What am I at, 2 health? This cannot be the way I die. Bug attack has got to be more embarrassing than ¡°Tripped over your own prop.¡± I mean, neither are ideal, but¡ª

    The bug is racing back toward me. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s coming after me because I¡¯m moving, or I¡¯m in its territory, or what, but it doesn¡¯t matter: This is life or death, and I don¡¯t plan to be the one dying.

    I recall two of my limbs and they come jetting back; I raise them before me like a barricade. It¡¯s enough to make the insect pause, but my mind is still racing. The other two pieces of glass I send flying at the bug like spears. It notices one of them and skitters out of its way. But my other glass is coming from the other direction, and this one strikes home. I feel a nauseating crunch as my glass sinks into its shell.

    [4 points of Piercing damage dealt,] Echo says.

    The cockroach writhes. There¡¯s no sound, no screams, as it contorts around my tiny glass blade. I stare in horror. I feel like throwing up. It¡¯s suffering. And even though I¡¯ve done exactly what I¡¯d intended to, I immediately regret everything.

    I shake myself from my shock. I have to finish this. I send two more of my shards to pin the creature down and keep it from rolling about, and I send the third toward its head. I hesitate a moment. Never before in my life have I felt bad about squishing a bug. But it sure feels a hell of a lot more real when you¡¯re down here at eye-level. When you could have been the one just as easily squished.

    I plunge my last piece of glass into the insect, and gradually, the twitching stops.

    I want to be sick.

    [Level Up!] Echo announces. A comforting warmth wraps around me as stats appear in my mind.

    [Name: Kanin]

    [Species: N/A]

    [Class: None]

    [Level: 2]

    [HP: 10/10]

    [Bonus HP: 8]

    [Mana: 11/11]

    [Void: 25%]

    [Role: Homunculus]

    Wow. Not even an increase in my HP? And one whole extra point of Mana. I¡¯m thrilled. All it will take is a hoard of slaughtered cockroaches to start gaining some momentum from these level-ups. But the broken glass at the top of my vision now appears healed, so there¡¯s that at least.

    Fighting back another wave of disgust, I begin to extract my pieces of glass from the bug carcass, but Echo isn¡¯t done with me yet. [Select Class.]

    Um. Class?

    [Class options available,] Echo continues.

    [Warrior | Brawler | Ranger]

    [Bruiser | Guardian | Rogue]

    [Wizard | Healer | Artificer]

    Er¡­ Do I have to do this now?

    [Select Class,] Echo repeats.

    I give an internal sigh. I guess that¡¯s a yes. Alright Echo. What will classes do for me? I¡¯m familiar with the concept from my gaming days, but I don¡¯t trust this world to be straightforward.

    [Classes: Specialties which promote access to different branches of skillsets and spells, generally focused on Strength, Health, or Mana, and with emphasis on offense, defense, or utility.]

    So actually pretty straightforward then. But most of these class names don¡¯t mean anything to me. Bruiser? Brawler? Yeah, no thanks, those sound exactly like things I don¡¯t want to be doing in a fragile glass body. And I am certainly no Warrior¡ªinsect crusades aside.

    What did that leave¡­ artificer, healer, wizard, ranger, rogue, guardian.

    Not feeling very capable guarding anything but my emotions at the moment. Isn¡¯t Noli a ranger? I guess that would be fine. And Trenevalt is a wizard, obviously.

    [Sanity Level: 91%]

    The cleaning Command starts to nibble at my mind once more. Moving the soap into the basin had helped stem some of the Command¡¯s insistence, but I guess leaving dead cockroaches scattered about doesn¡¯t help the ¡°Cleaning¡± quota. The longer I delay, the worse the Command is going to get. I really don¡¯t have time for this.

    I don¡¯t know, Echo, I say. What do you think¡¯s best? Not like she¡¯d actually have an answer.

    [The majority of your abilities have utilized spells which consume Mana,] she says, surprising me. [With a secondary focus on Offense. The Wizard class uses Mana as a primary focus with Offense as a secondary focus. Alternately, a Ranger class has a primary focus of Strength with a secondary focus of Utility.]

    Wizard or ranger, then, huh? Strength is certainly not one of my areas of expertise. If I want to focus on building up my ability to communicate¡ªand figure out how to get back to my real body¡ªfocusing on magic is probably my best bet.

    The Command static is turning into an uncomfortable buzz, so it¡¯s time to just make a decision.

    Wizard, I tell Echo, wishing I¡¯d had more time to talk it over with Noli. Let¡¯s go with Wizard.

    [Class selected,] Echo says.

    [Arcane Specialty: +10 to Mana. Ambitious Spirit: +5 to Attack. Status updated.]

    Look at me, leveling up and gaining shit. Sorry, cockroach. Your sacrifice was not in vain. Now I¡¯m a wizard. A tiny, glass wizard.

    [Sanity Level: 90%] Echo reminds me.

    But there¡¯s no time to celebrate my upgrade now: It¡¯s time to get scrubbing.

 Chapter 9 - Dish Sucks

    Double-checking that the bar of soap is still in the basin¡ªshockingly it is¡ªI search for a better route up than I¡¯d come down. A stack of plates seems fairly suitable. I head up slowly, testing each step before I shift my weight, determined to avoid another Humpty Dumpty situation.

    With little else to do, I talk to Echo while I climb. Can I put anything I¡¯m touching in my inventory? I ask.

    [Organic matter is incompatible with the nature of the pocket dimension,] Echo says.

    Fair enough. I doubt there¡¯s any air in there. But I hadn¡¯t really planned on sticking people¡ªor cockroach corpses¡ªin my inventory, anyway. When I take an item out of my inventory, can I choose where it appears? I ask.

    [The summoning location is dependent upon the summoner range and available space,] Echo says.

    That makes sense: Can¡¯t summon a glass in the middle of a wall. What¡¯s my range?

    [A three-inch radius originating at your center of mass.]

    Three inches doesn¡¯t seem like much on the surface, but that¡¯s about my same width in either direction. Not the worst.

    Can I summon it in any orientation?

    [Affirmative.]

    Now we¡¯re getting somewhere.

    I make it out of the basin without another comedy of errors, my glass footsteps making tiny musical tinklings as I step back onto the granite.

    Moment of truth. Alright, Echo. Can you take the pitcher of water out of my inventory? But on its side. Like this. I picture the orientation I want it to manifest. Got it?

    [Affirmative,] Echo says. [Item removed from inventory.]

    The pitcher appears an inch above the counter, whereupon it immediately crashes down, slips over the lip, and into the pile of dishes. I cringe as I hear something shatter. An impressive geyser of water spills into the basin, but a good amount also splashes out onto the kitchen floor beyond. Oops. More to clean up later, I guess.

    I also hadn¡¯t meant to break anything. But hey¡ªare those pieces of glass I see down there? If the shoe fits¡­

    A light turns on in Trenevalt¡¯s room. Shit. I guess I wasn¡¯t being particularly subtle, was I? No time to clean up my mess, I dart behind a clutter of cups just as Trenevalt emerges from his room.

    ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± he grumbles. ¡°What¡¯s going on out here?¡±

    I remain motionless, just enough of my glass poking out from behind a mug that I can keep an eye on him. A tiny glowing ball of light hovers above his fingertips, which he raises as he slowly surveys the room.

    Light shimmers off the spilled water and empty pitcher.

    ¡°Ahh,¡± he says, frowning at the scene. He stares at it a moment, his look of suspicion turning into confusion. ¡°Now how did that¡­¡±

    A shadow skitters across the floor. Trenevalt turns in time for his light to flash off the limbs of a tiny brass octopus as it vanishes into the living room.

    ¡°Ah, yes,¡± he grumbles. ¡°The aberrant vessel causing trouble again. Must be malfunctioning.¡± He scratches at his beard in a very wizardly way. ¡°A result of the imperfect summoning, perhaps. I¡¯ll have to release its energy back Between when I can catch it.¡± He glances over to the water basin with a sigh. ¡°I¡¯ve had quite enough of this mischief, thank you.¡±

    Noli is getting blamed for my antics once again; I¡¯ll have to make it up to her later. For now, my limbs are itching to move, the need to clean building in my soul like some inner monster struggling to burst out. (The fanfic of which my show followers would have devoured each other to read, no doubt.) Trenevalt is still looking in my direction, just one second-glance away from catching me in the act. Uninterested in being pegged as the ¡°Imperfect summoning¡± that I am and released back into the waiting jaws of the predator, I remain motionless.

    Rubbing his eyes, Trenevalt yawns, turns, and hobbles back into his bedroom. The door thunks quietly shut.

    Whew.

    No time to count my lucky stars, I jump into action. There¡¯s water and soap in the basin, but those dishes won¡¯t clean themselves.

    I pause at the lip. Hey Echo, what¡¯s the range of my Attuned glass?

    [At level 2, the range of Attuned objects increases to a radius of six inches.]

    Double the un-attuned objects, at least, but still not far enough for me to avoid a sudsy fate. Back in the basin it is.

    The plates are slick now, making my journey even more precarious than before, but I make it to the water level without incident. Here I hesitate, dipping one of my shards into the surface. It¡¯s so strange. I can feel it like I¡¯m touching it myself, but it¡¯s nothing like the experience of physical sensations in a human body. I can distantly tell it¡¯s cool, but it doesn¡¯t chill me. I can sense its density, but it doesn¡¯t hinder my movement. I edge further in, knowing what must come next.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    As I lower myself into the water, I feel my buoyancy take over, and I gently let my legs float away. Half of my vision is under the water while half of it is above¡ªmore than a little disorienting, I¡¯ll admit. I try to just focus my attention on what¡¯s below.

    I send my limbs to the bottom of the basin, where they skewer the bar of soap that¡¯s sitting there. I don¡¯t have enough strength to lift it, but I can at least start nudging it around¡ªand that appears to be the right move, as it results in a lessening of the Command pressure. My Sanity Level slowly ticks back up.

    As I nudge the soap around, I bump into something that scrapes faintly across the bottom of the basin. It¡¯s hard to see through the dark waters, but a glint of light catches faintly on something. Ah! The broken glass.

    Probably best to cover up the evidence of my misadventures¡ªand stock up on some more Attunement ammo while I¡¯m at it.

    Echo, can you add these pieces to my inventory as well? I ask.

    [Negative,] Echo says. [The targets must be in physical contact to add to the inventory.]

    Right. I should have thought to do that when I was down here the first time. Well, can you add each one as I touch them? So I don¡¯t have to ask you each time.

    [The user does not need to ask for permission from this unit to activate spells or access their inventory,] Echo says. [This unit merely reports on the status of the actions the user takes.]

    Sheesh, no need be so snippy. I mean, I¡¯d already figured out she isn¡¯t needed for me to do spells, but it just gets a bit lonely being locked in my own head. Just humor me, alright?

    I bob around the tub of water, beginning to magically Swiffer up all the shards of glass. I probably won¡¯t find every tiny sliver, but the big pieces are easy enough to bump into¡ªor discover with my underwater scrubbing. After a few minutes go by since the last inventoried piece, Echo says, [39 glass shards added to inventory.]

    Oof. I think I felt that. Like I¡¯m slightly heavier now. Which is strange since I hadn¡¯t noticed anything when I¡¯d picked up the pitcher of water. Maybe it has to do with how full the inventory is rather than the actual weight?

    I muse on this as I continue to clean, the water gradually becoming oily and lathered as I move the soap around the soaking dishes. I try not to think about the bits of food that begin to loosen from plates and rise to the surface¡ªalong with the corpse of the cockroach.

    A tapping sound comes from the counter above me.

    ¡°Kanin!¡± Noli appears. ¡°There you are. That was a close one, huh?¡±

    On the one hand, the company is welcome, given I don¡¯t even have thumbs to twiddle as I go about this mind-numbing chore. But the exchange is somewhat dampened given my inability to sign back¡ªand embarrassment over having someone else witness my predicament. I suppose there¡¯s nothing for it, though.

    I let go of the soap with one of my limbs so I can wave back at Noil, who returns the gesture with near child-like enthusiasm. I¡¯d chuckle if I could. I¡¯m not sure her cheery disposition will ever stop surprising me.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can teach you many signs with just that one piece,¡± Noli signs. ¡°Can¡¯t do much with a thin rod.¡±

    I don¡¯t have any other limbs to spare from the dishes. I could Attune more of the glass in my inventory, but that would take hours, something that will need to wait until after this cleaning Command is fulfilled.

    But I have another trick up my sleeve, don¡¯t I?

    I cast Sculpt on my piece of glass.

    Slowly, I bend the glass into a semicircle. It only takes about ten seconds or so¡ªnowhere near the full two minutes. But it still feels agonizingly slow for the simple shapes I want to make.

    Noli catches on pretty quick. ¡°Oh! That¡¯s brilliant, Kanin.¡±

    Yeah, I have my moments.

    ¡°Still a far cry from fingers,¡± she muses. ¡°And it really would help to have at least two pieces you could use¡­¡±

    Hey, I¡¯m trying my best.

    ¡°...But we can work with this! Let¡¯s see, let¡¯s see, what¡¯s something simple¡­¡± Noli moves through a series of signs that aren¡¯t even translated for me¡ªmaybe because there¡¯s no intention behind the movements. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s try this one,¡± she finally decides. ¡°It¡¯s one-handed. Where.¡± She pauses the sign, letting me try to replicate the shape. ¡°No, your top part isn¡¯t pointed right. Like this, see?¡± I edit my shape. ¡°There you go! And now you do this motion. Good. Okay, what¡¯s next¡­ Oh! Here¡¯s another one that¡¯s useful: Cat¡­¡±

    I copy another two or three signs before my timer runs out, then I activated another Sculpt. At this rate, I¡¯ll run out of mana in twenty or so minutes, but that¡¯s twenty minutes of mental stimulation that¡¯s otherwise difficult to come by. And I¡­ kinda enjoy this? It¡¯s nice. Noli¡¯s good company, despite our circumstances.

    Eventually, the mind-static subsides as my Sanity Level reaches 100% once more. I wait another moment, just in case it¡¯s going to come back, then cautiously make my way back toward the edge of the now-sudsy sink.

    [Cleaning skill: level up!] Echo abruptly announces.

    [Sculpt spell: level up! At level 3, mana cost is reduced by 20% and spell duration is increased by 20%.]

    [Foreign language skill: obtained!]

    Well that¡¯s nice, I guess. I still don¡¯t feel like the skills are actually doing anything for me, but the spell level up at least comes with the mana reduction and bonus duration. I¡¯ll take it.

    Noli laughs as I finally drag myself out of the sink. ¡°You¡¯re absolutely filthy!¡±

    She doesn¡¯t need to tell me. Water is dripping down my surface, distorting my vision, while bubbles and bits of food stuff obscure patches of my sight completely.

    ¡°Here,¡± Noli signs, hurrying down the counter. ¡°I saw a dish towel around here somewhere¡­ Aha!¡±

    She reels a rag up over the edge of the counter from where it must have been hanging on some rack. Noli brings it over, hesitating before patting me down.

    ¡°Maybe don¡¯t be standing on those legs,¡± she suggests. ¡°Still a bit clumsy with these arms. Don¡¯t want to knock you over.¡±

    Her concern is appreciated, even with 20% fall damage resistance. I flatten myself on the counter and let Noli dry me off. I find myself faintly self-conscious to be so prostrate and pampered¡ªalthough perhaps it¡¯s a little ridiculous to feel bashful when I don¡¯t even have a body to be embarrassed of. I¡¯d just have to avoid a repeat of this in the future. Develop a longer range for my glass, somehow. Maybe with more leveling ups.

    Ugh. I miss being human.

    ¡°There,¡± Noli signs, stepping back. ¡°All dry!¡±

    My glass is a little bit streaky, but I¡¯ll manage.

    ¡°Hm,¡± Noli considers as I climb back to my feet. ¡°You look different somehow.¡±

    Different? Was it the Level Up? Did I get bigger?

    [Negative,] Echo says, uninvited.

    Psh, I didn¡¯t want to be bigger anyway.

    ¡°Can¡¯t put my finger on it,¡± Noli signs, tipping her head to the side.

    I shift uncomfortably under her scrutinizing look. I¡¯m still figuring out this body, and I don¡¯t like the idea of there being some element to it I don¡¯t understand.

    But I don¡¯t intend to live like this forever. And now that I have more glass to work with, it¡¯s about time I start putting my Get Back to My Smoking Hot Bod plan into motion.

 Chapter 10 - The Shell

    Retreating to my stand, I impatiently recover some mana and then skip through the rest of the night with Attunements. This time I do four at a time to make use of that 10% discount. The 8 mana it would typically take gets rounded down to 7, and it reduces my Attunement time from 8 hours to a little over seven hours as well. Hey, I¡¯ll take it.

    The next morning, there¡¯s a certain skip in Trenevalt¡¯s step¡ªor stumble¡ªand his eyes are bright and smiling. I am immediately filled with grave suspicion.

    He sets his breakfast at his desk (come on, why even have a kitchen table?) and taps me happily. ¡°Today¡¯s the day, I think.¡±

    That can¡¯t be good.

    He rubs his fingers together thoughtfully. ¡°It would have taken longer to build a second shell for our little escape artist friend, but given the circumstances I suspect they would not make for a very reliable homunculus. There should be enough spark here for you, at least.¡±

    Oh, shit, he¡¯s talking about the homunculus shell. I quickly Check his stats.

    [Name: Trenevalt]

    [Species: Halfling]

    [Class: Null Summoner]

    [Level: 40]

    [HP: 20/50]

    [Mana: 750/800]

    Shit! How had he gotten so much mana back? Last I checked it had still barely recovered. Is there some way to recover mana faster than the passive one point every ten minutes I¡¯ve been limited to?

    [Affirmative,] Echo says. [There are a variety of spells, skills, and items which allow for the recovery of mana, at the cost of time, HP, Strength, or¡ª]

    Okay, okay, I get it! He did something to recover mana. I just wasn¡¯t expecting it to happen so fast. I thought I had more time to break down the communication barrier¡ªlearn flag signs, or get Noli to write something, or¡ªI don¡¯t know, anything. But it¡¯s too late for all of that. Which means now I need to act, or get the fuck out of here.

    I guess there¡¯s no point in hiding my glass abilities anymore. I¡¯d rather not be labeled a ¡°Defect¡± like Noli and be returned Between, but if being seen as a defect means he¡¯s no longer interested in bonding me to that shell, then it¡¯s worth the risk. I summon four pieces of Attuned glass and hold my figurative breath.

    And Trenevalt¡­ doesn¡¯t even notice. He¡¯s happily chewing a mouthful of eggs and ham. I wave my tiny limbs up at him. Light skips over the room, reflected off my wiggling glass, but he doesn¡¯t react. Alright, that¡¯s how it¡¯s gunna be, huh?

    I angle the glass, turning the pieces slowly so light scatters across Trenevalt¡¯s face like a disco ball. He squints and blinks, turning his head to the side with a grunt. He holds a hand up against the sunny assault, frowning as his eyes dart around for the source¡ªand finally find me.

    I wave.

    ¡°You¡­?¡± Confusion fills his voice. ¡°What in Lorata¡¯s Light¡­¡±

    Now that I have his attention, a ghost of stage fright passes through me. The last time performing made me nervous was in high school, but my continued existence had never hinged on those thespian acts.

    I sign a rough greeting Noli had shown me. ¡°Hello! I am small.¡± Crap, I have to know something more useful than that. ¡°You are a wizard. I clean.¡± Er. I scramble to remember any other signs Noli had taught me. ¡°Cat?¡±

    Goddammit, Noli.

    But Trenevalt seems more interested in my shards of glass than what they¡¯re saying. He reaches a gentle finger out to tap one of my limbs. ¡°What¡¯s this? How are you moving them?¡±

    ¡°Magic!¡± There, that one at least is sensible. Again, however, he doesn¡¯t seem to understand. Maybe it was too much to expect other people to understand sign language like Noli. After all, he hadn¡¯t listened to her the first day, either.

    His frown deepens and his look becomes dark. ¡°Most irregular. Most irregular indeed. I must not have executed the spell properly. But what side effects¡­¡±

    He plucks me between two fingers before I can react, lifting me into the air. I mentally tense, keeping my glass close; if they fall out of range at this height, I don¡¯t trust them not to shatter.

    Trenevalt swishes me from side to side, sloshing the ink around inside me as my little glass limbs float after like the arms of a jellyfish. It¡¯s a little nauseating (not to mention demeaning), and I¡¯m about ready to vanish my glass back into my inventory when Trenevalt stops.

    ¡°Curious. Never seen anything like this before,¡± he muses. ¡°Yet clearly my intent was imbued into the vessel as desired. You do understand your purpose is to assist me around the house?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± I sign, lacking the proper swear words to articulate my full response.

    But even that simple sign seems to fall on deaf ears. Or eyes, as the case may be. He watches my glass move without any indication of recognition, then sets me back down on the stand.

    ¡°You appear responsive at any rate. Quite the conundrum, quite the conundrum¡­ Perhaps binding you to the shell will smooth out these irregularities, wherever they might have come from. I shall need to consult my texts.¡± With a grunt, Trenevalt pushes himself to his feet. Glancing back to shake a scolding finger at me, he adds, ¡°Don¡¯t go anywhere, now.¡±

    God damn it that¡¯s going to be another¡ª

    [Command received,] Echo says.

    Yeah, yeah, I know. Shit, I shouldn¡¯t have let that happen. Maybe playing dumb would have been the better move. I half-heartedly give a little testing wiggle, and static bursts into my mind.

    [Sanity Level: 90%]

    It¡¯s painful, blinding, and leaves a ringing in my hearing that lingers even after I flinch back into motionlessness. Fuck. That was a lot more stark than the cleaning Command. Maybe because this one is more clear-cut, whereas the cleaning had been open to interpretation. I don¡¯t know how the magic works. But I¡¯m not tempted to move again.

    Which is a problem, since I need to get out of here.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    My attention is drawn back to the homunculus shell sitting as quiet as ever in the corner of the office. Like a predator, waiting, patient and still. A chill creeps through me. I thought I had more time. I should have come up with some kind of plan, even if it¡¯s just to take my chances out in the wild. But now I¡¯m well and truly helpless. A sitting duck. And Trenevalt talking about binding me to that thing ¡°Smoothing out the irregularities¡± is exactly what I¡¯ve been worried about.

    A tiny thumping and scraping of metal on wood announces the approach of a familiar form. Noli climbs from the floor, to the chair, to the desk, in now-practiced motions. Seems like she¡¯s starting to get the hang of her body, just as I am.

    Though it might not be for much longer.

    ¡°Hey,¡± she signs, this time with a more curious than bubbly tone in her movements. ¡°I just saw the wizard head out to his workshop. Is something up?¡±

    Hesitantly, I nudge one of my glass limbs just a hair¡ªI suppose since I¡¯m not trying to leave, the Command deems this movement acceptable. Relieved, I point it toward the homunculus shell. Noli follows the gesture.

    ¡°That thing? He¡¯s going to put you in that?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± I sign.

    ¡°Soon?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Then it¡¯s time we bust out of here.¡±

    Wouldn¡¯t that be lovely. ¡°No.¡±

    Noli pauses. ¡°No, you don¡¯t want to? Or no, you can¡¯t?¡±

    I hold up two pieces of glass.

    ¡°It¡¯s the curse again?¡± She doesn¡¯t have to wait for me to confirm. ¡°That puts us in a tight spot, then, doesn¡¯t it?¡±

    One of us, anyway. She can still run. She doesn¡¯t have to stick around on my account.

    Though I don¡¯t want her to go.

    ¡°Not to worry,¡± Noli signs, some amount of her chipper demeanor returning to her words. ¡°I can carry you. I¡¯ve gotten a lot better with these legs, promise!¡±

    She wraps a couple of her tentacles around me¡ªmuch gentler than the first time¡ªand tries to lift me from the stand. Immediately I know it¡¯s wrong. My Sanity Level plummets as the Command rears up like a physical force, crushing into my mind, jolting pain through every atom of my being. I lash out, blindly, desperately, flailing from pure, self-preserving instinct¡ª

    ¡°Ah!¡±

    [2 points of Slashing damage dealt.]

    [Sanity Level: 70%]

    Noli flinches back, dropping me back into my stand as she cradles a limb. Just as suddenly, the Command pressure recedes from my mind, as if it had never been there at all. I snap my glass away from Noli, horrified.

    I¡¯m sorry! I didn¡¯t mean to. I didn¡¯t want to hurt her.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a no,¡± Noli jokes, but there¡¯s hurt in her tone.

    I wish I could tell her it was an accident. I sadly let my limbs sag.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± Noli assures me, even though she¡¯s the one who¡¯s hurt. ¡°The curse again?¡±

    I sign a melancholic, ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Message received.¡± She examines a limb. There¡¯s a scratch carved into the surface, but it doesn¡¯t appear to have cut through the brass shell. ¡°Just surprised me, is all.¡±

    Some of that might just be her trying to reassure me, but I¡¯m relieved to see I didn¡¯t do any lasting damage. I guess I¡¯m still just a Level 2 glass bottle at the end of the day. Even if I tried, I can¡¯t be capable of too much damage.

    Trenevalt¡¯s footsteps thrum through the floorboards as he reaches the steps just outside the front door. Seems like our time is up. Noli looks at the door, then looks at me.

    ¡°We¡¯re small,¡± I sign. I don¡¯t know what she¡¯s thinking, but there¡¯s nothing we can do. Certainly nothing against someone as powerful as Trenevalt. Even without his magic, we wouldn¡¯t be a match.

    ¡°Don¡¯t give up, yet,¡± Noli signs.

    But I can hear the front door open, and fear flutters through me. I aim a shoo-ing motion at Noli, trying to get her to leave. But still, she hesitates.

    Trenevalt rounds the corner, half a dozen old leather books loaded in his arms. The tomes are thick and their covers cracked, yellow pages sticking haphazardly out of the bindings which in turn are only kept from bursting open by leather straps. Too preoccupied with his texts, he doesn¡¯t even notice Noli as he drops the heavy stack of books onto his desk.

    He removes one from the pile and sets it out, pushing the others to the side and nearly shoving Noli off the edge in the process. Flipping the book open, he leafs through the pages until he finds the one he¡¯s looking for.

    It¡¯s hard to make out specifics from my angle, given the text is nearly level with me, but the contents of the page are obvious enough without any arcane knowledge: It¡¯s a series of symbols and round shapes woven together in an ornate pattern. A spell circle, if I were a betting man.

    Trenevalt traces his finger over the page, mumbling to himself. From my vantage point, I can see Noli edging her way around the stack of books. I try to wave her off, but this only draws Trenevalt¡¯s attention.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be getting to you, not to worry,¡± he says, which is exactly what I¡¯m worried about. ¡°Just looking for any flaws in my work¡­ So strange, nothing as of yet. But I¡­ forget myself, sometimes. Make simple mistakes. I should think you¡¯re the last homunculus I¡¯ll be able to manage. After this¡­¡± He trails off, flipping the pages once more.

    Noli peeks around the stack of books, god knows what¡¯s on her mind. But before she can make a move, Trenevalt snaps his book shut, places it back on the stack, and pulls another from the middle of the pile to peruse. As the heap of books collapses back down, one of Noli¡¯s limbs gets caught in the gap. She tugs, but her arm is stuck firmly between two of the tomes.

    ¡°Nothing wrong with the circles,¡± he concludes. ¡°Or if there was, it eludes me. That leaves two options: the forging of the core, or the collection spell.¡±

    Something tells me it was the collection spell.

    ¡°I don¡¯t mean to brag, but I¡¯m fairly confident in my artisan skills.¡± Trenevalt smiles fondly as he settles on a page with a tiny scrawl of dense text. ¡°I once fancied myself a toymaker, you know. However, the collection spell¡­ Hm. I can¡¯t see how that would go wrong. But perhaps if it was not tuned to the correct plane¡­ Or it collected too much, or not enough¡­¡±

    Yeah, one of those things sounds about right. Maybe Trenevalt¡¯s getting somewhere after all. Maybe we just need to let him lead himself to the right conclusion. Damn, if this was all it took, should we have clued him in from the start? Have I spent the last two days running around doing chores and nearly dying for no reason?

    He taps the page, spending a while on whatever line he¡¯s found. ¡°Perhaps that¡¯s the answer. Yes¡­. Yes, I suppose it¡¯s the best option to try.¡±

    Trenevalt hobbles over to the corner, and I go cold when I see what he¡¯s reaching for. Trenevalt hooks his arms around the homunculus shell¡¯s shoulders, grunting from the effort. He drags the glass doll around the front of the desk.

    Shit. He¡¯s going to do it now. He¡¯s gunna stick me in that thing. And there¡¯s nothing I can do to stop him. Panic crawls up my limbs like a swell of static.

    Trenevalt lays the body out on the floor, marking squiggling patterns of chalk around its head, hands, feet, and chest. I watch with a sort of detached horror.

    Noli redoubles her efforts to escape the pile of books, and something about that movement breaks my spell of dread. I might not be able to do anything, but maybe Noli can, if she can just get free. Shaking away my panic, I focus on shooting two pieces of glass toward the books. If I can wedge them between the stack, maybe it¡¯ll be enough for Noli to squeeze out.

    [Range limit,] Echo warns, but I can¡¯t worry about that now. I push them further away, feel my grasp on them slip¡ª

    The limbs fall to the table with a tiny clink as one cracks in half.

    I wince at a phantom pain.

    [1 point of Fall damage sustained.]

    Trenevalt stands up, dusting off his hands. He sets the piece of chalk down on the desk, then reaches for me.

    No, no, no, not yet! I throw a third piece of glass Noli¡¯s way, keeping it low above the table, firing it off as fast as I can push it¡ª

    [Range limit.]

    The glass slips from my hold and falls the hairsbreadth to the table, this time unbroken, and continues to roll toward Noli. She stops it with a limb.

    There! Come on, you can do it! She wraps a tentacle around it, lifting the glass up to the books¡ª

    Noli disappears from view as Trenevalt¡¯s hand closes over me.

    [Command nullified.]

    I can feel the liquid inside me pushed to one side as I¡¯m swung up into the air. I come to a stop suspended before the wizard¡¯s face.

    ¡°Ready?¡± he asks me. ¡°I¡¯m sure by now you¡¯re eager for an upgrade, hm?¡±

    Not if it means losing my autonomy I¡¯m not! I try to catch a glimpse of Noli, but Trenevalt is turned away. Shit, what can I do, what can I do? Attunement¡ªno. Sculpt¡ªno. My last piece of signing glass? I can stab it into his hand and get him to drop me. The Role Requirement is no longer keeping me stuck in one place. Maybe I can make a break for it. But will I survive the fall?

    No. Not even with my Fall Damage Resistance. Not from this height.

    Trenevalt leans down and sets me on the homunculus shell, slotting me into the dip in its chest. I desperately wobble from side to side, but it¡¯s too steep to roll out. Panic wells up in me as Trenevalt closes his eyes and begins to mumble words laced with magic. The symbols on the floor around me turn purple. There¡¯s a crackle in the air.

    There¡¯s a crackle around me.

    There¡¯s no time left to think. I do the only option that¡¯s left to me.

    Echo, I call. Add the homunculus shell to my inventory!

    [Affirmative,] Echo says. [Adding item to inv¡ª]

    And that¡¯s when the world splits open.

 Chapter 11 - The Predator

    I can feel it like an ache in my soul. Like a crack in reality. Like a numb limb, like the cold of a chasm, the burn before inhale, a stab of electricity¡ª

    Space stretches around Trenevalt and I, distorting like a funhouse mirror. The room seems to elongate, my vision warped senselessly, as a black seam etches itself upon reality and the fabric of space is pulled so wide it rips the stitches open.

    Void spills out.

    The black is infinite and it¡¯s empty, the concentrated essence of nothing, and yet somehow, impossibly, some thing emerges from the dark.

    A nearly-forgotten pain tears through me like a reopened scar. Raw emotions swell from the black and overflow into me: victorious, malicious¡­ starving.

    Trenevalt gives a shout as the void swirls around him, purple energy crackling to life in his fingertips. I catch a glimpse of the magic still glowing faintly about the homunculus shell¡ªthe ceiling vanishing behind a curtain of black¡ªa lightning bolt summoned to Trenevalt¡¯s grasp¡ªand then the dark clamps down on us.

    Something stabs through me. My glass cracks, and I feel my surroundings shatter. I fall to the floor with a jarring impact and can hear Echo distantly reporting, [3 points of Fall damage sustained,] as agony lances through me. I writhe, trying to escape the searing sensation, and then¡ª

    All light vanishes from the world. The pain dulls. It¡¯s still there, pulsing faintly in my soul, but my limbs, my glass, everything else has gone numb.

    ¡°Begone, beast!¡± It¡¯s Trenevalt¡¯s voice. Distant. I try to turn, to look for the source of his voice, but this place doesn¡¯t seem to have direction, or depth, or¡­

    I¡¯m Between.

    Alarm and fear shoot through me. Does this mean it killed me? That¡­ predator in the dark? What had even just happened? How did it reach us?

    The spell Trenevalt had been performing. Did it harness the Between, just like the original spell he¡¯d created to siphon energy (and Noli and I) into his homunculus core? Did the predator use that opportunity to jump into reality? Maybe. I can¡¯t come up with any other explanations with my limited understanding. But I suppose it doesn¡¯t matter, because now it¡¯s out there, and I¡¯m in here.

    ¡°Back!¡± Trenevalt¡¯s voice wafts from an indistinguishable direction. Something ripples through the dark. An effect of his magic, maybe? Or something to do with the predator. I shiver, hoping it¡¯s not the latter. If he does send it back here, and it finds me waiting¡­

    Well, I guess I¡¯m already dead. But that can¡¯t be the whole explanation, can it? If it did kill me¡ªagain¡ªthen why am I still Between? Why not snapped back to Earth or moved beyond?

    Another ripple passes through the black. This time, I latch onto the sensation. It¡¯s not from any direction, exactly, but grasping it seems to bring me closer to reality. Like I¡¯m still connected to what¡¯s happening with Trenevalt and the creature¡ªsomehow tethered¡­

    Ah! That¡¯s it. I am tethered. Where there should be nothing, I can feel the finest thread of magic strung through the dark. On this end, it¡¯s bound to my soul. And on the other side, if I follow it back¡­

    ¡°Gods give me strength.¡± Energy ripples past me. There¡¯s an impression of movement, of struggle, and I press harder at the sensations, pulling myself along the thread.

    Pain. My chest is icy cold, my hand throbbing and frail. Weakness trembles through my limbs as I stumbled back against a wall with the dawning fear that this might be it¡ª

    But these aren¡¯t my thoughts. I don¡¯t have a stomach or a hand. It¡¯s what Trenevalt is feeling, his emotions leaking through this tenuous tether of magic. But tangled with his impressions, I can feel an echo of the predator: satisfied, wolfish, and triumphant.

    A surge of defiance from Trenevalt. Magic crackles back along the connection, stinging me with its ferocity even at this ethereal distance.

    Surprise¡ªa burning heat searing into my essence¡ªanger and disbelief. The predator¡¯s elation evaporates into fury and spite as Trenevalt¡¯s magic lashes around it. Shockwaves of the struggle tremble back into the Between, and it¡¯s all I can do to clutch at my lifeline as their anger and fear and determination wash over me.

    The void shudders. Trenevalt¡¯s magic pulls at it, digging its claws into the fabric of nothing, and slowly, steadily, he drags it toward existence. Reality and Between strain against each other like two negative poles of a magnet. And just as obstinate, the predator is fighting Trenevalt¡¯s hold.

    I can feel something. Me, I feel it, not some projection from another. It¡¯s the warmth of reality. The cradle of sensation. And it¡¯s growing stronger, more distinct, as the gap between these two planes close.

    And with it, like the radiating heat of a fire, I feel the predator¡¯s attention fall over me.

    I don¡¯t waste a moment¡ªI just jump. I seize the spell tethering me back to this world, and I leap for reality. The line separating Between from the physical plane blurs, the boundary evaporating for an instant, and in that moment I can see the room open up below me, blood and ichor and burns and deep grooves etched across every surface¡ª

    And the predator, formless, achromic, existing only as hate and hunger, coils in anticipation as our paths converge.

    Whorls of Trenevalt¡¯s magic are cinched around it, forcing it back Between¡ªback toward me. But it resists the pull, waiting for me to fall toward it, and at this rate I don¡¯t know that I can stop my descent. The magic tether is snapping me back toward my glass vial, reality rushing up to meet me. The predator waits until the last moment, when we¡¯re passing each other by, then lashes out toward me, and I desperately twist away¡ª

    Silence.

    The room is still. Empty. I¡¯m on the floor, dim light filtering through a window clouded by¡­ something. The signs of battle are all that¡¯s left of the study. The desk is demolished. Books and pages scattered. Around me are mountains of ice¡ªno. The fractured remains of the homunculus shell. No longer sinister, but sad and broken.

    And the predator is nowhere to be seen.

    I¡¯m¡­ alive. The realization doesn¡¯t fill me with as much relief as I would have thought. I just feel weary. Anxious. Exposed. I might have made it back to reality, but that doesn¡¯t mean the predator is back Between. There¡¯s no sign of Noli or Trenevalt either.

    Gingerly, I roll myself over. Fragments of glass crunch beneath me. Half my vision is obscured by a smear of grime¡ªdark and muddy, likely a mix of dust and whatever else I¡¯d rolled through. There¡¯s also a stark white lightning bolt cutting through my sight. I recall the moment of stabbing pain before I was thrown Between, and I immediately stop moving.

    Echo? I call, wondering if she¡¯s even still there. She¡¯s been so silent through all this. Check. Health Check.

    [Check,] Echo says, and somehow just hearing her voice eases some of my dread. [HP: 4/10. Passive healing limited to a max health of 6.]This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    Why? I ask. Because of the crack?

    [Affirmative.]

    The temporary hit points are gone too, probably because my Attuned glass is out of range¡ªor, more likely, destroyed. Not ideal, but I¡¯ve got bigger things to worry about right now. The crack is at least just a crack, and not the gaping hole I¡¯d feared to find. It¡¯s made me more fragile, but it won¡¯t kill me. Not now, at least.

    Unwilling to roll through the debris that surrounds me, I summon the last four Attuned pieces of glass still left in my inventory. It takes me a minute to get the limbs situated under me. Two of them are smaller than the others, designed for signing instead of walking. I¡¯ll just have to make do.

    I begin to maneuver out of the shattered remains of the homunculus shell, but I don¡¯t even know where I¡¯m going. The floor and walls are scarred with claw marks and blackened as if there were a fire. Stains in the floorboards present mental images I don¡¯t want to think about. How could all of this have happened so fast? I couldn¡¯t have been Between for more than a handful of¡­ the concept slips away from me. Time is meaningless Between. So how much passed out here?

    Papers crinkle as I walk over them, and I cringe at the slight noise. Paranoia tells me I¡¯m being watched, but I try to shove the anxiety aside. If it is the predator, if it is waiting to pounce, there¡¯s nothing I can do about it anyway.

    Several of Trenevalt¡¯s books are scattered around the collapsed remains of the desk. Uneasily, I wade through the litter, searching for any glints of copper among the debris. Any springs, gears. Bits of metal.

    And to my relief, I find none. She¡¯s not here, at least.

    Do I leave? Is now the time to escape this place for good? Maybe Noli made it outside and is waiting for me. I could search the rest of the house, but the quiet is pressing on me like gravity. It still feels like there¡¯s danger in the air. Something left hidden.

    It¡¯s time to go. Literally or metaphysically, the predator is still too close for comfort. I need to get out of here.

    I wince at every tinkle of broken glass and rustle of paper as I pick my way over the floor as fast as I dare. My path out of the study and toward the front door carries me past Trenevalt¡¯s bedroom, a room I heretofore avoided out of a strict aversion to seeing (or cleaning) any grandpa underpants. Despite my best efforts to ignore the dark, yawning door frame, I can make out a figure in the dim.

    I freeze. It¡¯s Trenevalt, seated against the back wall. He doesn¡¯t move, so maybe he didn¡¯t see me. I take a slow, cautious step forward¡ªand slip on a piece of glass. I stumble with a jolt of alarm, and pieces of debris go rolling and clinking across the floor.

    But Trenevalt still doesn¡¯t move.

    Ice creeps over me. This time I take a step toward his bedroom instead of away from it. I tap at the ground, intentionally, and as loud as I can manage. He doesn¡¯t react.

    Echo? I start to ask. Can you¡­ But I stop myself. I¡¯m not sure if I actually want to know. At least, not in her clinical terms.

    There¡¯s something glowing dimly next to him in the darkness. A hint of magic. Some of my dread creeps away; if he¡¯s still doing magic, then maybe he isn¡¯t¡­

    I move cautiously into the bedroom. The floor here is clear from most of the debris. Yet each faint tap of my limbs seems like a thunderclap in the still air, each footfall a crack snapping through the frozen ice of this moment. And as I grow closer, details resolve into horrific clarity.

    He¡¯s slumped against the wall, head fallen against his chest. The faint glow of magic is from his charmed bracelet, splattered with blood and still on his wrist, which is laying limply at his side. And that¡¯s when I realize what I¡¯m covered in¡ªwhat¡¯s obscuring my vision. This by itself is gruesome enough, but I hardly even register it when I see¡ª

    There¡¯s a gaping hole in Trenevalt¡¯s chest. His entire shirt is stained deep with blood, so dark it had been indistinguishable from the shadows. But now that I¡¯ve noticed, I can¡¯t tear my gaze away, and I follow the macabre river down his robes, across the floor, pooled in a great grisly lake toward¡ª

    I take an appalled step back from what I¡¯d been mere inches from stepping in. And now, finally, the reality hits me.

    Oh god. He¡¯s dead. He¡¯s really dead. I¡¯m standing feet away from an actual body. I want to puke, but I have no bile. I wish I could cry, but I have no tears. I want to scream, or yell, or hyperventilate or¡ªanything, anything to be able to release these feelings, to cast them out into the world so they¡¯re no longer building up in me, like a pressure that¡¯s going to make me crack.

    There¡¯s a scraping sound behind me and I whip around. The smear of Trenevalt¡¯s blood is still obscuring half my vision, so I have to pivot, swiveling around wildly to catch sight of¡ª

    Noli. She¡¯s in the doorframe, whole and uninjured. Relief spills through me like a burst dam. She¡¯s okay. She¡¯s okay. After Trenevalt¡ªafter everything¡ªthis one miracle is enough to keep me going. At least there¡¯s this. At least she¡¯s okay.

    But she¡¯s not moving into the room. She lifts a limb, as if to sign something, then hesitates. My brief elation sinks back into subdued exhaustion once more.

    I lower myself to the ground so I can use my limbs for signing instead.

    ¡°You?¡± I sign, asking if she¡¯s okay, or as close as I can manage. I could use Echo to Check, but it¡¯s not her HP I¡¯m worried about.

    ¡°I¡¯m okay,¡± she signs, as if the spell is broken, and takes a few hesitant steps toward me. ¡°Are you alright?¡±

    I start to sign a ¡°Yes,¡± then hesitate. I don¡¯t know. No. But I¡¯m alive, aren¡¯t I? That should be enough, shouldn¡¯t it? Instead, I shrug.

    She nods as if she understands. Carefully picking her way over to me, she stops at my side. She looks at Trenevalt for a moment in silence.

    ¡°He¡¯s dead,¡± she finally signs. ¡°That thing killed him. From Between. I watched it happen, and I couldn¡¯t do anything.¡±

    I don¡¯t know what to say. ¡°Where?¡± I sign.

    ¡°That monster?¡± Noli asks, and I confirm. ¡°I don¡¯t know. It was just¡­ chaos. I¡¯m not even sure about everything that happened. It was like¡ªlike the world wasn¡¯t right. Like it was flimsy. Like this house had stopped being a real house and it was just¡ªjust a drawing of one. I don¡¯t know. I can¡¯t explain it.¡±

    Something to do with Between, I guess. But that doesn¡¯t answer where the predator vanished to. I¡¯d like to hope the spell Trenevalt used to try to send it back Between had worked in the end, but there¡¯s no way to know.

    ¡°We need to leave,¡± Noli signs, and I couldn¡¯t agree more. I pick myself back up as Noli heads for the doorframe, then I hesitate, looking back at Trenevalt¡¯s body. Shit. I¡¯d rather not, but we can¡¯t leave this place empty-handed.

    ¡°Kanin?¡± Noli notices as I creep over to Trenevalt¡¯s side. I try not to think about what I¡¯m walking toward as I cautiously approach his hand. I try not to think about what I¡¯m walking through. I try not to feel it. The horror of the situation is too heavy to truly grasp.

    The beads of his bracelet shine faintly through the dark. We¡¯ll need this if we want to keep track of how long we¡¯ve got before our spell expires. Before we¡¯re thrown Between once more. I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s something we should stop or not¡ªor even if it¡¯s something we can stop¡ªbut it¡¯s better for us to prepare for it, I think. I tap my glass against the bracelet, and like flexing a mental muscle, try to add it to my inventory.

    [Charmed bracelet added to inventory,] Echo says as the bracelet vanishes.

    ¡°What was that?¡± Noli asks as I join her at the door.

    I don¡¯t have the vocabulary to even begin to explain.

    She seems to realize this too. ¡°We¡¯ll talk about it later. Now, I¡¯ve figured out how to get the door open if¡ªKanin, where are you going?¡±

    I don¡¯t plan on coming back here, so we¡¯ll need to snag anything that might help us before we go. I detour to the remains of the desk, searching for familiar leather bindings. I can¡¯t pick up all the loose pages, but a single book will just count as one item in my inventory. I find two of the ones Trenevalt had consulted before¡­ well, everything went to shit. They might tell us something about our spells. And if they don¡¯t¡­ At least I tried. I add them both to my inventory as well.

    ¡°Ready?¡± Noli asks. She¡¯s waiting, but by the way she¡¯s wringing her limbs and shifting back and forth, I can tell she¡¯s anxious to get out of here. I don¡¯t blame her¡ªbut there¡¯s one last thing for me to grab.

    How many inventory spaces have I got left? I ask Echo.

    [Inventory: 38/50]

    Okay. Right.

    I begin to weave my way through the wreckage, mentally counting down as I add twelve of the largest pieces of glass I can find to my inventory. When I¡¯m done, I pause to survey what remains of the homunculus shell. Something that had caused me so much anxiety these past few days, and now I¡¯m looting it for scraps.

    In addition to the bracelet and books, that¡¯s 47 shards for me to work with, not counting the four I currently have out and Attuned. Somehow, it doesn¡¯t feel like enough.

    Noli, loyal as ever, is still waiting for me when I¡¯m done. I wait for her to say something, to comment on what I¡¯m grabbing, or why I¡¯m wasting time. Instead, she¡¯s only subdued as she signs, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    At the front door, Noli climbs a curtain up to a nearby windowsill. From there she jumps across to the handle, leveraging it open. The door swings inward a few inches. I wonder how many times Noli has practiced this.

    Then¡­ we¡¯re outside.

    It¡¯s sunset, our surroundings cast in a gilded orange light, and strange sounds hush around us. The buzz of insects. The chirping of birds. A breeze nudges faintly against me and sends murmurs through the canopy of nearby trees. It all seems far too peaceful out here for the death and carnage that lies in the shadows just behind us.

    We both stand there for a moment, absorbing the paradoxical sights and sounds of life. Before us is a road, an opportunity to start taking our fate into our own hands. The first step forward, to move past all of this.

    But for all this opportunity and potential, I¡¯m just as keenly aware of the predator that¡¯s lurking somewhere just out of sight, as inescapable as my shadow.

 Chapter 12 - The Opposite of Fast Travel

    Noli leads the way, taking us around the side of the house, past the workshop, and onto a faint trail that slopes up a hill. I consider stopping in the workshop before we leave to see if there¡¯s anything else that might be useful for our journey, but Noli doesn¡¯t seem intent on lingering, and I don¡¯t blame her. I¡¯m not sure what I¡¯d be looking for, anyway. I already don¡¯t even know if what I brought with me will be of any help.

    After days in the cabin, the outside world seems so exposed and open. I never realized what intense details my fish-eyed vision could pick up from my limited vantage point on the desk. Out here, everything feels staggeringly wide. There¡¯s a valley beneath us, and clouds miles above¡ªmountain peaks misting into the distance. I¡¯m overcome by a sudden and inexplicable feeling of vertigo, as if gravity flipped and I¡¯m about to fall into the sky. I shrink lower to the ground and keep walking.

    The trail weaves through knee-high stalks of grass that stretch far overhead. Maneuvering this unfamiliar terrain is surprisingly easy, despite its uneven surface. My glass sinks into the earth with each step, providing sturdy footholds, unlike the slick hardwood floors of Trenevalt¡¯s cabin. I still wish I had properly-sized pieces of glass for walking, but I¡¯d rather put as much distance between us and that cabin as possible before I Attune anything else.

    Noli doesn¡¯t say much as we walk, using her signing limbs to help navigate the trail. Her silence is uncharacteristic, but I can understand why. The blood¡ªthat hole in Trenevalt¡¯s chest¡ªit¡¯s an image I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll ever be able to burn from my memory.

    Rather abruptly, shade falls over us as we pass into the shadow of a forest. The trees seem to start all at once, clustered close together, extending miles and miles overhead. And though our path seems broad, Noli and I comfortably able to walk side by side, it now occurs to me the trail would barely be wide enough for a single human-sized traveler. I wonder if anyone else has used this road besides Trenevalt, when the last time was he¡¯d walked this path, and if anyone would ever find him out here in the wilderness. Or would the cabin just become his tomb, both left to decay beneath weather and time?

    ¡°We should find some shelter before nightfall,¡± Noli abruptly signs.

    I have to stop walking and reposition my glass to ask her, ¡°Why?¡± It¡¯s not like we need to sleep.

    ¡°Dark creatures about,¡± she says. ¡°I saw signs of them the past few days when I could get out to scout the area. Nightbanes, I think, which gives me an idea of where we are, but¡­ Well, anyway, I don¡¯t know if they¡¯d try to eat something like us, but if we¡¯re in their territory, probably best not to chance it.¡±

    I¡¯d forgotten she¡¯s a ranger. Thank god for Noli. I don¡¯t know what I¡¯d do without someone else to keep me sane through all this¡ªand, you know, keep me from being devoured at night by some kind of evil-sounding fantasy animal in a strange forest.

    ¡°When?¡± I ask.

    ¡°Less than an hour before dark,¡± Noli signs. ¡°Maybe half that. It¡¯s so hard to gauge from down here¡­ Ugh, and the eyes in this thing are terrible. How are yours?¡±

    I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve heard Noli say two negative things at once before. I just shrug in response; mine might be a little too good. I can make out the leaves in the trees, I catch every flit of bugs through the grass, I can peer far into the woods, where our trail vanishes behind a curtain of trunks, I can count the bits of cotton fluff drifting on the breeze¡­ and I also have a far-too-close-for-comfort view of the dirt rushing beneath me, providing dizzying contrast to the much slower parallax of movement in every other direction. Not for the first time, I wish I could turn portions of my sight off; most of my left side currently has a blind spot where Trenevalt¡¯s blood has dried, but that doesn¡¯t exactly provide the comfort I¡¯m looking for.

    ¡°At any rate, I¡¯ll keep an eye out,¡± Noli signs, starting forward again after I pick myself up.

    The silence that stretches between us becomes oppressive. I miss the optimistic and talkative Noli¡ªthough I¡¯m finding it equally difficult for my thoughts to not dwell in dark places. I¡¯m such a mess of emotions. I¡¯m free from Trenevalt¡¯s Commands, at least. No more being forced to do anything against my will. But was the cost worth it? Did he deserve to die for his screw up? Did he even know he¡¯d screwed up at all? Was all this just a terrible culmination of mistakes he made due to an aging and degrading mind? That sucks. This all just sucks.

    Not to mention, he might have been the only one who could have undone our predicament. Will we be able to find anyone else who¡¯ll know the magic that might get us back in our bodies? And will we even have enough time before the spell keeping us out of the Between ran out?

    I guess that should be our first priority. Figure out how long we¡¯ve got, then find someone who can help us in time.

    Framing it like that makes it sound easy¡ªit also pointedly ignores the fact we¡¯re more likely to get stepped on than find someone who can understand us.

    The sky has deepened from an orange-red to a twilit purple. Still heading along the path, the distant trees vanishing into the gloom, I¡¯m starting to worry about these nightbanes Noli mentioned. Weren¡¯t we supposed to find cover?

    ¡°Ah.¡± Noli stops, gesturing off the path. ¡°I think that¡¯ll work.¡±

    I don¡¯t really see anything that could be considered shelter, but when Noli starts to forge off the road, I quickly follow before the stalks of grass can pop back up and knock me over.

    I yearn for the days when grass did not pose a threat to my wellbeing.

    Noli stops before a fallen branch, arched and propped up like a makeshift tent. ¡°Sorry, I know. It¡¯s not much,¡± she signs, ¡°But I think it¡¯ll work for tonight. The leaves will provide some cover. What do you think?¡±

    I think not much is an astute assessment, but the arrival of dusk isn¡¯t leaving us much of a choice. I follow her beneath, and what little light we had soon becomes obscured by our makeshift roof of twigs and leaves.

    ¡°So.¡± Noli wrings two of her limbs together.

    Now that we don¡¯t have walking to keep us busy, the fact that we¡¯re still not talking about everything has become especially loud. But we have to talk about it. We need to be on the same page here; we only have each other.

    ¡°I figure, we make it to the nearest city first,¡± Noli signs. ¡°Then we can figure out where we really are¡ªand how far home is. If we can make it back there, Rezira should be able to help us.¡±If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    Rezira? Who the heck is¡ªit doesn¡¯t matter. Any allies at all would be amazing, but Noli still doesn¡¯t know about the time limit of our spell. I need to get her in the loop.

    Echo, remove the beaded bracelet from my inventory, I say.

    [Affirmative.]

    The bracelet appears abruptly between us, causing Noli to hop back.

    ¡°A little warning next time!¡± she cries, and I feel a bit bad about startling her. I guess we¡¯re both a little jumpy, given the circumstances.

    The bracelet lights up our shelter with a soft purple glow. Two of the beads are dark, and a third one is significantly dimmed. I tap my glass on each of the lit ones, counting them out. Nineteen. And if it had been about three days since we were summoned, that means each bead roughly corresponds to a day¡¯s worth of time. A sickly unease settles in me.

    Three weeks on the spell, and two days are already up.

    Noli creeps forward to nudge the bracelet. ¡°You took this from the wizard. Is it important?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± I sign.

    ¡°What¡¯s it for?¡±

    Sheesh. How do I even begin to explain? ¡°You and me,¡± I sign haltingly. I need more words for this.

    ¡°It has to do with us?¡± Noli repeats. ¡°How?¡±

    My signing arsenal is depressingly empty. But maybe I don¡¯t need to know all the words.

    I shuffle back, away from Noli, and she starts to follow. ¡°No!¡± I quickly sign, shooing her back. She tips her head, curious, but gives me space.

    Echo, summon one of Trenevalt¡¯s books.

    The spell book bursts into reality beneath our flimsy cover, scattering leaves and twigs with a gust of displaced air. Noli still jumps but doesn¡¯t seem as startled as the first time.

    ¡°Sorry,¡± I sign.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± she assures me. ¡°I¡¯m sure we can patch up the shelter later.¡±

    Oh yeah, that.

    The book is already open, how I¡¯d found it in the midst of the debris, and I¡¯d hazard that several pages are missing as well. But I¡¯m not as concerned about which page I¡¯m on, so much as what I can find on it.

    First, I crawl around the book to get Trenevalt¡¯s bracelet, which I drag up onto the page. Attempting to not skewer too much of the paper, I nudge the bracelet over the text, reading what I can make out in its dim ring of light.

    There.

    I tap my glass on a word, urging Noli over to look.

    She reads it. ¡°Spell?¡±

    I watch her signs carefully, and then tap the page again, prompting her to repeat the sign. Next, I try it, though with my four limbs, it¡¯s not nearly enough to replicate the more complicated shapes and movements Noli is making.

    But she catches on. ¡°Spell. Okay. Yes. I¡¯ll teach you how to do that better later¡ªyou¡¯ll need at least three more pieces of glass. But good try!¡±

    I continue my search down the page, looking for more relevant words, and I find one.

    ¡°Time,¡± Noli reads. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s a tricky sign¡ªno, don¡¯t even try, oh that¡¯s terrible, please put your glass down. What¡¯s next?¡±

    Nothing else on this page I want. Noli excitedly helps me move the bracelet over to the other side of the book, and we find several more words I need: End. Limit. Day. I¡¯m missing the grammar, but that¡¯s enough to string the idea together.

    Noli slowly repeats my embarrassingly basic attempts at the signs. ¡°Our¡­ spell¡­ end. Our spell¡¯s going to end? When? Oh, sorry. Limit¡­ Day¡­ Wait, today?! Oh, no¡ªsorry! Okay, I¡¯ll let you finish.¡±

    I haven¡¯t learned my numbers yet so I just scratch out nineteen lines in the dirt.

    Noli puts it all together. ¡°Our spell has a time limit. Nineteen days.¡±

    I tap the bracelet, pointing to the dark and lit beads in turn. She takes a moment to count them.

    ¡°The bracelet¡¯s tracking it?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± Noli sits back, clearly digesting all this. ¡°Oh. Wow. Okay, so this is a lot. What does the end of our spell mean, though? Which spell are we talking about here?¡±

    I just gesture between us, too impatient to go hunting for more words.

    ¡°Us. Our bodies? The spell that keeps us in our bodies.¡± Noli is silent for a moment. ¡°So when the time¡¯s up, we should be released, right? I¡¯ll go back to my body?¡±

    I shrug. Maybe. But we don¡¯t know. And besides that¡­

    I sign, ¡°Big.¡±

    This seems to thoroughly perplex Noli. ¡°I need more to go off of than that.¡±

    I mentally sigh. I doubt there will be the word ¡°Predator¡± or ¡°Between¡± on this page. I start with one of the new signs. ¡°Day.¡±

    ¡°Day?¡± she repeats.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Then I go back to the dirt, smoothing out the marks I made before. I draw a crescent moon.

    ¡°Night?¡± Noli guesses.

    ¡°Yes!¡± Nice job. Now, gotta extract that one further.

    I make a crude approximation of her ¡°Night,¡± and then gesture around us. She considers for a moment.

    ¡°Night time?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Erm. Stars? Moons? Dark?¡±

    ¡°No!¡± She¡¯s getting further from my point. I tap our shelter, shaking the leaves.

    ¡°Night shelter. From¡­ the nightbane?¡± she finally guesses.

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    ¡°Nightbane,¡± she repeats, seemingly confused. ¡°You are worried about the nightbane?¡±

    Existentially speaking. But she¡¯s still not getting it. I use two pieces of glass to mimic an alligator mouth, opening and shutting on end like biting jaws. Noli chuckles a little at the display.

    ¡°Eating? Hungry?¡±

    I guess that¡¯s close enough; I squash a few of the new signs together. ¡°Hungry night.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re worried about getting hungry at night?¡±

    I press my limbs against my glass surface in the closest approximation of a face palm I can achieve. ¡°No.¡±

    But Noli doesn¡¯t seem dissuaded, listing out all her guesses as I confirm or deny. ¡°You¡¯re worried about the nightbanes being hungry? You¡¯re worried about me being hungry? You¡¯re worried about the night being hungry¡ª¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± I quickly sign. So close.

    She pauses, digesting this. ¡°But the night can¡¯t be¡­ Oh.¡± She seems to grow a little smaller. ¡°You mean that monster from Between.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡± Noli nudges the charmed bracelet. ¡°So you think the spell that¡¯s keeping us bound to our bodies will expire in less than three weeks. And at that time we¡¯ll return Between, where that creature will be waiting for us.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± That about sums it up.

    Noli can¡¯t sigh, but I can see the tension wind up and release in all her limbs. ¡°Well, that¡¯s quite the predicament, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    I¡¯ll say. ¡°Time small,¡± I sign.

    ¡°There¡¯s not much time,¡± she corrects, slowing the signs down so I can try to mimic them. She¡¯s right; I need to Attune more glass if I want to start communicating clearly. ¡°But I agree: There might not be time to make it home to Rezira. And I¡¯m sure she¡¯s already plenty worried by now. We might at least have enough time to make it to the nearest town. And then from there¡­¡±

    ¡­From there, then what? It¡¯s a good question. We still don¡¯t understand the first thing about how to get back in our real bodies¡ªor if that¡¯s even possible. Which means our first priority should be to buy ourselves more time. Figure out how to extend our spell¡¯s time limit a little bit longer¡ªat least, just long enough to learn if it¡¯s safe to move Between, and if doing so would really get us back to our original bodies.

    And if that¡¯s even something that would be in my best interest. My body had a broken neck, last we¡¯d been together. Noli¡¯s might be whole and intact¡ªassuming it¡¯s still even in this plane of existence¡ªbut how long would it last without food and water?

    Or a soul?

    ¡°Well, I guess it doesn¡¯t matter,¡± Noli signs, completing my thoughts. ¡°We just have to focus on one problem at a time, right? Get to a town first, then we can worry about the magic. Sound good to you?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± It doesn¡¯t help either of us to worry about things we can¡¯t know or control. Then again, easier to say that than feel it.

    Noli nods. ¡°Well! Glad that¡¯s all settled. I feel much better about all this, don¡¯t you? There¡¯s something comforting in knowing what you need to do next.¡±

    I would laugh if I could. Feel better? Noli, I¡¯m stuck in a glass bottle. You¡¯re living as a tiny clockwork toy. The only wizard who knows how we got here was murdered by a monster that¡¯s equally likely to eviscerate us upon our spell¡¯s expiration, and I¡¯m covered in his blood. Comforting is not the word I would use to describe this situation.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take watch,¡± Noli signs, moving to the edge of our feeble shelter. ¡°You don¡¯t really know what to look for anyway, right? Don¡¯t worry about it. Maybe practice some of the signs I taught you.¡±

    And yet, there is something comforting about not going through this alone.

    I return Trenevalt¡¯s book and bracelet to my inventory, and bring out four pieces of glass instead. The sign practice was a good suggestion, but we¡¯ll be on the road again tomorrow, and I¡¯ll need better legs to make the journey.

    Alright, Echo, I say. Let¡¯s get some Attunements started.

 Chapter 13 - Ball and Chain

    The night vanishes in a moment of sleepless black, and when I wake from my Attunements, it¡¯s nearly dawn. There¡¯s a moment of disorientation¡ªof wondering where I am, and if everything that had happened was just a strange, horrific dream. But the surrounding forest, highlighted with slivers of pink and orange, doesn¡¯t make it hard to remember what I¡¯m doing out here.

    Something is pressed up against my glass that I don¡¯t remember being there before, and when I start to stir, it moves away.

    ¡°Oh!¡± Noli signs, lowering a leaf. ¡°Sorry. I thought you were still asleep. I just figured maybe I could get that mess off of you while I waited.¡±

    Mess? As I shift, I finally notice most of the dark smudge on my glass is gone. I look again at the leaf Noli¡¯s holding: She was using it to scrub Trenevalt¡¯s blood away. I¡¯m filled with a strange mix of revulsion and relief.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± I sign.

    ¡°Of course!¡± Noli signs. She gestures to my newly Attuned pieces of glass. ¡°Think those¡¯ll help you walk better? They¡¯re kinda big.¡±

    It¡¯s better than my current mismatched legs, and I figure longer legs means faster travel; time is against us.

    ¡°Day, time?¡± I ask Noli. When are we hitting the road?

    ¡°It¡¯s nearly dawn,¡± she signs. ¡°I heard the nightbanes in the distance last night, but I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any about now. Still, we should probably wait another thirty minutes, just to be safe.¡±

    Enough time to Sculpt some of my glass then. At the very least I can make them a little more even for walking, and now that I have eight Attuned pieces, I¡¯ll be able to walk and talk at the same time.

    I start to Sculpt the first piece of glass, smoothing it out and even adding a handful of bumpy prongs on one end to give myself more grip. The leg still feels very long, though. Curious, I focus on one end of the glass and try to ¡°Snip¡± it off from the rest of the length.

    And to my surprise, it works. Suddenly I have two pieces of Attuned glass I¡¯m Sculpting.

    Neat! This opens more possibilities for me. If I halve each piece of signing glass as well, then I¡¯ll have twice as many to work with¡ªwhich will go a lot further to replicating the complicated shapes Noli makes.

    My Sculpting time limit runs out, and I¡¯m about to cast Sculpt on the other pieces of glass, too, when I hesitate. If I keep chopping everything in half, sooner or later I¡¯ll just have a handful of sand. Not exactly great tools for walking around on.

    Hey Echo, I say. Can two pieces of Attuned glass be joined back together again?

    [Affirmative,] Echo says. [Attuned items may be joined through Sculpt or Chain spells.]

    Hello, there. What¡¯s the Chain spell do?

    [Chain: to magically link two or more Attuned items together at specified anchor points.]

    And what are anchor points? I ask.

    [Anchor points are designated surfaces where objects may be magically bound.]

    I feel like this explanation is going in circles. Maybe a demonstration would clear things up.

    I hold up one of the pieces of glass. Alright, Echo, let¡¯s Chain this piece here.

    I swear I hear her give a disappointed sniff. [To cast Chain, at least two Attuned objects must be targeted.]

    Psh, I knew that. Okay, Echo, let¡¯s Chain these two pieces, then. The two I¡¯d originally separated.

    [Magic cost: 3 mana,] Echo says. [Proceed?]

    Proceed.

    [Activating Chain,] Echo confirms. [Designate desired anchor points.]

    Might as well start with what¡¯s easy: I focus on the two ends of the glass I¡¯d originally separated. A spot of black begins to form at each of the two points I¡¯d imagined, glowing faintly in the dark. I still can¡¯t quite wrap my head around how something that¡¯s black can produce light, but I suppose that¡¯s just magic for you. The two pieces of glass snap together, like magnets, and then the glow vanishes.

    [Chain complete.]

    Well that¡¯s underwhelming. It basically just glued them back together, didn¡¯t it? How was that any different from using Sculpt? Except it cost one more point of mana. What a rip off!

    It isn¡¯t until I start to move the glass that I feel it¡ªthey¡¯re not glued together after all. Cautiously, I pull one piece of glass one way, and pull the other one in a different direction. The pieces both respond independently, bending like a number 7 where they¡¯re still Chained together.

    Chain isn¡¯t glue: It¡¯s a joint. A magical joint.

    Oh. Oh. This is just what I need!

    I wave the glass around excitedly. Echo, can I Chain this to my own body, too?

    [Negative,] Echo says. [Only Attuned objects may be Chained.]

    Oh well. That¡¯s a little inconvenient, but I can still work with this.

    Echo, gimme a Check? I ask, realizing I haven¡¯t done that in a while. If I¡¯m about to do a lot of magic, I need to ration out my mana. Plus, I¡¯m curious if this Chained thing helps my Bonus HP at all.

    The words appear in my vision and mind.

    [Name: Kanin]

    [Species: N/A]

    [Class: Wizard]

    [Level: 2]

    [HP: 6/10]

    [Bonus HP: 16]

    [Mana: 9/21]

    [Void: 29%]

    [Role: Homunculus]

    Dang, that crack is really hurting my max HP. But at least I¡¯ve got more Bonus HP to help absorb some blows. Seems like my mana is still recovering from last night¡¯s Attunements, so I¡¯ll have to be careful about how I use the rest of these Sculpt and Chains. And Void looks about the same as it was before. That¡¯s¡­ good, probably? Who knows.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

    Mana is the bigger issue. After all those Attunements last night, and now another Sculpt and Chain, I¡¯m quickly running dry. Okay, If I Sculpt all three of the remaining legs at once, I¡¯ll get a mana discount and it will only cost me 5. Then I¡¯ll have 4 mana left for one last Chain. To do the last two Chains, I¡¯ll have to wait an hour for my mana to passively recover. Annoying, but doable.

    I get to work Sculpting the other three legs, smoothing out and breaking them all in two, and then chaining one of them back together again.

    ¡°It¡¯s fascinating watching you work,¡± Noli signs, and I nearly jump out of my skin (or glass, as the case may be). I was so focused on my magic, I hadn¡¯t realized she was watching. ¡°I saw a metalworker once who was skilled in the arcane. It was a lot like this. He could bend the molten metal in half with just his mind, then run it through his forge. Made a whole sword without any tools. But what you¡¯re doing is something else.¡±

    I mean, I¡¯m only level 2 and hardly the size of a teacup. I doubt any of this is that amazing. Concentration broken, I nearly drop one of the limbs as I¡¯m Sculpting it, but catch it just in time. Metal sounds a whole hell of a lot more useful than glass, that¡¯s for sure. At least it wouldn¡¯t break when you dropped it.

    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s rude to say this, but I¡¯m glad you¡¯re stuck with me, Kanin,¡± Noli suddenly blurts. ¡°I mean, I¡¯m not glad you¡¯re stuck in that body, and I¡¯m definitely not glad I¡¯m stuck in this body¡ªnot that there¡¯s anything wrong with your body, of course¡ªbut I¡¯m just trying to say, I¡¯m glad I have your help.¡±

    My help? I haven¡¯t done shit since I got here, if you exclude some soapy plates and a half-swept floor. What do I even have to offer, apart from comic relief?

    ¡°I mean, I wouldn¡¯t even have known about the time limit on our spell without you,¡± Noli continues. Oh, well, I guess there¡¯s that. ¡°And if you hadn¡¯t gotten caught up in all this, and I¡¯d have been by myself in the Between, it would probably be me stuck in that glass vial instead.¡±

    Oh. Well. Congrats on dodging that bullet.

    [Spell complete. Remaining Mana: 1.]

    I flex one of my newly crafted limbs, bending the elbows¡ªor are those knees?¡ªrather pleased with myself. I have two stiff legs and two bendy legs to work with for now. Time to practice walking on them.

    Like usual, I collect the four limbs around my body, wide end pointed toward myself. I use the four contact points to press inward and leverage myself up¡ªand immediately slip and fall on my face.

    Ow. But hey, no fall damage, so I¡¯ve got that going for me, which is nice.

    I go slower this time, focusing on both the contact points and the joints as I edge myself to my feet. Whew! I¡¯m up. I stand there for a moment, testing each of my newly articulated legs. Okay. I think I¡ª

    ¡°Wow! That¡¯s amazing!¡± Noli skitters around me. ¡°You¡¯re really getting the hang of this thing, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    Well I¡¯m trying to! But it¡¯s way harder to control two moving parts per leg than it is to focus on just the four stilts I¡¯d been using before. And Noli certainly isn¡¯t helping that concentration.

    Like some kind of drunk toddler, I do a couple stumbling laps around our shelter as Noli cheers me on with distracting levels of enthusiasm. Eventually, my impatience outpaces my desire to practice.

    ¡°When go?¡± I sign.

    Noli checks the sky. ¡°I think it¡¯s probably safe to start now. Are you ready?¡±

    Still need to save up another 5 mana for the last two Chains, but I¡¯d rather not wait around for that. ¡°Yes.¡±

    Noli stretches out her limbs. ¡°Then let¡¯s get to it!¡±

    I follow her out of the shelter, cringing as I brush against some leaves and dew drips down my surface, leaving streaks in my vision. Noli seems back to her normal bubbly self again¡ªor maybe that¡¯s just how she copes with all of this. I guess I can¡¯t judge either way, and I don¡¯t have much brain power to spend thinking about it. We¡¯ve a long way to travel, and I just learned how to walk.

    While I silently focus on placing one foot in front of the other, Noli resorts to her typical ramblings. ¡°I¡¯m hoping this road will lead to a main one before long,¡± she signs. ¡°That wizard wasn¡¯t doing so hot even before he¡ªwell, he wasn¡¯t doing great to begin with, so I doubt he¡¯d be able to walk very far on his own. Either he magicked all his food up, or he bought it from a nearby marketplace. I suppose summoning his food is possible, given his skillset. In which case, we¡¯d be well and truly stuffed.¡± She pauses a beat. ¡°But I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be fine!¡±

    Noli may be treating this with an abundance of optimism, but perhaps it¡¯s best not to think too hard about the reality that we might already be too far from anyone to make a difference.

    ¡°Time?¡± I ask, managing to keep my focus on my legs while also operating the signing shards. Doing both at once feels like trying to juggle Jell-O.

    ¡°Time?¡± Noli repeats. Then she reaches out to correct a few of my angles. ¡°You mean how long we¡¯ve got before we find the village?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Thank god she can make sense of my broken English. Signs? What language is this, anyway?

    ¡°I don¡¯t really know,¡± she admits. ¡°If he didn¡¯t use magic, then I¡¯d guess he¡¯s within a day¡¯s walk of some city. The same distance might take us three or four days. And it might not be a very big city, mind¡ªI mean, we can always hope so!¡ªbut any form of town will be a good starting point to get help or even find a telepad.¡±

    Wasn¡¯t a telepad how¡­

    ¡°Although I guess a telepad¡¯s what got me into this situation in the first place,¡± she continues, reading my mind. ¡°Still, couldn¡¯t hurt to try if it might get me home quicker. I mean, I guess it couldn¡¯t hurt more than it already has. Although, if it sends me Between again¡­¡±

    Where the predator might be waiting. Yeah, I¡¯d be hesitant to use a telepad, too. Although if it really will take days to reach civilization, then we¡¯ll only have two weeks, tops, to find someone who can help us. And depending on how long that takes, we might not have much of a choice than to try for a telepad.

    One of the extremely few benefits our bodies have to offer is that we don¡¯t need to rest. We walk throughout the day, chatting (mostly Noli) and practicing signs (mostly me) as we go. I finish Chaining the last two legs on the way, leveling the spell up to 2 and gaining the now typical 10% mana discount. I also get Sculpt up to level 4, earning a 30% discount, when Noli has me split a couple more of my signing shards into smaller pieces. Now I¡¯m able to cluster them together in a larger variety of shapes and come closer to approximating actual hands. They¡¯re smaller, less useful as tools¡ªbut I guess I¡¯ve got plenty more glass I still need to Attune that can serve as backup legs if I need them.

    It¡¯s when I¡¯m in the midst of working out the correct movement for ¡°Travel¡± that I miss a step. One of my glass legs slips up the side of my vial, and before I even have a chance to react and try to catch myself with the other three, I crash into the dirt, a jarring clink ringing out as I strike a rock.

    [1 point of Fall damage sustained,] Echo says.

    ¡°Kanin!¡± Noli hurries over. ¡°Are you alright?¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± I weakly sign, still somewhat stunned from the fall. I¡¯m more shaken by the suddenness of it than the damage. My attention had just slipped. I¡¯d stopped thinking about the shards that were keeping me walking, too focused on the signs. This multitasking is bordering on dangerous. What if I¡¯d been higher up? Or landed on my cracked side?

    I Check my health: [5/11]. So much for my signing glass protecting me. Last time a level up healed me: What does a guy need to do to get another level up around here?

    Actually, I know someone who can help with that.

    Echo are there any stats on, like, leveling up? I wonder.

    [Affirmative,] Echo says. [EXP needed to level up: 6/23]

    Oh, well that¡¯s nice. I could have used that info before now. What causes increases in EXP? I ask

    [Various experiences contribute toward an increase in leveling, including utilizing your Attack, HP, and Mana.]

    So¡­ doing damage, taking damage, and using spells?

    [Affirmative.]

    Well it¡¯s nice to know I don¡¯t just have to kill cockroaches to level up. And as much as I¡¯d love to level up from continued Fall damage, it sounds like working on my glass is the best way to go about it.

    But sheesh, all this magic I¡¯ve been doing recently and I only got 6 EXP out of it. Looks like that¡¯s about a quarter of the way to leveling up again. If it means avoiding fights or taking damage, however, I¡¯ll just have to deal with it.

    I start to pick myself back up, glass limbs slipping against my surface, struggling for grip, when I stop. There¡¯s a better way to do this¡ªa safer way. In fact, I¡¯d been using it in Trenevalt¡¯s house most days (through no choice of my own). That stand had kept me pretty secure. If I¡¯d been able to make the legs on that thing move, it would have been the perfect way to get around. I don¡¯t have a stand out here to use, but making one is within the realm of possibilities. Honestly, I should have thought of this when I originally figured out what Chaining could do.

    I call a medium piece of Attuned glass from my inventory, considering it.

    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Noli asks, watching as I start to Sculpt the glass. ¡°What are you making?¡±

    A better way to walk, ideally. One where I won¡¯t have to worry about keeping my limbs pinched up against my side, because they¡¯ll be Chained in place instead.

    I finish Sculpting the glass into a loop, slightly smaller around than I am wide. Next I Chain the four legs to the glass circlet, spreading them out equally around it. And finally¡­

    I set the loop down onto the ground, then roll myself onto it. Ordering the legs to straighten up, the circlet lifts me into the air, where I¡¯m now riding comfortably atop my walking creation.

    ¡°Oh!¡± Noli signs, clapping two of her limbs together. ¡°Great idea. Do you think that will help us go faster?¡±

    I hope so. Already, focusing on controlling fewer shards at once has eased a tension in my mind. There will be no more dropping myself, now.

    I mean, that¡¯s the plan, anyway.

    If I¡¯m lucky.

    But I¡¯ll be the first to admit that Lady Luck seems to have taken issue with my existence.

 Chapter 14 - Pedantic Linguistics

    I get Attunement leveled up to 3 that night as I¡¯m skipping the time away, this time focusing on Attuning the largest¡ªand hopefully most useful¡ªpieces of glass I picked up. One of them I think used to be part of the homunculus shell¡¯s head. The irony that I¡¯d been doing everything in my power to avoid being bound to this body, just to use it to make a new one, does not escape me. It feels vaguely cannibalistic to be dissecting all this glass and stitching it back together again. I try to channel my inner Noli. It¡¯s not cannibalism, Kanin, it¡¯s recycling!

    The next two days are more walking, more talking, and more practice at doing both. And I¡¯m not half bad, if I do say so myself. Two skills I¡¯d developed as an actor were quickly memorizing lines and being hyper aware of my body. Both of which are now coming in handy as I learn Noli¡¯s signs and get control of my new legs. In fact, my Foreign Language skill even levels up twice to level 3: I¡¯m not sure if that¡¯s the Echo equivalent of getting a gold sticker on my homework, or if there¡¯s any real measurable benefit, but I guess I¡¯ll take it.

    The trek is monotonous. Noli helps stem the boredom and give me something to focus on, but without the need to eat or drink or sleep, there¡¯s no reason to take breaks, either. The forest grows more dense, trees and brush pressing in over our meager trail, but it never quite disappears into the undergrowth. We come across no other people¡ªor even any signs that people have been here in the last decade¡ªbut still Noli¡¯s enthusiasm never wavers.

    ¡°If I¡¯m right about which direction we¡¯re headed, and I usually am, then once we crest this hill, it¡¯ll be all downhill from here,¡± Noli signs as we walk, the third afternoon of our travels. ¡°If we find some sign of a creek or river, that will probably lead down into a valley, and that should lead to civilization! We¡¯re close, now, I can feel it in my bones. Er¡­ gears?¡±

    It¡¯s a nice thought, but I¡¯m not exactly holding my breath. I mean, it¡¯s physically impossible to hold my breath, but that¡¯s beside the point. I¡¯m starting to wonder if we shouldn¡¯t try to figure out some kind of backup plan. Maybe at night I should be spending my time reading through Trenevalt¡¯s spell books, seeing if there¡¯s anything useful in there, instead of Attuning more glass. Ugh, these time limits are killing me. If Attuning didn¡¯t take hours¡ªif our spell didn¡¯t come with an expiration date¡ªwe¡¯d be able to stop and actually think about what we wanted to do, instead of just relying on dumb luck for us to just stumble across some kind of¡ª

    ¡°Oh!¡± Noli stops. ¡°Look, Kanin, a road!¡±

    Well I¡¯ll be damned. Maybe there is something to this ranger class Noli has. Our faint trail opens out onto a much wider road, ruts carved into the now-dried mud from the wheels of whatever vehicles they have in this world. There are impressions of footprints as well; maybe we¡¯re not as remote as I¡¯d feared. And if anyone else comes by, there¡¯s a chance we could hitchhike. Huh. Maybe we¡¯re not totally, absolutely, completely, 100% fucked after all. Maybe just like¡­ 50% fucked.

    I¡¯ll take those odds.

    Cautiously, I follow Noli out onto the road. I realize this is only to our benefit, and we were equally blind to any predators in the woods, but out here I still feel extremely uneasy. Noli must notice my hesitation, because she gives me a reassuring pat with a small clink.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we definitely won¡¯t get run over by anything,¡± she signs, putting that new fear into my head. ¡°I can feel the vibrations of anything that¡¯s approaching. We should be able to get out of the way in time.¡±

    Great. Well, I¡¯ve put my faith in her this far and it hasn¡¯t led me astray. Besides following the road in the nearby underbrush, which will definitely be harder to traverse and take more time, I don¡¯t see any alternatives anyway.

    ¡°Okay,¡± I sign, gesturing for Noli to lead the way. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    She takes us in the opposite direction I would have picked¡ªanother reason I count myself lucky to have her help. I try to see if there¡¯s anything in the dried imprints in the road that led her to that conclusion, but it¡¯s all mud to me. Some ranger instincts I guess.

    We follow the road for several more uneventful hours, until sunset begins to blush the sky. We make better progress on the road¡ªfar less roots to climb over¡ªbut with dusk approaching, I¡¯m unsure what our next move should be.

    ¡°Nightbanes?¡± I question, wondering if they¡¯d be an issue out here as well.

    ¡°Not sure,¡± Noli admits. ¡°I didn¡¯t hear anything last night, so maybe we¡¯re out of their territory now. But if we want to play it safe, it would probably be best to shelter again¡­?¡±

    She¡¯s asking me if I want to play it safe. Why she¡¯d trust my opinion on any survival skills, I have no idea. Although, I guess our spells are just as much tied to our survival as anything else.

    ¡°One hour,¡± I sign. I want to push it just a little further. We can go until twilight, at least; it¡¯s not like we need much more shelter than a fallen branch or rotten log, anyway.

    ¡°Aye aye,¡± she signs, heading on once more. ¡°You know, your signs are getting better already, I¡¯m impressed! We should work on more complex sentences. I could really use the conversation. Not that your current conversation is lacking, mind¡­¡±

    Hah, sure, Noli. But thanks for the encouragement.

    I wait for her to continue her thought, but she¡¯s stopped walking, head tipped to the side.

    ¡°What?¡± I ask.

    She doesn¡¯t respond for another moment, then abruptly jerks upright. ¡°Travelers! Coming fast. Hurry, Kanin, off the trail!¡±

    Noli skitters off into the woods and I follow her as quickly as I dare, awkwardly forcing my legs faster. It¡¯s only as I¡¯m stepping off into the grass that I can feel the rumble of approaching footfalls.

    Noli¡¯s under a bush, and I edge in next to her as the travelers come around the bend. There are four figures, each leading a¡­ creature laden with supplies. The pack animals aren¡¯t horses, that¡¯s for sure. They look kind of like overgrown armadillos, a net of supplies draped over their arched backs. The reminder that this isn¡¯t Earth strikes me all over again. The not-horses are so strange, it takes me a moment to notice the travelers.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

    The first one appears to be human, a brown-skinned woman in leather gear, laughing at some unheard joke. But her companions are significantly more fantastical. The man she¡¯s talking to is covered in blue lizard-scales, with horns curling up from his head and serrated teeth decorating his smile. The second stands a head above her companions, skin green, muscles bulging from bare arms. That one, at least, I can pick out from characters I¡¯d seen on the set of Cryptid Hunter: I¡¯m pretty sure she¡¯s an orc. The last is¡­ er¡­ a cat person? Am I seeing that right? He¡¯s got fuzzy black ears and a cat tail, anyway.

    I call on Echo for a Check.

    [Name: Saru]

    [Species: Human]

    [Class: Rogue]

    [Level: 13]

    [HP¡ª]

    Okay, okay, I get it! You can spill their whole medical history. Just give me the short version, I tell Echo. Species, level, you know.

    [Affirmative,] Echo says, restarting her analysis.

    [Saru: Level 13 Human Rogue.]

    [Chatil: Level 12 Dracid Healer.]

    [Tetara: Level 14 Orc Bruiser.]

    [Lark: Level 9 Felis Wizard.]

    As the group grows close, the first thing that strikes me (after the scales and ears and green skin, that is,) is how huge they are. Trenevalt already seemed to dwarf me, but it¡¯s only really sinking in now that he was a halfling, and all the other kinds of people I¡¯ll meet in this world will be twice as tall.

    Because I didn¡¯t feel small and fragile enough as it is.

    ¡°What do you think?¡± Noli signs, the ground thrumming from their steeds¡¯ footfalls as they pass. ¡°Should we ask them for help?¡±

    It¡¯s a tempting idea. And boy could I use that healer¡¯s help right about now. But I¡¯m not even sure how we¡¯d go about it. If one of them can sign, Noli will be our saving grace. But if they can¡¯t, what would they think of us? Would they help? See us as some kind of novelty? Or use us for target practice?

    Not to mention, can we even wave them down without getting stepped on?

    ¡°Let¡¯s wait,¡± I sign. ¡°Follow.¡±

    If nothing else, it¡¯s worth getting closer and waiting until they stop for something.

    Noli nods. ¡°Good idea. Well, come on then. We better not let them get much of a head start.¡±

    Already they¡¯re leaving us in the dust. I follow Noli as she carves a path through the woods, struggling to keep pace. But before long, the travelers are out of sight. Shit. Did we miss our chance? Was I wrong to suggest we bide our time? God knows we don¡¯t have that much of it.

    However, as the dark begins to settle in, their voices waft back through the trees once more, easing my worry. A few more minutes on, and an orange glow flickers through the trees¡ªa campfire.

    As we cautiously approach their camp, I can¡¯t help but again feel alien to my surroundings. Campfires are familiar. I¡¯d gone camping with my dad all the time when I was a kid. Those memories are strongly tied with the smell of woodsmoke, pine, and roasting trout. But I can¡¯t smell anything with this body, and the lack of those scents makes the camp seem fake, somehow. Two dimensional.

    But the fire¡¯s real enough. I can begin to feel the heat on my glass as we stop just shy of the clearing, hidden in the underbrush.

    The party is in good spirits, seated on logs and stones about the firepit as they laugh and cook their dinner. They seem friendly enough. Maybe we should just waltz on out there asking for help. It hadn¡¯t worked out with Trenevalt, but maybe these guys will listen. Sooner or later we¡¯ll have to convince someone to hear us out if we¡¯re going to get help with our spells.

    ¡°Think they are friends?¡± I ask Noli.

    ¡°Friendly.¡± She corrects my signs. ¡°And it seems like. Think it¡¯s worth a shot?¡±

    We probably won¡¯t have another opportunity to get people¡¯s attention as easily as we do now. At least their armadillo steeds are tied up and unlikely to trample us here.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go first, since I can sign better,¡± Noli signs. ¡°Not that you can¡¯t sign well! I mean, you can¡¯t, but it¡¯s pretty good considering how much time you¡¯ve had to practice! Still, I think it¡¯ll be more clear if I do the talking.¡±

    Probably deciding it¡¯s best for all parties involved if she cuts herself off, she skitters out from our shelter.

    The party continues to chat with each other even when Noli comes to a stop before the fire, light dancing off her metal. ¡°Hello!¡± she signs widely, though even then they don¡¯t notice right away.

    ¡°I¡¯m really hoping one of you here can understand me!¡± she continues with large exaggerated signs, as if yelling. ¡°We are but weary, tiny travelers in dire need of assistance¡ª¡±

    ¡°Ah!¡± The dracid jerks back, losing his balance and falling off his log.

    The human bursts into laughter. ¡°I think that¡¯s more than enough ale for tonight.¡±

    ¡°No!¡± He scrambles upright, staying behind the log as he jabs a finger at Noli. ¡°It¡¯s a spider! A poison fang!¡±

    All eyes fall on Noli, the flames glinting off her many wriggling legs.

    Well, shit.

    ¡°Now hold on,¡± she signs. ¡°While I do see the resemblance, actually I¡¯m not¡ª¡±

    And the camp erupts into chaos.

    ¡°Kill it!¡± The cat-boy jumps up onto his log, back arched. ¡°Kill it!¡±

    The orc grabs an axe and starts edging around the fire, clearly hesitant to get too close.

    ¡°This is all a grave misunderstanding!¡± Noli signs as she hurries to stay on the opposite side of the fire as the orc, causing the human to leap back, tripping into a nearby tree.

    The dracid is wielding some kind of staff, which he stabs at the ground as Noli darts past. ¡°Don¡¯t let it bite you! Its poison can fell a rockbeak!¡±

    The cat-boy brandishes a skewered piece of meat. ¡°Don¡¯t you mean venom? It¡¯s a common misconception. Poison is when¡ª¡±

    ¡°Now¡¯s not the time for pedantic linguistics!¡± the human cries, drawing her bow. She nocks an arrow and draws as Noli skitters back around toward the orc, who in turn stumbles away and falls into a bush.

    My bush, in fact.

    I skip to the side right as the orc stumbles by, her feet shaking the ground with each lumbering step. Leaves are shredded from the bush with her passing, cascading down over the top of me and obscuring my vision. I use my signing arms to swat them away as I try to get out of the orc¡¯s path and see what¡¯s become of Noli.

    I catch sight of her just in time to see her dart between the felis and the dracid, retreating to the safety of the undergrowth.

    Or, so I thought.

    ¡°Where¡¯d it go?¡± the human cries.

    The dracid stabs his staff toward the woods. ¡°Over here! Hurry, someone has to kill it before it comes back with friends!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think poison fangs travel in packs,¡± the felis considers. ¡°But it might come back when we¡¯re asleep and try to¡ª¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter,¡± the human snaps. ¡°Someone just find it!¡±

    ¡°On it!¡± the felis cries. Withdrawing a wand from his robes, he flicks it through the air, its tip lighting up yellow like a miniature sun. He quickly sketches out a shape¡ªthe outline of a housecat. Then, the outline becomes much more real as a glowing, transparent cat shakes itself off, pulls away from the wand¡¯s light, and jumps down to the forest floor. It considers its surroundings for a moment, ears flicking left and right. They snap to attention, and the ethereal feline jumps into the brush.

    Right where Noli had vanished moments before.

    Crap! I have to help her.

    Paying careful attention to staying out of the firelight¡ªand the arachnophobes¡¯ line of sight¡ªI hurry through the undergrowth, trying to keep track of where I¡¯d last seen Noli and the felis¡¯s spell. As if maneuvering roots and trees and bushes in the dark weren¡¯t bad enough, now there¡¯s a murder cat to keep track of. I have no idea how I am supposed to help with that. All my spells amount to making glass float, slowly change shape, and stick together. But I can¡¯t leave Noli to face it on her own. At least with the two of us, maybe we can split its attention.

    But where is she? I¡¯m sure I¡¯ve passed where I last saw her. Shit. What if we get separated out here? Screw the cat¡ªhow would we even find each other again? The woods are enormous, and neither of us can even call out for each other. Crap, crap, crap. Why didn¡¯t I think of this before? I shouldn¡¯t have agreed to let her go out and try to talk. We need to stick together. Next time¡ªif there is a next time¡ª

    I stumble out from beneath a bush and the cat is right in front of me. Up close, it¡¯s four times my size, and I can see the trees and sky and stars behind it, shining through its yellow haze. The cat¡¯s head snaps toward me, pupils becoming narrow slits¡ªand Noli hanging limply from its mouth.

 Chapter 15 - Cat Got Your Tongue

    [Spell: Spiritual Familiar]

    [Level: 3]

    [HP: 15/15]

    [Mana: 0/0]

    Noli! I take a step forward before I even have a chance to think¡ªthen a hasty step back as the cat swipes a paw at me. Noli isn¡¯t moving. She isn¡¯t even trying to sign at me. No, no, no¡ª

    The spell cat growls, advancing on me as I continue to retreat toward the bushes. Does it think like a cat? Is it after me out of curiosity, or because it was spelled to hunt down prey? I don¡¯t know, and I don¡¯t have time to figure it out. The cat abruptly stops and crouches, but I don¡¯t feel any relief as I notice it tense, getting ready to spring¡ª

    Echo summon a spell book!

    The cat leaps just as the tome manifests in the air before me, and I¡¯m rewarded with a solid thwump as the cat collides with the book.

    [2 points of Bludgeoning damage dealt.]

    The book tips back, falling toward me¡ª

    Echo, back in my inventory!

    I feel the slightest brush of breeze against my glass, a ghost of sensation as the book falls back on top of me¡ªjust for it to vanish the moment before it makes contact. Whew.

    But now there¡¯s nothing between me and the cat. It picks itself up, shaking its head, whipping Noli from side to side like a rag doll. My stomach drops through the ground. I have to end this and get Noli out of there ASAP.

    The cat turns its attention back on me and, to my relief, it drops Noli. Placing one paw on her back, the cat hisses in a very life-like manner. Those aren¡¯t real teeth, right? And no animal in its right mind would try to bite through glass, right? Well, no real animal.

    The cat steps over Noli, apparently having decided its prey is dealt with and I am course number two. Not if I have anything to say about it.

    I summon four pieces of Attuned glass from my inventory, the largest of which is the size of a grapefruit. It¡¯s still significantly smaller than the cat, but it¡¯s twice the size of me, and now I have the advantage of numbers. The cat stops, ears flicking about as I fan out my glass. We stare each other down for a moment. My glass hovers in place. Its tail snaps from side to side. Then, it strikes.

    I collapse my glass in at the same moment. I don¡¯t stand a chance at dodging, but if I can knock it off course¡ª

    My largest piece hits the cat at the same moment it tries to arch away, glancing off its shoulder instead of striking its head. Two other pieces miss, a third clipping its back as it yowls. A lightning flash of yellow fills my vision, then¡ª

    My legs are swiped from underneath me and I fall back, hard.

    [3 points of Bludgeoning damage dealt.]

    [1 point of Fall damage sustained.]

    I roll away from my legs, but don¡¯t bother trying to summon them back¡ªthere¡¯s no time. Instead, I focus on my shards, whipping them around blindly as I roll to a stop and gather my bearings.

    I feel another piece of glass connect and am rewarded with an angry hiss.

    [5 points of Bludgeoning damage dealt.]

    Lucky! But I can¡¯t rely on luck to win this; I only had a handful of hit points to begin with, and there¡¯s even less now. All it will take is one direct hit from the cat, and I¡¯ll be finished.

    When the world stops spinning, I can see the cat has backed off outside the range of my glass and is watching me warily. I call my glass closer, clustering it around me in a makeshift shield. We¡¯re both low on HP. Whoever deals the next strike will decide it. I tense, mind racing, ready for the slightest movement. Would it come straight at me again? Or come around the side, looking for a blind spot? Or try something else, something tricky¡ª

    The cat yowls in surprise as it jumps into the air. It spins around as it lands, only to stagger to one side as if slapped, whereupon it promptly vanishes in a plume of yellow embers. I freeze, completely bewildered. What happened? I hadn¡¯t touched it.

    A familiar warm sensation is the only warning I receive before Echo announces, [Level Up!]

    [Name: Kanin]

    [Species: N/A]

    [Class: Wizard]

    [Level: 3]

    [HP: 10/10]

    [Bonus HP: 24]

    [Mana: 23/23]

    [Void: 72%]

    [Role: Homunculus]

    I¡¯m healed. The crack in my glass is gone. But how? The magic cat just poofed. What on earth¡­

    ¡°Sneak attack!¡± Noli signs triumphantly as the specks of yellow magic flicker out around her. ¡°That¡¯s what you get for biting me! Hah, I knew playing dead would trick that stupid spell.¡±

    I let all my glass sag to the ground in weary relief. She was faking it. Thank god.

    Then, irritation flashes through me. She was faking it! What the fuck, Noli! Way to give me a heart attack for no reason. Angrily, I roll back over to my legs, and use my Attuned and signing glass to help push myself to my feet.

    ¡°No!¡± I sharply sign at her. ¡°Bad!¡± Then I rap one of my pieces of glass on her for good measure.

    She pushes the glass away. ¡°Sorry! Didn¡¯t mean to scare you. But it all worked out in the end, didn¡¯t it?¡±

    Concerned voices drift through the woods.

    ¡°Well, mostly,¡± Noli amends. ¡°Maybe we should get out of here before they come looking for their familiar.¡±

    The best idea I¡¯ve heard all day.

    Noli and I retreat deeper into the woods as the party investigates the site of our battle. Luckily, they¡¯re all fairly loud and easy to avoid. The darkness sufficiently obscures our hasty retreat.

    ¡°What now?¡± I ask Noli as we run. I suppose we could still try to hitch a ride on one of their steeds, but if they found us at any point we probably wouldn¡¯t have the same opportunity to escape.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Noli admits. ¡°Even if we do make it to town, we¡¯re going to run into the same problem.¡±

    I hadn¡¯t even been thinking that far ahead, but she¡¯s right. If we can¡¯t find anyone who signs, we¡¯ll be in trouble¡ªand judging by the reactions of this group, it¡¯s not like we can go around asking people one at a time. Shit. I was just kind of hoping everything would fall into place once we could talk to someone¡ªonce someone could help us¡ªbut that possibility is starting to seem remote.

    ¡°Arg!¡± Noli throws up her limbs in frustration. ¡°I¡¯d give an arm for a translator charm right now.¡±

    A translator? My soul leaps. They have translators in this world! That¡¯s exactly what we needed. The question is: How to get one?

    I gesture for Noli to continue that train of thought.

    ¡°Rezira would give me grief if she saw me saying this,¡± Noli signs. ¡°I always hated using them. It just doesn¡¯t pick up the nuance of signs, you know?¡±

    I don¡¯t know, actually. A translator sounds absolutely fantastic. But there¡¯s another asset she¡¯s mentioned a few times now that could maybe help us.

    ¡°Re¡­¡± I pause, unable to remember the rest of the signs. She¡¯s been signing a name, I can see. But her signs are too fast, and the name is too nuanced for me to capture.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

    ¡°Rezira?¡± Noli gathers.

    ¡°Rezi¡­¡± Shit this was way more complicated than the other basic signs she¡¯d taught me. At least a lot of those were kind of intuitive.

    Noli chuckles. ¡°I¡¯ll teach you names later. What is it?¡±

    ¡°Who?¡± I ask. Can they help us?

    ¡°Who¡¯s Rezira?¡± Noli fills in. ¡°Oh! I really haven¡¯t said? Gosh, I can¡¯t believe I haven¡¯t talked your ear off about her already. Although, I suppose we have had more pressing matters. Still, I could have sworn I mentioned it. She¡¯s my wife!¡±

    A stumble as I miss a step. Wife? Noli is married? Someone out there has the patience to put up with this soul for a lifetime?

    More importantly¡­ ¡°She can sign?¡± I ask.

    Noli laughs. ¡°Of course she can. She¡¯s married to me, isn¡¯t she?¡±

    Someone who can understand us. Finally, a breakthrough! Except we still have no idea where we are, or how far away Rezira is, or even if we have time to find her before our spells are up.

    Back where we started, then. But maybe a couple more cards we¡¯ll have to deal down the road. In the meantime, we have to focus on surviving the night.

    ¡°Nightbanes?¡± I ask as the firelight of the travelers becomes a distant smudge of red.

    ¡°Could still be a problem,¡± Noli admits. ¡°Haven¡¯t really had time to keep an eye out while on the run. But based on last night, we might be safe. Do you think it¡¯s worth it to push through tonight? Get a head start on the road?¡±

    With only the moonlight to guide us, it would certainly be easier to walk the road than these woods. But we don¡¯t need to risk our lives by rushing things. Not yet, at least.

    ¡°We stop,¡± I reluctantly decide.

    ¡°We should stop,¡± Noli signs, showing me the proper grammar. ¡°Or ¡®We can stop.¡¯ Or ¡®We will stop¡­¡¯¡±

    It¡¯s going to be a long night.

    Finding a hollow at the base of a tree, sheltered on either side by its twisting roots, we settle in to wait out another long night. This time, however, I decide to leave Attunements for another night. Afterall, I¡¯ve already Attuned my largest pieces of glass, which should give me plenty more ammo whenever I want to Sculpt it into many more (and smaller) pieces.

    ¡°Book,¡± I sign, giving Noli a head¡¯s up. Then I summon one of Trenevalt¡¯s tomes. It¡¯s opened up already to some random page in the middle, which doesn¡¯t help answer the question I¡¯m looking for. I put it back in my inventory, then summon it again, but this time upside down.

    Its spine is pointing up, spindly silver letters catching the moonlight: Vessel Construction and Binding.

    I repeat the process with the second book I¡¯d picked up: Planar Theories.

    This second one feels less useful than the first, so I put it back in my inventory, but at least I know what I¡¯m working with now. Wish I would have picked up all his other books while I was at it¡ªand I hope none of the important pages are missing.

    ¡°More practice?¡± Noli asks, shuffling over after I¡¯ve put Vessel Construction page-side-up once more. ¡°We don¡¯t really need the book for that, unless there¡¯s any words in particular you want to learn.¡±

    That¡¯s not exactly what I have in mind. I quickly Sculpt a couple pieces of signing glass to be more flat, then slot them between two pages of the book, and flip the stack of papers over. The book is thicker than I am tall, so it¡¯ll take me a minute to turn the book all the way to the beginning, but I suppose that¡¯s the best place to start.

    ¡°You want to read that thing?¡± Noli asks, catching on as I steadily flip the papers a few at a time. ¡°Whatever for?¡±

    Learn something about our spell, ideally. If there¡¯s one thing those travelers taught us, it¡¯s that we might not be able to rely on others to solve our problem for us. At least this way, if we knew the first thing about what our spell entailed, or how it could be renewed, at least we¡¯d know what sort of help to even ask for if someone gave us a chance to explain.

    I make it to the first page. Vessel Construction and Binding, it reads, by Loquacious Skyheart.

    Psh, well that¡¯s a pen name if I¡¯ve ever heard one. I flip the page, hoping to find some kind of index. Instead, it appears to be some kind of foreword.

    It¡¯s hard to make out by moonlight, but I try to skim the first couple lines.

    ¡°Though I doubt, by this level of reading, the text herein needs any introduction, I wish to impart upon the reader the importance of prior mastery within the fields of elemental kinematics, planar deracination, and receptacle harmonics¡­¡±

    ¡°Dense stuff,¡± Noli comments as I summon Trenevalt¡¯s charmed bracelet as a makeshift flashlight. Six beads are dark, now. Fifteen days left. ¡°Way over my head. You think you¡¯ll be able to jump into all this without some lower-level stuff first? I mean, I know you¡¯re a wizard and all. I definitely am not doubting your ability or anything. Well, maybe a little. But it takes years of practice to learn these sorts of spells, doesn¡¯t it? It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t think you could learn, but you know, I¡¯m not wild about you practicing in the general vicinity of¡­ me.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m reading,¡± I reassure her. Just reading. ¡°No spells.¡±

    ¡°Oh, well in that case.¡± Noli grabs the bracelet I¡¯ve been trying to shuffle over the page and positions it for me. ¡°Maybe I can help. Anything you¡¯re looking for in particular?¡±

    I tap on the word ¡°Vessel¡± at the top of the page.

    Noli reads it. ¡°Ah. You really think you¡¯ll be able to learn something about our spell?¡±

    I can always try.

    With Noli¡¯s help, I flip the pages while she illuminates the areas I point to with my glass. Unfortunately, it¡¯s starting to feel like she¡¯s right. There¡¯s no table of contents, and for that matter there¡¯s hardly even chapter divisions¡ªjust the dense, hand-written instructions of a very smart and very incoherent wizard. There¡¯s discussions of proper spell circle drawings: of what each symbol and positioning means relative to one another, and how different intersections of circles would alter the intent of the spell. There are pages dedicated to honing the proper magical frequency of the target vessel. There are even graphs for proper sizing of homunculus shells versus the ¡°Mana density¡± its core has been imbued with.

    Am I reading a book about magic or physics?

    Eventually my mind is buzzing with too much information. It feels like the ink in me has been replaced with the contents of a shaken-up bottle of Coke. Wearily, after who knows how many hours, I return the book and bracelet to my Inventory.

    [New spells obtained,] Echo abruptly says.

    Oh? What spells? I ask.

    [Core Bond: Level 1. Mana Stowage: Level 1. Sever Bond: Level 1. Bond Trace: Level 1.]

    These all sound like stuff I was reading about in the book. Does that mean I can learn a spell just by reading about it? Nice!

    Echo, what does Sever Bond do?

    [Sever Bond,] Echo recites. [Prematurely ends a magical tether between two objects. Mana Cost: Equivalent to the Mana sustaining the spell.]

    Vague. But maybe it could be used to end our spell, on our own terms. And how much mana is sustaining my spell?

    [The spell which binds your soul to the homunculus core is currently consuming 720 mana.]

    Or maybe not.

    But I still have other spells I learned. Okay, how about Core Bond? What does that do? How much mana does that cost?

    [Core Bond: A spell which secures a target energy source to a vessel of the caster¡¯s choosing. Requirements: 30 mana¡ª]

    Well that¡¯s not so bad.

    [¡ªone spell circle¡ª]

    Okay, I could learn that.

    [¡ªa target foci¡ª]

    Don¡¯t know what that is, but¡ª

    [¡ªand null arcanum-enriched salt from the undersea ruins of Emrox, refined into the chalk to be used for the spell circle.]

    Okay. That one might be a little harder to get a hold of. But at least now I have a list of ingredients. That¡¯s something, right?

    I try to remember the other spells Echo had mentioned. Mana Stowage?

    [Mana Stowage,] Echo repeats. [A spell used to temporarily contain magical energy, most frequently used to collect and store power from an arcanum source. Requirements: 50 mana, target arcanum, and the corresponding spell circle.]

    Interesting. Was that what Trenevalt had done to catch Noli and I? Some combination of Mana Stowage and Core Bond? But what had gone wrong in all that? The spell, the vessel, the circle¡­ Or maybe it really was just a case of ¡°Wrong place, wrong time.¡±

    Either way, this is a good starting point. It¡¯s something to work with. I don¡¯t have the mana for any of these spells, but maybe an experienced wizard would.

    There¡¯s one more spell I¡¯m forgetting. Echo, what was the last one you said?

    [Bond Trace: A spell which reveals the arcane threads of a bond. Range: 5 feet. Mana: 10.]

    Oh hey, that one at least I can do. Compared to the others, it sounds pretty benign, too.

    Alright, Echo. Let¡¯s use Bond Trace. I mentally focus on the spell and feel something click into place.

    [Activated.]

    A pulse of black emanates from me, passing through Noli and the rest of my surroundings.

    She shivers. ¡°Did you feel that?¡±

    No, but I can see it. There¡¯s a light inside Noli that I¡¯d never noticed before, warm and radiating, like a sun. It¡¯s burning so fiercely, with so much sincerity and hope and compassion. It¡¯s so Noli. It¡¯s so¡­ it¡¯s her soul. And barely visible against her light is a strand of light, no thicker than a hair, that¡¯s threaded through her soul and body. The more I look for it, the more I see it, as fine as cobwebs, a gossamer of magic that¡¯s binding Noli¡¯s soul to her clockwork vessel.

    Echo, I ask. What happens to Noli if that thread is cut? Or for that matter, if the spell ends on its own.

    [A soul which is not bonded in any planar dimension would move Between,] Echo replies.

    A resigned dread settles in me. It wouldn¡¯t go back to her body? I ask.

    [A soul may only be bound to one physical object at a time,] Echo says.

    Echo was right: I didn¡¯t see any other threads coming off of Noli. Was the bond between her body and soul severed when Trenevalt inadvertently bound her to that toy instead? And did that mean that if this thread is similarly severed, she¡¯ll go Between¡ªand then move beyond?

    Even more reason to extend our spell until we can figure out how to return to our original bodies. As if the threat of the predator wasn¡¯t enough. Even if it doesn¡¯t catch us, our spell ending means we¡¯ll be perma-dead.

    At least, I assume it¡¯s the same for me. Unfortunately I have no easy method of looking at myself while this Bond Trace spell is in effect. Lifting the two flattened pieces of glass I¡¯d been using for page turning, I try to angle them toward myself to catch any glimpse of a reflection I could manage in this half-light. And surprisingly, it works.

    The first thing I see is my soul. Glowing so bright my glass seems to vanish behind it, it¡¯s shimmering with all the hues of stubbornness, and resilience, and creativity. Hah, is that really me? I¡¯m flattered. Well, except for that first part. I like to think ¡®stubborn¡¯ is just a jealous term for determined.

    The thread of magic is there, too. That same tether I¡¯d used to pull myself out from Between when Trenevalt and the predator fought. Woven all about my soul and glass, it appears so thin and insubstantial. Must be stronger than it looks.

    But there¡¯s something else there, too. Hidden behind my soul¡ªinvisible if I weren¡¯t looking so intently¡ªis a second thread. It¡¯s that same dark-light color as my magic. This thread doesn¡¯t seem to be woven into my glass, however. It¡¯s more like a cut string. It just seems to¡­ end.

    Echo, I thought you said a soul can¡¯t be bound to more than one thing.

    [Affirmative.]

    Then does that mean this string isn¡¯t bound to anything? Maybe it¡¯s the remnants of a string that was cut.

    Could it be the string that went to my body? That one was definitely severed. But Noli doesn¡¯t have one. Is it because I died, while Noli was snatched away from her body?

    I suppose it could make sense. I don¡¯t have any other ideas.

    I let the spell fade.

    Now that I¡¯m nearly out of mana, Attunements are seeming less likely¡ªnot to mention it¡¯s probably an hour or two before dawn. My mind is spinning with all this new information¡ªspells, the magic book, trying to understand what all this means for us. In other more corporeal circumstances, this would be a great time to get some rest. Let the information digest. But given sleep is no longer an option for me, I opt for a different form of distraction.

    ¡°Noli,¡± I sign, gesturing her over. ¡°Practice?¡±

    ¡°You are a diligent student, Apprentice Kanin,¡± Noli teases. But she seems as excited as ever to work with me. I settle in, copying Noli¡¯s movements, letting her nudge my glass around in the proper configuration, as the night grows old and the stars wheel above us.

 Chapter 16 - Flameâ€™s Fest

    ¡°Something¡¯s changed.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± I ask.

    We¡¯ve only been on the road for an hour or two, all the crimson hints of dawn evaporated from the horizon.

    ¡°Actually, I know exactly what¡¯s changed,¡± Noli signs. ¡°I just couldn¡¯t tell in the dark, and I thought I was seeing things when it was still early. But now there¡¯s enough sun that I can definitely tell it¡¯s not a trick of the light.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡± I press, knowing full well she will continue to ramble unless railroaded into an answer.

    ¡°Your ink,¡± she signs. ¡°There¡¯s more of it. A lot more.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± That¡¯s weird. I hadn¡¯t noticed that last night when I was looking at my reflection. Then again, my glass made for a rather poor mirror, and the brightness of my soul had overpowered everything else.

    It was also the middle of the night, I guess.

    Regardless, why would the ink in me increase? How? That doesn¡¯t make any sense.

    ¡°I mean, it might not be a bad thing,¡± Noli signs, nearly guaranteeing it is. ¡°Like, I thought you had more ink before, but then it went down. And now it¡¯s up again. So maybe it just does that?¡±

    Maybe, but I know better than to believe in coincidences. What¡¯s the cause, though?

    Echo, give me a Check.

    [Name: Kanin]

    [Species: N/A]

    [Class: Wizard]

    [Level: 3]

    [HP: 10/10]

    [Bonus HP: 24]

    [Mana: 23/23]

    [Void: 93%]

    [Role: Homunculus]

    Woah, woah, woah, woah. What¡¯s up with the Void stat? When did that skyrocket? I am not a fan of this development¡ªwhatever that development may be. Echo said it was a tracker for ¡°The rate at which I access the void,¡± (super helpful, thanks for that,) but a rate would be more of a number than a percent, right?

    And what happens when I hit 100?

    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± I tell Noli, feeling anything but. The uncertainty of that stat unnerves me. But without understanding what causes it, there¡¯s nothing I can do. No sense in making Noli worry over me, at least.

    With little else to do, we continue to walk, with me occasionally¡ªokay, obsessively¡ªre-checking my stats. Nothing changes, however. At least, not while I¡¯m watching. It feels like one of those videos where the cat keeps getting closer and closer to the camera each time the filmer ducks out of view. Never moving when you¡¯re watching, but creeping up on you nevertheless.

    Early on, the travelers pass us once more, and this time we let them go quietly by. It feels like we¡¯re missing our opportunity by hiding and just letting them stroll past, but I¡¯m not eager to get into any more fights, even if it does come with the bonus of a Level Up. Which of course is only another reminder that we¡¯ll likely be facing more of the same treatment even when we do make it to a town.

    It¡¯s noon when our road crests a small hill, trees spilling away on either side, to reveal the valley beneath us. I instinctively stop, as if walking and taking in the breathtaking view are too much to coordinate at once, and Noli likewise pauses beside me.

    Clustered like facets of a geode in the basin beneath us are the red-tiled roofs of a town. The blue ribbon of a river winds lazily around the village, while smoke curls up from buildings in dozens of miniature clouds. It¡¯s still too far to make out the people who live there, but it¡¯s civilization, nevertheless.

    Relief washes over me. We did it. We made it. We¡¯re not stuck somewhere isolated, so remote that our spells will expire before we can do anything to stop them. The travelers were a glimmer of hope, but this is the first breath of air after fear of drowning: Help is within reach.

    ¡°We¡¯re so close,¡± Noli signs, echoing my thoughts as we start moving once more. ¡°Without any more trouble, we should make it to the edge of town by nightfall. Then it¡¯ll just be a matter of seeing if this town has a telepad¡ªthough it seems pretty small, so I doubt it. But! We could always write Rezira a letter, telling her where we are. Although I¡¯ll have to convince someone to hand over a quill and paper. And they¡¯ll need to open the ink bottle for me. That went disastrous before. And then I¡¯ll need to convince the wyvern master to let me send it. And I suppose for that I¡¯ll need some money. And if we want money, we¡¯ll probably need to get a job. What do you suppose we could do, this size?¡±

    Well from first-hand experience I¡¯m fairly sure we could at least sweep the floor and do some dishes¡ªassuming people will give us the opportunity to explain our circumstances before we get to experience an encore of last night¡¯s performance. But I¡¯m stuck on something else Noli just said.

    ¡°Wait,¡± I interrupt Noli as she¡¯s in the middle of talking through employment options (including, but not limited to, chimney sweeps and rat extermination). ¡°Paper. Writing.¡±

    ¡°The letter to Rezira?¡± Noli asks. ¡°Yeah I was thinking¡ª¡±

    ¡°No, stop,¡± I sign before she can get going again. I mean, sending a letter is a good idea, depending on if we can convince someone to do that, and if Rezira can get here quickly. But Noli¡¯s getting ahead of herself.

    ¡°Can you write for us?¡± I wish I¡¯d had the vocabulary to ask this back in Trenevalt¡¯s cabin, but better late than never.

    ¡°Of course I can write,¡± Noli signs, completely misunderstanding my question. ¡°Who can¡¯t¡ªoh, right, you can¡¯t. Sorry! I didn¡¯t mean to be rude. That¡¯s probably a sore spot. I mean, it would be for me.¡±

    ¡°Can you write for us,¡± I emphasize. ¡°To talk to¡­¡± I gesture at the town.

    ¡°Oh, I see,¡± Noli signs. ¡°You want me to write things down for the people in town? That¡¯s how we¡¯ll communicate? Doesn¡¯t seem as efficient as Sign Language, but it looks like not many people understand that around these parts.¡± She considers. ¡°Alright, it¡¯s worth a shot!¡±

    More than worth a shot, it should stop us from being mistaken as wild animals again. What sort of spider waves a piece of paper around that says, ¡°Don¡¯t squish me! I¡¯m sentient!¡±?

    Then again, this world contains elves and magic and teleportation pads, so I suppose anything is possible. We¡¯ll just have to count on a bit of empathy to get us through this.

    ¡°So have you got any paper and ink in¡­ wherever it is you make things magically appear from?¡± Noli asks.

    Erm. ¡°No,¡± I admit. At least, not apart from the spell books, but I¡¯d rather not go tearing pages out of them until it¡¯s a last resort. And no ink to speak of¡­ apart from what¡¯s inside my vial, I suppose. Without any apparent opening, however, that seems as unlikely as it is undesirable.

    I gesture back to the town. ¡°Paper there?¡±

    ¡°We could definitely buy some,¡± Noli signs. ¡°Oh, but we still won¡¯t have any money! That¡¯s brought us back around to the beginning, hasn¡¯t it?¡±

    I¡¯m not particularly planning on paying for anything, if I¡¯m being honest. With my inventory at my disposal, any crime¡ªor petty theft¡ªwould be entirely without evidence.

    Look, desperate times, alright?

    We pass another traveler late that afternoon, this one heading away from the city. Noli and I hide behind some trees as they pass, half dozing on their giant armadillo-pulled cart. They have pointed teeth and ash-gray skin, dark eyes unfocused on the road ahead. Echo identifies them as a dhampyr¡ªyet another new kind of person for me to keep track of.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    I find myself tensing up as the day grows longer and the town gets closer. I¡¯m not even sure what I¡¯m worried about, exactly. Not getting stepped on or slapped with a fly-swatter would be a great start. Overcoming the language barrier. Dealing with unfamiliar creatures in an unfamiliar town¡ªyou¡¯d think I¡¯d be over this by now. Hell, this whole world is unfamiliar. I guess it¡¯s just been in bite-sized pieces up until this point. I¡¯ve had time to process each new curveball as it¡¯s been thrown at me. But a whole city to deal with all at once, where nothing will be recognizable, where I won¡¯t be able to navigate¡ªliterally¡ªor even ask for directions¡­ Honestly, I don¡¯t know how we¡¯re going to make it out the other side. I suppose I¡¯ll have to rely on Noli¡¯s blind confidence to carry us through. But the idea of having to lean on her completely, going into this situation blind myself, makes me just as uncomfortable.

    We don¡¯t make it to the city by dark. Dusk has come and gone, and still we¡¯re on the trail. I ask about nightbanes, but Noli waves it off.

    ¡°We¡¯re nearly there,¡± she signs, movements barely visible in the moonlight. ¡°And the city should have some protections. We can¡¯t stop now!¡±

    A distant murmur of noise¡ªclanging of metal, occasional yells and calls¡ªsignals the town¡¯s close. But close for a human and close for a couple of pint-sized objects are two very different things.

    Even so, we press on. A warm glow dimly twinkles between the trees. We pass branches in the main road, twisting into the forest or leading up to remote houses. Occasional stretches of cobblestones are set into the trail, vanishing and reemerging from the dirt at random. Gradually, the signs of civilization become more frequent.

    And then the forest ends.

    A stone wall runs around the village, carved with dozens of faintly glowing runes that shimmer like stones beneath the surface of a pond. There¡¯s an opening in the wall where the trail leads in, and Noli and I edge up to the corner to peek around.

    The town blooms before us, glowing orange and red in all the firelight. Lanterns are strung across roads and flicker above doors. Food carts clutter the paths, full of skewered meats and colorful, strange foods, gusting steam into the night sky. Fat hisses as it drips onto coals, laughter and yelling permeate the air, drums and faint music leak through the crowd. And the people¡ªthere¡¯s so many people.

    They¡¯re every shape, size, and color I could imagine¡ªnot just white and black and brown, but some are covered in blue scales, or green bursts of plumage, or yellow manes. Children run around in leafy masks the color of autumn, waving ribbons about as their parents stand around chatting. Some of them are those dragon-looking people¡ªdracids, apparently. And the cat-like felis, and orcs, and humans, and elves, and dwarves¡ªand¡ªand¡ª

    I shake myself out of my awe. I could stand here all night discovering new species of people, I bet. It¡¯s like this town walked right off the set of Cryptid Hunter. And if I¡¯d come to this world in the body I¡¯d left behind, maybe I could have strolled in here with all the swagger and confidence of Jack Stone. As it is, however, I¡¯m eyeing the blissfully unconcerned footfalls of children with mounting dread.

    ¡°Oh!¡± Noli gleefully exclaims, demonstrating once again how her enthusiasm knows no bounds. ¡°It¡¯s Flame¡¯s Fest! I didn¡¯t realize the holiday was so soon. I mean, we don¡¯t celebrate it back home, but I always thought it sounded charming. They say the roasted fire flowers are to die for.¡±

    Something that may be in our literal and immediate future if we don¡¯t figure out how to navigate this place.

    ¡°How long?¡± I ask Noli. Please tell me we won¡¯t be dealing with a trampling crowd for the next two weeks.

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s only one night,¡± Noli signs. ¡°All night, that is. I imagine things¡¯ll be pretty silent in the morning, all the kids sleeping in and all their parents nursing a hangover. Do you think that¡¯ll affect our ability to find a wyvern master? Darn, if only we¡¯d gotten here a day before.¡±

    Actually, a bunch of drunk shop owners sounds perfectly ideal for Operation Steal Some Writing Supplies.

    If we survive the next twelve hours, that is.

    It shouldn¡¯t be too bad, though. All we have to do is hang out in the woods until dawn. Not that I¡¯m keen on waiting with the ticking clock hanging over our heads, but this seems like one instance where¡ª

    Hey! Noli! Where the hell¡ª

    But it¡¯s too late. She¡¯s already skittering away from the wall, making a beeline for the nearest food cart. I contemplate remaining where I am, safe in my obscurity and sufficiently removed from any misplaced and deadly boots. But if I lose her in this crowd, there¡¯s a nontrivial chance it¡¯ll be weeks before I find her again. With an immaterial sigh, I take off after her.

    ¡°Why?!¡± I demand as I catch up with her, tucked around the edge of the stall. She¡¯s peeking around the corner, watching the crowd, as food crackles on a grill overhead. A puff of smoke is snatched up by a breeze and blown over us. I instinctively try to take in a breath, and there¡¯s a moment of disorienting absence¡ªlike reaching for my phone only to find my pocket¡¯s empty. Because there¡¯s no way for me to smell, of course. I guess I¡¯ll just have to use my imagination.

    Noli ducks back toward me. ¡°Some of those paper masks have fallen on the ground. I think we can use them for cover.¡±

    Not to mention, paper. If she¡¯s right, that¡¯s less stealing we need to do. Instead of looking around the corner, I crouch toward the ground. I¡¯m low enough to look out under the stall, even if my vision is more distorted at this angle. It¡¯s enough to catch sight of what caught Noli¡¯s attention, though. Several of the children¡¯s decorations have been lost or cast aside, providing us with an opportunity to blend in.

    ¡°Alright,¡± I reluctantly agree. It¡¯s not the worst idea. ¡°But one: plan.¡±

    ¡°But first we need a plan,¡± Noli corrects me.

    Is now the time for proper grammar?

    ¡°Why we go paper now?¡± I ask.

    ¡°Why do we need to get the paper now?¡± she corrects me.

    Noli, I swear to god.

    She answers anyway. ¡°For a disguise.¡±

    Yes. Yes, I get that. ¡°But then what?¡±

    ¡°Well, we¡¯ll need a disguise if we want to search the town,¡± Noli signs. ¡°There¡¯s the telepad to look for, the wyvern master, someone to sell us some paper and ink¡ªoh, and we have to get a job, of course.¡±

    I literally can¡¯t believe she still thinks that¡¯s an option. But figuring out the layout of the town now isn¡¯t the worst idea. An animated toy and walking inkwell might be a bit more obvious tomorrow when the streets are deserted. If we use the current chaos to distract from our scuttling, we can map out the area tonight. Then, tomorrow morning, we¡¯ll know where to go and what to get.

    I guess it¡¯s as good a plan as any. ¡°Okay.¡±

    ¡°I can sneak out and grab some of the masks,¡± Noli offers.

    ¡°Wait!¡± No sense in risking a repeat spider incident. ¡°I get it.¡± Hopefully.

    Echo, I ask, what¡¯s the range of my Attuned glass now? Did it increase with the level up?

    [Affirmative,] Echo says. [Attuned objects may now be manipulated within a twelve-inch radius.]

    Okay, well, that isn¡¯t great, but it¡¯s at least an improvement. And a foot of range might get me what I need.

    [Additionally,] Echo continues, [Attuned items now have the ability for select senses to be turned on or off. Senses include: touch, sound, sight.]

    Uh. Okay. You mean like, I could feel and hear and see through my glass? I ask. Don¡¯t I already do that?

    [Affirmative,] Echo says. [Sensory abilities now extend to Attuned glass as well. Currently Active Senses: touch. Inactive senses: sound, sight.]

    Oh. So I¡¯ve been able to feel through my Attuned glass already by default, but I could only see and hear from my vial. So this would be like adding ears and eyes to my Attuned glass? Might be handy to have a second set of eyes trying to navigate this village. Maybe it would even save our asses.

    Sure, I tell Echo. Turn on sight.

    [Designate an Attuned target,] Echo says.

    I mentally shrug. I don¡¯t know. All of them I guess?

    [Affirmative. Sight on all pieces of currently summoned Attuned glass has been activated.]

    It turns out, this was a mistake.

    The vision snaps on in every piece of Attuned glass I have¡ªand I am seeing everywhere at once. Above, below, to every side, but the worst thing is that I¡¯m seeing the same images from dozens of different perspectives. My vision swims. My head is in a vice. I can¡¯t process all this¡ªI feel nauseous, disoriented, woozy¡ªI stagger to the side, nearly falling over.

    Turn it off! I cry. Turn them all off!

    [Sight deactivated,] Echo says.

    Reality collapses back into just my one source of vision. Suddenly, the fish-eyed sight from my vial doesn¡¯t seem so bad after all.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Noli asks.

    I wave her off, somewhat embarrassed. ¡°Fine.¡±

    Well. Never doing that again.

    Before Noli could press the matter further and force me to reveal just how stupid I¡¯d been, I lower myself to the ground and roll out of my glass legs. Just small enough to squeeze under the cart, I call a few of my signing shards after me as I hastily roll away.

    At the other end of the cart, I come to a stop. The masks are about a foot away. Hopefully my range will be enough. I slip my glass out from under the cart, wincing as a foot slams into the ground mere inches away. The boot lifts and vanishes. I push my glass out further.

    [Range limit,] Echo warns.

    Shit, I know. I roll forward half a rotation more, barely sticking out from the cart. My glass snags the corner of the paper mask. I slowly reel it in, watching the forest of limbs that stretch far, far above me for any indication that someone¡¯s noticed. It¡¯s an ocean of movement, impossible to track every face at once, and the more I try, the more paranoid I get that I¡¯m missing the one that¡¯s actually picked me out. Too jittery and impatient for any more of this, I snatch the paper back toward me with one quick (and unsubtle) movement.

    Echo, add this to my inventory!

    The mask vanishes as it touches my vial.

    I wait a beat for someone to gasp or point. But the swells of people continue on, caught up in their celebrations.

    Whew.

    The second mask is a little further than the first, but I¡¯m able to roll a few inches out from the cart and grab it without any fanfare. Relieved, I return to Noli with my spoils.

    ¡°Nice job,¡± she signs as I remove the masks from my inventory and hand one over. She maneuvers it over her head, draping the paper around her like a cloak. ¡°Kind of pretty, aren¡¯t they?¡±

    The outside part of the mask is fashioned like a cluster of red and orange leaves, which I suppose is nice¡ªit¡¯s the underside, blank and white, however, that catches my attention. I skewer several shards of glass through it as I fashion my tent as well. If we can¡¯t find ink, maybe I can go back to slashing markings in the material, like I¡¯d tried to do originally with Trenevalt.

    Even thinking about him makes my mood dip. I wish things could have ended differently in that cabin. I wish I¡¯d had any power to do anything while I was there. Maybe if I¡¯d tried harder to communicate¡­

    Noli bumps into me as she passes, concealed beneath her mask, which shakes me out of the spiraling thoughts. There¡¯s no point in dwelling in the what-could-have-beens. All that matters now is moving forward¡ªand trying to avoid a similar fate. There¡¯s been no sign of the predator since we left the cabin¡ªand that worries me almost as much as the time limit on our spells.

    But at least the latter is something we might have some control over. First, tools to communicate. Then, help. Then¡­ well¡­

    I follow after Noli, taking that first vertigo-inducing step into the flood of people.

    One step at a time.

 Chapter 17 - Class Check

    The fatal flaw in our plan is almost immediately discovered when we wait for a cart to pass, only for me to go left as Noli goes right. My omni-vision catches the flub right away, but Noli doesn¡¯t even notice we¡¯ve separated until she¡¯s half a house away. We need to use our limbs to hold our cover overhead, and since we also need to use our limbs to communicate, this means we can¡¯t do both at once. After regrouping on the other side of a small mob of children, we reevaluate. I pass one of my shards off to Noli, which she holds with one of the limbs she¡¯s using to keep her mask in place. Even if I can¡¯t see under her cover, I can feel which way she¡¯s pointing it. As long as she stays within a foot of me, I¡¯ll have enough foresight to stay on her heels.

    We keep as close to the houses, and as far out of the street, as we can manage. I¡¯m starting to doubt the practicality of our plan (apart from choosing to navigate a crowded village while being only three inches tall). I try to sneak glances at the signs that decorate buildings as we pass them, but most of my brain power is being spent on trying to avoid getting stepped on¡ªand not all the signs even have words on them. Some are just symbols or drawings, which my Google Translate apparently doesn¡¯t deem worthy of interpreting.

    ¡°Whoa! What the fuck is that?¡± someone cries, which I don¡¯t immediately pay attention to, until I realize they¡¯re pointing at me. Shit. I guess it was too much to hope everyone would blame the wind for a couple of masks suspiciously shuffling about. Not giving our detective a chance to investigate further, I give Noli¡¯s glass a couple warning tugs and hastily guide us beneath the nearest cart. A shopkeep is pushing it down the street, and luckily the crowd has hampered its movement enough for us to keep pace.

    ¡°Whew,¡± Noli signs, risking a peek out from beneath her camouflage. ¡°This is a little crazy.¡±

    You know, it is, Noli. Who would think this would be a good idea?

    ¡°Did you read?¡± I ask instead.

    ¡°The street signs? Only a little,¡± she admits. ¡°It¡¯s a bit difficult to see from under here. But I¡¯ve been tracking our turns as we take them. I think we¡¯re heading closer to the town center. If there¡¯s going to be a telepad, it¡¯ll be there.¡±

    ¡°And writing paper?¡± I press.

    ¡°Sorry,¡± she signs sheepishly. ¡°Haven¡¯t been able to look.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll look.¡± Might be better to divide and conquer, anyway. And we still have time. Better to tackle this methodically than rush it and get ourselves hurt. ¡°Ready?¡±

    ¡°Always,¡± she signs, lowering the disguise back around herself. We strike out once more.

    This time, attempting to emulate a couple of paper masks caught in a gust of wind¡ªrather than a pair of rats in poor disguise¡ªwe try a sort of start-and-stop method, timed with passersby. ¡°Hurry up and wait.¡± That¡¯s what they always used to say on set. Apparently, it¡¯s good enough for sneaking through a fantasy fire festival, too. Who knew?

    Avoiding footfalls while trying to catch glimpses of signs between a forest of people is no easy task. It certainly helps that I can, technically, look for signs while also seeing someone come at me from behind, but trying to focus on and register those two things simultaneously is more than my human-programmed mind can handle. So I surprise myself, then, when I find what I¡¯m looking for.

    Excited, I tug on Noli¡¯s glass to get her attention. When she pauses to check with me, I steer us both out of the danger zone.

    ¡°Look,¡± I sign, pointing up at a building.

    The logo is styled like a stack of scrolls, and the name of the shop is painted across the window: Attiru¡¯s Atlas Emporium.

    ¡°A map shop,¡± Noli signs. ¡°Oh, yes! Good idea. They definitely should have some ink and paper in there. And if we can¡¯t figure it out before then, that should tell us where we are!¡±

    Maybe I could even learn a thing or two about what planet I¡¯m on. I haven¡¯t spared too many thoughts before now on exactly where we were¡ªpriorities and all that¡ªbut now I¡¯d be lying if I said I¡¯m not at least a little curious. What does this world look like? How is it similar and different to Earth?

    Noli makes a verbal note about the shop¡¯s location¡ªI have no idea how she knows where we are¡ªand then we strike out again.

    It¡¯s a long night. The festival never wanes, though children thankfully become less frequent, and we continue our scouting mission far into the early hours of the morning. Noli picks out a place where we can send wyverns¡ªapparently similar to messenger pigeons, though these small winged creatures appear significantly more scaly¡ªand I find another couple candidates for ink theft. There¡¯s no telepad, it turns out. Noli seems to have expected this, though she still seems a little disappointed when she tells me. I think I¡¯m okay with that not being a possibility: If it¡¯s what cast Noli Between in the first place, I¡¯d honestly rather not risk another run-in with the predator until we¡¯re out of all other options.

    ¡°We¡¯ve been going for almost a whole day now,¡± Noli comments when we pause beneath a food stand to gather our bearings and share our findings. ¡°I mean, not the festival. That¡¯s only been all night. But we started walking at dawn yesterday, and it looks like we¡¯re only another hour or two away from hitting it again. I keep feeling like we should stop and rest. But I guess that¡¯s more out of habit than need, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    I sign an affirmative. It does feel weird. I¡¯d been using Attunements before to simulate a dreamless sleep-like state, but I guess I haven¡¯t really rested since I arrived in this world. And that¡¯s been, what¡­ at least a week now?

    With everything that¡¯s happened, it feels so much longer.

    ¡°So what¡¯s next?¡± Noli asks.

    We¡¯ve figured out the layout of the village. (Well, Noli has.) We¡¯ve found places for ink and paper and sending messages. We determined there¡¯s no telepad. All that remains, I suppose, is writing out our messages and¡­

    ¡°Find a wizard,¡± I sign. ¡°To help our spell.¡±

    Huh. Maybe we¡¯re not so far from resolving our predicament after all. Finally, things seem to be falling into place.

    ¡°I¡¯m not even sure what to look for, there,¡± Noli admits. ¡°There are homunculus specialists, but they¡¯re fairly rare, and this town is pretty small. Maybe a healer could help? Though they probably won¡¯t know any summoning type spells. Rezira doesn¡¯t, anyway. Well, I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll find something. We¡¯ve only scraped the surface of this town, after all!¡±

    After a whole night of walking? She says that like it¡¯s a good thing.

    But she¡¯s given me an idea. We don¡¯t need to find a business; we just need to find a wizard. And I have just the dowsing rod for the occasion.

    Echo, I say. Can you give me a Class Check on everyone I point out?

    [Affirmative,] Echo says.

    And level? I add.

    [Affirmative.]

    Sweet. Might be a bit preemptive if I lose them in the crowd, but it couldn¡¯t hurt to keep an eye out for anyone powerful enough who might be able to recognize or fix our spells.

    I clock a robe-toting elf in flowing purple and silver attire.

    [Level 10 Rogue]

    Oh. Way off base there. Okay, well, how about that halfling in a pointy hat?

    [Level 22 Beastkeeper]

    Nope. The gray-bearded man at the fireworks stall?

    [Level 9 Bruiser]

    Maybe I need to stop relying on movie stereotypes.

    I absently follow Noli as I pick out more of the village folk, this time selecting at random just to surprise myself.

    [Level 7 Brawler. Level 14 Warrior. Level 12 Guardian. Level 31 Rogue Artificer. Level 6¡ª]

    Woah, back up. Level 31? That¡¯s the closest I¡¯ve seen to Trenevalt¡¯s level so far. I skim back through the crowd, trying to find the rogue artificer. He¡¯s nearly out of sight when Echo picks him up again. Even from behind, though, I can tell he¡¯s not human. Orange curling horns, a prehensile tail, and crimson-red skin give me flashes of demons and devils.

    [Name: Zyneth]

    [Species: Cambion]

    [Class: Rogue Artificer]

    [Level: 31]

    [HP: 150/150]

    [Mana: 580/580]

    Devilish looks aside, that is some mighty fine mana. He¡¯s the best target I¡¯ve picked out so far. I wonder if I should catch Noli¡¯s attention and head after him, or if we should continue to¡ªThis tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

    I almost don¡¯t notice the fight breaking out until it¡¯s too late. I¡¯ve filtered out raised voices as background-noise of the festival, but these ones are sharp, tones filled with drunken irritation. The flurry of movement catches my attention at the last second, and the ground thrums with heavy laden footfalls as someone stumbles toward me.

    I throw myself to the side, heedless of any fall damage, as a foot slams into the ground behind me. I hit the pavement next, just barely getting some signing glass under me to break the fall.

    I feel several pieces snap, disembodied jabs of pain shooting through me.

    [3 points of Bludgeoning damage sustained.]

    I don¡¯t have time to worry about that as panic forces me stumbling to my feet and out of the way of the drunk bystander. My signing glass flies behind me¡ªwhole and broken pieces alike¡ªas I scramble to take in my surroundings, locating the brawlers. Noli! Where¡¯s Noli?

    But the fighting has already moved on down the street, and I catch Noli ahead of me going the opposite direction, blissfully unaware of the mortal danger we were just in.

    Relieved, I hurry to catch up. I suppose it was just a matter of time before one of us was nearly crushed. Even so, it¡¯s an experience I¡¯d love to not repeat, especially given the damage I took to my bonus HP. I¡¯m lucky it wasn¡¯t to my vial.

    Echo, Check, I tell her, just to make certain I hadn¡¯t missed any other surprise blows.

    [Name: Kanin]

    [Species: N/A]

    [Class: Wizard]

    [Level: 3]

    [HP: 10/10]

    [Bonus HP: 21]

    [Mana: 23/23]

    [Void: 95%]

    [Role: Homunculus]

    I freeze. Ninety-five percent. When had Void gone to ninety-five percent? It was ninety-three last evening, I¡¯m sure of it. I¡¯d been checking the whole afternoon, and it hadn¡¯t moved at all, but then¡ªshit, I¡¯d forgotten to keep checking once we arrived in town. Too much other stuff to worry about. But when in the last eight-ish hours had this happened? And why? I haven¡¯t done any magic, right? So spells can¡¯t be it. I did just get hurt. But that was three points of damage, and this is up two percent. I mean, maybe the math isn¡¯t one-to-one, but¡­ Jesus, I have no idea. And I hate that so much.

    Anxiety pooling inside me, I finish catching up to Noli. Should I tell her about the Void? I haven¡¯t even been able to articulate the concept of ¡°Stats¡± to her yet. It doesn¡¯t seem like she sees stats or hears an Echo¡ªor if she does, she¡¯s not giving any indication that¡¯s the case. How would I even explain all this? I don¡¯t know what Void is. Maybe it¡¯s not even important.

    Somehow, I¡¯m not able to convince myself that¡¯s the case.

    Gradually, the sky begins to lighten, and just like the vanishing stars, the festival goers thin from the streets. Eventually, with fewer and fewer people around, our disguises become too conspicuous, so I store the masks in my inventory. Back to skittering from hiding spot to hiding spot again.

    ¡°Alright, I think I¡¯ve got a good layout,¡± Noli signs. ¡°It¡¯ll take us another hour to get back to the map place, but that should be our first stop. Sound good to you?¡±

    I sign my best approximation of a thumbs up. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    Maps seem like the last thing we need with Noli¡¯s natural sense of direction, because we make it back there faster than she suggested. I feel like I might even be starting to pick out some familiar landmarks, but maybe that¡¯s just because everything has started to blend together.

    However, navigation becomes the least of our problems when we make it back to Attiru¡¯s Atlas Emporium.

    ¡°So.¡± Noli wrings her limbs awkwardly. ¡°How do we get in?¡±

    You¡¯d assume at some point during the night I would have thought this part through, but you¡¯d be mistaken. I check the bottom of the shop door: There¡¯s a gap, but not nearly enough for my vial to squeeze beneath. Noli could flatten herself better than me, but she¡¯d also still be too big.

    ¡°Back?¡± I suggest. With little else to do, we circle around the building.

    ¡°If this doesn¡¯t work out,¡± Noli signs as we go, ¡°We still have other options. There was that book store, too. I¡¯m not sure if the wyvern master would let us borrow any, but that might also be worth a shot.¡±

    Borrow. Oh, honey.

    As luck would have it, however, there is a backdoor to the shop¡ªand the door is propped open with a rock. As luck would not have it, the gap is still too narrow for my bulbous form.

    ¡°Here, let me try something,¡± Noli signs. She finds another rock nearby and drags it over to the door. Wedging herself in between the gap, she pushes against the frame with all her might. Picking up on Noli¡¯s plan, I hurriedly use my glass to corral the rock into the extra space Noli manages to eke out. Noli lets go with relief, and the door holds. Not waiting to see how long that hold will last, I hastily step over the doorstops and inside the shop.

    An eerie familiarity creeps over me. Wood floors thump dully underfoot, while log rafters stretch overhead. It¡¯s all too similar to Trenevalt¡¯s cabin. The walls feel too close, the still air oppressive and suffocating. My hackles raise at the memory of the last time I was in such a place and the distinct feeling of being watched.

    But as Noli and I linger by the door, the differences start to become more apparent than the similarities. We¡¯re in some sort of storeroom, with cluttered shelves stocked with papers, bindings, and rolls of leather from floor to ceiling. There¡¯s another door at the far end of the room that presumably leads into the front of the shop¡ªwhich swings open even as I¡¯m looking at it.

    Noli and I scatter. I dive beneath the nearest shelf as Noli jumps onto one across from me and vanishes into a nest of twine. The room rattles as the far door closes and a person with glasses, red skin, and black horns strides down the racks. They make it to where Noli and I are hiding¡ªthen keep going out the backdoor. Whew. They must not have seen us.

    We wait a beat or two, but the shopkeep doesn¡¯t come back. Noli pokes her head out of her hiding spot.

    ¡°Should we wait?¡± she asks.

    ¡°Yes,¡± I sign back. Actually, snooping around the backroom might be better than us poking around the front of the shop¡ªassuming we don¡¯t get caught by the owner, first. Why were they even working this late on a holiday? Or early. We should give it another minute or two in case¡ª

    The back door swings open again, the map maker heading back in. This time, however, they kick the rocks out of the door frame, and when the door closes, it¡¯s with the click of a latch. Welp. There goes our escape route. They stop a few feet away, gathering a box of leather and papers from a shelf, then disappear through the front-shop door once more.

    Noli and I give it another five minutes, but they don¡¯t head back in.

    Cautiously, I creep out from beneath the shelf. Noli untangles herself from the twine.

    ¡°Well,¡± she signs. ¡°Time to get to work?¡±

    ¡°Look for ink first,¡± I respond. If nothing else, we can use our masks for paper.

    I suppose climbing the shelves is always an option, as I had back at Trenevalt¡¯s place anytime I needed to get up or down the table. But even with my meager ¡°Climbing¡± skill I¡¯ve obtained, doing so here would be flirting with death. Luckily, I have a Noli.

    While I check the contents of all the shelves within reach, Noli begins climbing the scaffolding to see what she can find higher up. No ink down here¡ªor any other kind of writing utensils for that matter, who knows what they use in this world¡ªbut I do find two leaves of crumpled and discarded paper, which I set aside for Noli. There¡¯s also rolled up scrolls and what might be maps tied shut with string, but without knowing their contents I decide not to take them. Only a couple spaces left in my inventory, and I¡¯d rather snag some more magic books than half a dozen potentially useless topographical maps of forests and mountains. Maybe Noli will know what¡¯s useful to take.

    A flicker of movement catches my attention as I emerge from the scrolls, and I notice Noli trying to signal me from a couple rows up.

    ¡°Found something,¡± she signs, waving around some stubby black sticks. ¡°Don¡¯t have enough arms to carry them while I climb down, though. Catch!¡±

    Noli, what, no¡ª

    I sidestep the lethal projectiles and let them clatter to the ground beside me. One of the sticks snaps in half and rolls up to my foot. I nudge it, and it leaves a black smudge on my glass. There are black marks where they hit the ground, too. Oh. Some kind of charcoal?

    ¡°Sorry!¡± Noli rushes over to me after she makes it down the shelves. ¡°Forgot how fragile you are. Right. No more throwing things at you.¡±

    How kind. But hey, at least we¡¯ve got what we came here for. Noli gathers up the sticks of charcoal as I retrieve the crumpled papers. Finding a remote corner of the storeroom and smoothing out the pages, we get to work.

    ¡°What should we start with?¡± Noli asks.

    Given my struggle initiating communication with Noli the first time, this is one area in which I have something of an expertise.

    I point out parts of the paper where I want her to start writing. ¡°Yes. No. Help. Wait¡­¡± I pause as I go, waiting for Noli to painstakingly draw out the words. Some are longer in her written language than they are in English or Signs, so Noli makes substitutions where she thinks it¡¯s necessary. She also messes up the first couple of times and has to start over; even if she claims she¡¯s gotten pretty good with this body, it¡¯s clear that dexterity is still difficult for her. I can relate.

    It takes about ten minutes to fill up the page with a dozen important words and phrases. As she reaches the end, Noli steps back to admire her penmanship.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± I sign. This is a great start. And it should be a huge step toward getting us some help. I gesture to the other blank paper that¡¯s left. ¡°You write to Rez?¡±

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t mind, would you?¡± Noli asks. ¡°I know we¡¯re in a hurry and all, but she must be worried to death about me. And once I figure out the name of this town, we can tell her where we are.¡±

    ¡°You write. I¡¯ll look,¡± I sign. This is a map shop, after all. There¡¯s got to be some indication of where we are. Might as well be multitasking anyway, and if Noli¡¯s previous writing speed was any indication, we¡¯ll be here a while.

    ¡°Really? Oh, thank you, Kanin!¡± It looks like Noli is about to go in for a hug, then thinks better of it. She gingerly pats one of my pieces of glass instead.

    As I add the communication cheat-sheet to my inventory, Noli turns back to her blank page, wringing the giant charcoal stick between her limbs as she stares at the empty letter. I feel a faint pang of sympathy. What must her wife be thinking right now? Does she think Noli is dead?

    As I wander through the room, looking for ideas, my mind drifts back to Earth and the people I left behind. I haven¡¯t really given myself a chance to think about them much before now.

    How much time has passed back there? Has it been a week, like it has here? Or are the timelines completely separate from each other, given the worlds are divided by the Between, a place where time doesn¡¯t even seem to exist?

    I think about my dad. We haven¡¯t talked in years; acting wasn¡¯t exactly his first career pick for me. Would he care that I¡¯m missing? Or dead, I guess, assuming any time has passed over there. I have friends who would care. Li from Wardrobe, and Harold from Sound, and Jenisha from Make-Up and¡­ I mean, I definitely also have friends outside of work! Like, Stevo. Okay, more of an ex, but he¡¯d probably still care, right? And there¡¯s Imani, of course. We were best friends in college. And we just caught up last¡­

    Jesus. How long has it been since I¡¯ve hung out with any of my friends off-stage? No, that¡¯s beside the point. Surely, there has to be someone out there who¡¯s worrying about me as much as Noli¡¯s wife is worrying about her¡­ right?

    With my current line of thought taking a depressing turn, I force my attention back on the task at hand. Maps. Village. Where we are.

    Unfortunately, short of snipping the string on all these scrolls and unfurling everything within reach, I don¡¯t have much to go on. That is an option, of course, but I don¡¯t have much faith in my ability to roll everything back up again, which would leave very obvious evidence of hideaways for our shopkeep friend.

    I¡¯m near the door to the front of the shop¡ªactually, only inches away from it¡ªwhen it swings open once more. In a panic, I brace my signing glass against the door as it sweeps toward the wall, pushing me along with it. The owner steps into the room once more, but I¡¯m more preoccupied with the wall that¡¯s rushing toward me. I try to scramble out of the way, but my feet slip over the ground, and there¡¯s not enough time¡ª

    Until the door slows to a stop, a handspan from the wall, sparing me death by trash-compactor. Slowly, the door begins to swing back into the closed position once more. But if it does, then I¡¯ll be left out in the open. Nowhere close enough to hide behind if the shopkeep turns back around and looks. I have to think fast¡ªrun toward the map maker and hope I can dive into a shelf before they turn around, or¡­

    Taking a chance, I skirt around the open door and into the front half of the shop. The floor rattles as the door shuts behind me, and then I¡¯m alone in Attiru¡¯s Atlas Emporium.

 Chapter 18 - Atlas Emporium

    The shop is surprisingly clean and modern¡ªnot at all the medieval setting I was expecting¡ªand for a moment it feels like I¡¯m back on Earth, having walked into some kind of antique bookshop. Bookshelves line the walls, stuffed with scrolls and loose papers of every shape imaginable. There are some maps framed on open spaces of wall, and even a glass case in the middle of the room containing some wares I can¡¯t make out from my angle. To my left is a counter, beneath which appear to be ledgers and something approximating an abacus, while to my right is some sort of work desk where a lamp is burning and rolls of unfurled paper are scattered over the surface. The front of the store is mostly windows, where dawn light has begun to filter in.

    The floor shakes with approaching footsteps, and I dart to the left, out of the meager firelight. The owner steps back into the room, depositing more materials and tools onto their workbench with a sigh. As they organize the tabletop, I hoist myself up into the area beneath the front counter and out of sight.

    Whew. Close call. Maybe I can follow them back into the storeroom next time they return for more supplies¡ªassuming they¡¯ll be heading back there again. I¡¯ll just have to hope so if I want to get Noli out of there.

    In the meantime, I¡¯m pretty much stuck here. Looking around my surroundings, I find that there¡¯s two shelves beneath the countertop, of which I¡¯m on the lower one. The upper shelf has the math-looking tools I¡¯d seen before and what appear to be some stacks of coins. Down here it¡¯s mostly papers.

    I look over the open-faced book I¡¯m currently standing on. Some kind of sales docket, maybe. There¡¯s a list of sold items, payments, receiving parties. I quickly lose interest, cautiously (and quietly) picking my way along the shelf.

    Over here¡¯s a stack of opened letters, unsurprisingly addressed to Attiru¡¯s Atlas Emporium. I wonder if there¡¯s any kind of mail carrier service similar to Earth, or if these all travel by those dragon-pigeons Noli pointed out. Can Noli and I just ship ourselves to the nearest city? Think we¡¯re light enough to be carried by wyvern? I mentally chuckle at the idea of adding a ¡°Fragile Cargo¡± stamp to the box.

    I¡¯m about to leave the letters behind when I happen to glance at who it¡¯s addressed to. But not just who. Where.

    Attiru¡¯s Atlas Emporium

    Peakshadow

    Valenia North

    I flip through the next couple of letters just to be sure, and they¡¯re all addressed the same. That¡¯s it! Peakshadow must be this town¡¯s name. Or, maybe Valenia North. Either way, I¡¯ve finally got a name for where we¡¯re at, so I¡¯m declaring this a win!

    Despite its exceptionally dry content, I return to the sales docket. Now some of the lines are making a bit more sense. There are delivery addresses that just contain names of individuals or companies, while others seem to have an address and city attached. Peakshadow is notably absent from the list. Maybe they don¡¯t add the city name to deliveries that are already in town. So these other places¡ªHarrowood, Crimpool, River Cross¡ªmust be nearby cities. At least, I¡¯m hoping they¡¯re near. Harrowood comes up quite a bit, so presumably it does more business than the others, and hopefully that means it¡¯s also bigger. A bigger city means more opportunities to find a wizard who can help us.

    I skim the list of recipients and what they purchased. Most of it¡¯s what you¡¯d expect: regional and topographical maps. But there¡¯s some more unique entries as well, like ¡°Griffin Migration Patterns¡± or ¡°Hydra Territories.¡± One in particular catches my eye: a ¡°Magical Ruins of North Valenia¡± map, sold to a business called Cloud¡¯s Arcane Artifacts. Arcane! That sounds wizardy.

    Out of curiosity, I turn the page. The paper crinkles slightly as it flips over, and I cringe at the slight sound, freezing as I wait for the owner to react. No alarms are raised, however. Not willing to poke my head out and see if they¡¯re looking my way, I cautiously keep reading.

    This Cloud shop keeps coming up, and all their purchases seem magic related. Even if the owner isn¡¯t a wizard, they clearly have some serious interest in the subject. It¡¯s probably a leap, hoping they can remove our spells, but at least maybe they¡¯ll understand something about it. Maybe, if we make it to Harrowood, they¡¯ll be able to help.

    Well, it¡¯s as good a lead as any. As soon as I can figure out where Harrowood even is.

    Now I just need a map.

    One would think this would be easy, given I¡¯m trapped in a map shop, but the presence of Attiru¡ªI confirm my new friend is in fact Attiru with a quick Check¡ªcomplicates this venture somewhat. After finishing a search of the underside of the counter, I conclude all the maps are on the walls and in display cases. I¡¯m out of options here. With nothing else to do, I carefully check up on the shopkeep.

    Attiru is still hard at work. Glasses pushed up their nose and quill in hand, their tongue barely pokes out the corner of their mouth as they squint at something on their desk. The very picture of an enrapt scholar¡ªif typical scholars had red skin, horns curling out of their hair, and glowing yellow eyes. Perhaps they¡¯re working on another map. While they¡¯re here, however, there¡¯ll be no way for me to get close enough to find out.

    Unless¡­ I could try out my cheat sheet. Maybe they¡¯ll listen to me if I start with ¡°HELP! DON¡¯T KILL ME!¡± Of course, if they don¡¯t, this room doesn¡¯t leave a lot of options for tactical retreats.

    A loud crash shudders from the backroom. Attiru jumps, spinning around to face the door.

    ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± they call, holding their quill before them like a dagger. After a moment of silence, they grit their teeth, then jump from their chair and plunge through the door.

    Now¡¯s my chance. I clamber down from the back counter and head toward the front of the shop. I¡¯m nearly in front of Attiru¡¯s work desk¡ªand hopefully out of their line of sight when they get back¡ªwhen something darts out of the back room. I flinch, raising my glass in what little protection it can provide, but¡ª

    ¡°Noli,¡± I sign with relief.

    Noli spares no signs back as she hurries over to me, her letter to Rezira flapping behind her like a cape as she dives behind the desk as well. ¡°Thought we could use a distraction. Didn¡¯t mean to knock a whole shelf over, but¡ª¡±

    A muffled ¡°Fuck!¡± drifts from the backroom.

    ¡°It¡¯s probably fine,¡± Noli signs. ¡°Probably not too much is actually broken. It was mostly just papers and binding supplies anyway. And I can reimburse them when all this nonsense gets sorted out.¡±

    ¡®Nonsense¡¯ is such a Noli way to phrase our predicament. But at least she¡¯s on the same page about ¡°Flee now, seek reparations later.¡±

    ¡°I know the name. Town name,¡± I sign, looking for cover as loud thumping noises and muting cursing rings from the back room.

    ¡°Really? That¡¯s awesome! Great job,¡± Noli signs. We tuck ourselves beneath Attiru¡¯s work desk, and Noli sneaks her letter between a bookshelf and the wall to be a little less obvious. ¡°So what¡¯s it called?¡±

    I pause, realizing a moment too late I don¡¯t actually know how to sign the town¡¯s name.

    ¡°I can¡¯t spell,¡± I admit, faintly embarrassed.

    ¡°Oh right,¡± Noli signs. ¡°We still need to work on your letters. But a lot of towns have unique signs anyway, like with names, so¡ªnever mind, I can go over some later. But you can read the name, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± I sign.

    Noli shakes her head. ¡°One of these days you¡¯re going to need to explain to me how you can read but not write or talk.¡± That¡¯s fair. ¡°Anyway, can you point it out on a map?¡±If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

    ¡°Yes!¡± Great idea. And it kills two birds with one stone; hopefully we¡¯ll be able to figure out if those other towns that this shop delivers to are nearby.

    ¡°Okay, be right back,¡± Noli signs.

    ¡°Wait!¡± I sign after her. Attiru could show up any minute. But Noli¡¯s already gone, skittering up the chair like an insect.

    No wonder those people thought she was a spider.

    Noli disappears over the top of the desk, and I shift nervously from foot to foot, straining to catch sight of her. Hurry, hurry, hurry! We¡¯d managed to shake our pursuers last time in the forest, but we don¡¯t exactly have bushes and trees to hide behind in this book shop.

    Noli reappears at the edge of the desk, looking down at me. ¡°Find cover!¡± she signs.

    ¡°What?¡± But she¡¯s already vanished again. Why?

    My question is immediately answered in a cascade of falling scrolls. I scramble back underneath the desk as they bounce to the ground around me with hollow thumping sounds, thankfully quieter than I would have expected. I roll a couple of them over, trying to see what had made her pick these ones out. There are some initials at the edge of the rolled up papers: GV, VN, VS, VW, and VE, but they don¡¯t mean anything to me.

    Noli¡¯s back on the ground next to me half a minute later. ¡°Looks like they¡¯re transcribing some regional maps up there, which is lucky for us. These should be a good place to start.¡±

    I¡¯m all for cracking them open and taking a look, but now and here seems hardly the time or place. ¡°Hide first,¡± I suggest. But Noli¡¯s already struggling to untie the twine around one of them.

    ¡°Just a sec,¡± she signs. It¡¯s the roll that¡¯s labeled VE. ¡°I just want to see¡­¡±

    There¡¯s still clattering and banging going on in the back room. Alright fine, just this one, then we really need to skedaddle. I push Noli¡¯s fingerless limbs away from the knot, and slip one of my glass shards beneath the twine instead, snipping it open.

    ¡°Ah, thanks!¡± Noli begins to unfurl the map. I plant myself on one end as she kicks the unrolling map ahead of her, stretching it out.

    Stabbing a couple pieces of glass in each corner¡ª[Range limit,] Echo warns¡ªI¡¯m able to reorient myself for a better look.

    Valenia East, the map is labeled. On the surface, it seems like your standard map. Mountains run along the northern edge, while forests take up a majority of the land, and the land turns to sea along the right border. Cities are sprinkled throughout, although¡­

    Everything is moving. Just the slightest amount, in the subtlest of ways. Trees sway in an unseen wind. The water sparkles as it catches the sunlight. Even the mountains have tiny dots circling the peaks here and there, and roads draw themselves between the cities even as I watch.

    ¡°Here,¡± Noli signs, pointing out a coastal city to the east. ¡°Miasmere. This is where I was headed to. And here¡­¡± She taps on another town, this one toward the south end of the map, in a forest. ¡°...here is Bluevine. It¡¯s not much, but it¡¯s home.¡±

    The town lights up as Noli touches it, and the map abruptly zooms in, a layout of Bluevine filling the whole sheet. She¡¯s right, it doesn¡¯t seem like much: more of a rural farming community than a real city. Not exactly where I would have expected an elf to live, if I¡¯m being honest, but what do I know about this world.

    ¡°Oops!¡± Noli dismisses it, and the map zooms back out to a full view of Valenia East. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you live anywhere around here, either?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± I sign, making the understatement of a century. I haven¡¯t even had a chance to tell her about Earth yet, and how the hell I¡¯m going to break that news, I can¡¯t even imagine.

    ¡°Ah well,¡± Noli signs. ¡°What about what town we¡¯re in?¡±

    That one, I can say something about. Taking a stab at the naming conventions, I tap the scroll with VN on it.

    ¡°Really?¡± she asks. ¡°Interesting. Alright, then we¡¯ll be needing that one, too.¡± She points to the GV roll. ¡°Let¡¯s get these things rolled out.¡±

    Once again Noli struggles with the ties, but I hesitate before snipping open these two. I already feel like we¡¯re pressing our luck.

    I tap Noli to get her attention. ¡°Let¡¯s go first. Not safe here.¡±

    Noli hesitates. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want to steal anything.¡±

    That¡¯s rich coming from someone who just destroyed the back room. But I¡¯d at least rather do this somewhere Attiru won¡¯t see us upon stepping back into the room.

    ¡°Okay. There.¡± I gesture toward the front of the shop. At least let¡¯s get a display case between us.

    Noli begins rolling the map labeled VN over to where I¡¯d pointed, and I quickly add GV to my inventory before following her. I leave the other maps behind: If Attiru comes back into the room and stops to look at them first, maybe it¡¯ll buy us a few extra seconds to hide.

    We get VN unrolled first. Valenia North. The top half of the region is mostly mountains, with the range curving down the right coast as well. There are cities sprinkled along the less mountainous region, though there are one or two other remote towns in the north as well. There¡¯s Harrowood, about in the middle, just an inch out of the craggy peaks. And right along the border¡­

    There! I tap excitedly on Peakshadow. ¡°Us.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Noli asks. ¡°That¡¯s really where we are?¡±

    I mean, sure is a strong word, but it¡¯s about all we¡¯ve got to work with. ¡°Yes. Us.¡±

    ¡°Peakshadow,¡± Noli considers. But she doesn¡¯t seem as excited as I would have expected. ¡°Help me roll out the regional map next.¡±

    Assuming she means GV, I summon the map from my inventory and get it rolled out as well, revealing a large, twisting continent. This one is titled Greater Valenia, and it takes me a moment to mentally resize and fit the other two maps I¡¯d seen over the top of this one.

    Oh. I see why Noli¡¯s so subdued.

    She taps the top of the map, where Peakshadow should be, though it doesn¡¯t show up on this one. Then she traces a limb all the way down the east coast until it reaches another unmarked spot. Where Bluevine would be.

    They¡¯re half a continent away from each other.

    ¡°Of course,¡± Noli weakly signs, ¡°There¡¯s always the telepads. It¡¯s not really so far.¡±

    But it¡¯s far enough that help won¡¯t be coming for us anytime soon. If Noli sends her letter, how long will it take for one of those lizard birds to get there? Not to mention, how long will it take for Rezira to get here?

    I rest a piece of glass on her arm in what I hope is a reassuring gesture. There¡¯s still hope. We still have options. I shuffle back over to the Valenia North map and gesture for Noli to follow. I tap on Harrowood.

    ¡°What about it?¡± Noli asks. ¡°That¡¯s not where we are, right?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± I agree. But it¡¯s the next place we should go. I stick a piece of glass each in Harrowood and Peakshadow. ¡°How far?¡±

    Noli finds a scale at the edge of the map. ¡°Between Harrowood and Peakshadow? Looks like¡­ maybe 25 leagues.¡±

    That means literally nothing to me. ¡°How long?¡± I try again.

    Noli draws some nonsensical shapes in the air with one of her limbs, maybe doing some mental math. ¡°It would take about two days on foot, assuming the roads are good,¡± she signs. ¡°But for our size¡­¡±

    More like two weeks, which will take up the rest of our timer. Maybe we can make it in time, but I don¡¯t like the idea of cutting it so close.

    ¡°Why?¡± Noli asks. ¡°You think we should go there next?¡±

    ¡°Maybe,¡± I sign. ¡°Help with spell.¡±

    Noli examines the map. ¡°I haven¡¯t heard of Harrowood before. Although to be fair I¡¯m not familiar with most of the northern cities. It does look a bit bigger on this map.¡± She moves back to the continental map. ¡°And it shows up here when Bluevine and Peakshadow are too small.¡± Her signs perk up a little. ¡°I suppose it¡¯s worth a shot. Yeah. Actually, it seems like it¡¯s the nearest town to where we are now, and it¡¯s probably big enough to have a telepad. You¡¯re right. This might be our best bet.¡±

    Finally, a plan. I don¡¯t know how I¡¯ll tell her about Cloud¡¯s Arcane Artifacts, which may or may not have a wizard who can help, but they might be irrelevant to our plan anyway. Once we find a big city, someone there will have to be able to help us. And hey, maybe we won¡¯t have to walk the whole way. There¡¯s got to be some merchants heading out in that direction. If we play our cards right, we might be able to hitch a ride.

    Something like excitement¡ªno, that¡¯s too strong a word¡ªsomething like relief ebbs through me. We have a destination, we have a way to communicate, and we have a plan. That¡¯s the most we¡¯ve had yet.

    The door to the back room swings open, and Attiru stomps in with a string of curses. Noli jumps, pressing herself against the display case. We¡¯re out of sight from the shop owner for now, but all it will take is two steps toward the front of the store for us to be discovered. Better hide the evidence.

    I lean down to touch my vial to the paper. Echo, add these two maps to my inventory.

    [Affirmative,] Echo says. [Adding maps to¡ª]

    If Echo finished her sentence, I can¡¯t say, because for a moment everything vanishes behind a flash of lightning that sears straight through my soul. I stumble into the display case and lean heavily against it, trying to gather my wits against the surprise and stabbing, ethereal pain.

    ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± Attiru calls.

    ¡°Kanin?¡± Noli signs, clearly concerned. ¡°Kanin, what¡¯s wrong?¡±

    The ache is only getting worse. It¡¯s like a splitting headache. Like a building pressure, trying to crack me open. In fact, as I struggle to push myself back to my feet, I realize there is a crack. A white jagged line runs across the top of my vision. And even as I watch, a bead of ink drips out of me.

    And it falls to the ceiling.

    Something beneath the veneer of reality begins to stretch. An eerily familiar sensation of brokenness, of timelessness, of absolute dark, seeps into the world, and I am incapacitated with complete, all-consuming fear.

    More drops of black seep from the crack and fall against gravity, joining the first on the ceiling. The slow stream of raindrops feed more steadily into an inverted pool of black.

    ¡°Oh, oh Kanin.¡± Noli takes a hesitant step back. ¡°Your ink¡­¡±

    Echo? I call, pushing through my mounting horror. Echo, what¡¯s happening?

    [Check,] she replies, nonplussed as she begins reading out my stats.

    [Name: Kanin]

    [Species: N/A]

    [Class: Wizard]

    [Level: 3]

    [HP: 5/10]

    [Bonus HP: 21]

    [Mana: 23/23]

    With every line, the dread in me grows deeper. By the time she approaches the end, I already know what she¡¯s going to say.

    [Void: 100%]

    And the room is filled with hunger.

 Chapter 19 - The Void

    I shove Noli away. ¡°Run. Run!¡±

    The ground thumps as the shopkeep rounds the corner. ¡°I swear, if it¡¯s you kids again¡­¡± They stop, sucking in a breath. ¡°What in Relona¡¯s Realm¡­?¡±

    But I¡¯m barely paying attention to them, because I can feel the predator pulling itself from Between. I can feel reality tearing as easily as paper, the black spot on the ceiling becoming a crack, then a crevice, then a yawning, black maw that swallows all the room¡¯s light. The shopkeep lets out a strangled cry, stumbling backward, but I¡¯m rooted in place as the predator lets loose a triumphant scream, all its malice and hunger crashing through me. The feelings are so strong I¡¯m swept up in its tide, helpless to fight back as the waves of emotions smash me against the rocks, leaving me dazed.

    ¡°Kanin!¡± Noli grabs my glass. Her touch brings me back, and I struggle to shake off the petrifying horror of this moment. ¡°We have to get out of here!¡±

    No, no, she doesn¡¯t understand. I can¡¯t run from it. It¡¯s me; I¡¯m the crack in reality. That thing is coming through me.

    But she could run. She can still get away. ¡°Run,¡± I repeat, my glass feeling stuffy and numb. I stumble away from Noli. The darkness on the ceiling drops into the room, rearing up in a shifting pillar of shadows, or ink, or nothingness. It¡¯s silent, but its presence is so loud, its instincts and emotions and desires¡ªI can hardly hear my own thoughts over the roar of the predator¡¯s hunger.

    Noli. I have to warn her.

    ¡°In me, the predator,¡± I start to sign, but it¡¯s like I called out its name, because its attention snaps around me like a vice. I freeze, unable to move or think around the icy fear that grips me. Its recognition and distaste pound against my mind as I desperately try to hold on. God, it¡¯s so strong.

    And I¡¯m scared. I¡¯m so fucking scared.

    It¡¯s with the smallest effort that it flicks me aside, like a child tossing away a wrapper. Agony lances through my soul at the dismissal, and I¡¯m sent spiraling into the dark.

    The shop is gone. My glass is gone. Sight and sound and touch, vacant. The predator, though¡ªthe predator I can still feel, painfully near, but now its overwhelming presence is distant enough that I can take a moment to try to catch my metaphorical breath.

    It¡¯s thrown me Between.

    My mind reels, finally able to start processing everything.

    Between. The predator. My ink.

    The first time this happened back in Trenevalt¡¯s cabin, he hadn¡¯t actually summoned the predator, had he? It was me. That Void stat¡ªsomehow, that was what was causing all this. The fact that Trenevalt had been performing a spell when the predator appeared had been a coincidence¡ªit was my fault. It was me. He died because of me.

    And now it¡¯s happening all over again.

    Echo, I call. I need help.

    But I¡¯m met only with silence. Alone.

    I try not to panic. How had I gotten back before? I¡¯d followed the sensations. I¡¯d found my tether to reality. I try to find it again now, reaching for something¡ªanything¡ªthat is different from the empty, endless nothing that surrounds me.

    And instead of finding one path back, I find two.

    The first one is familiar. When I grab hold, it brings to mind stability, and fractals, and glass. It¡¯s the spell that¡¯s tying me back to my body. It¡¯s quiet. Comforting. But the other¡­

    This thread is twisted and dark, and without even reaching for it, echoes of the predator¡¯s mind resonate down the string and into me. The swirling combination of elation and malice make me feel ill. I never want to know what sort of terrible things brings happiness to a creature like this, but it makes me all the more anxious to get back. I can¡¯t let it hurt Noli. And the shopkeep and everyone else in town. This isn¡¯t like Trenevalt¡¯s cabin, remote and removed from the world. This has the potential to be much, much worse.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    It all started the first time I ended up Between, didn¡¯t it? When I met Noli, the two of us caught in Trenevalt¡¯s spell. That was when the predator had first appeared¡ªand when it stabbed me, was that when this extra tether was formed? Once I fell back into reality, it was easy to brush off the encounter as a narrow escape. But I never escaped it. I¡¯ve been pulling it along like a kite on a string this whole time.

    Which means it¡¯s up to me to fix this. That¡¯s what heroes do, right?

    Shying away from the predator¡¯s thread, I find the tether that anchors me to my glass body, and I pull myself along its path. It¡¯s like pressing through mud; at first, reality is slow to reach me, sights and sounds and sensations still frustratingly distant. But the more I clamber my way back into the world, the easier it gets.

    Sound comes to me first: panicked screams and crashing glass. No, I can¡¯t be too late. I have to do something! Slowly, colors and shapes also begin to form, and I can see the map shop, far away, as if I¡¯m looking down on it from above.

    And as reality starts to sharpen into focus, so does the predator¡¯s mind.

    It¡¯s overpowering. Its sadistic glee bursts across me as if there¡¯s no barrier between our minds at all. I have to struggle to hold onto my own thoughts, remind myself of my own fear and determination, and how I have to hurry, I have to get back¡ª

    I crash back down into my glass body once more, reality screaming into focus around me. I¡¯m in the shop, but everything is chaos. Black ichor drips from the walls. The shopkeep is nowhere to be seen. The windows are blown out, glass and paper scattered everywhere, and outside there¡¯s cries of alarm. Noli! Where¡¯s Noli¡ª

    I have half a second to take all this in before the predator rounds on me.

    Like a column of rippling ink, the predator curls down to look at me. Its thoughts are louder, almost a physical pressure crushing me into the ground. Puzzlement, curiosity, contempt. It wasn¡¯t expecting me to come back. It¡¯s irritated.

    I hold onto that small nugget of encouragement¡ªthe knowledge that even like this I can provoke it¡ªand use that to fuel my courage. Time to channel Jack Stone, cryptid hunter, and vanquish this monster once and for all. I push myself to my feet and activate the Bond Trace spell.

    And the magical tether jumps into grim clarity.

    Before I¡¯d only been able to see the tether that tied my soul to my glass body. That second string that seemed to have vanished into thin air¡ªthat I¡¯d thought was the broken bond to my human body¡ªis now clear as day, drawing a line between myself and the predator. Connecting us. Connecting our minds and magic.

    It must sense what I¡¯m planning next, because it flares with anger.

    I activate the Sever Bond spell.

    And Echo says, [Insufficient mana.]

    Oh, fuck.

    The void collapses onto me. Everything goes black, and I lose all sense of direction as if I¡¯m being flipped end-over-end. But this isn¡¯t the Between. I can still feel my body. I¡¯m still here.

    Though being swallowed up by the predator is hardly an improvement.

    I try not to panic. It can¡¯t kill me. I saw the bond with my own eyes¡ªit¡¯s tied to me, and I¡¯m tied to the glass. If it wants to stay in the real world, it can¡¯t destroy me or my vessel. It needs us.

    This reassurance is short-lived as something tightens around my glass, scratching over its surface. Like claws trying to find purchase and pry me open.

    And to my horror, I feel my glass begin to creak.

    [1 point of Crushing damage sustained.]

    I flail, desperately trying to dislodge its fangs. In my mind, I¡¯m screaming. I can feel its essence prying open the crack in my glass. Forcing black drops of ichor between the gap. And at the first drip¡ª

    The predator explodes into my mind. Or I¡¯ve fallen into its. It¡¯s a maelstrom of fury, of triumph, of hunger. It¡¯s ravenous. Starving. It aches with how hungry it is. And each of these feelings smash into me, sweeping away all my other thoughts. Smothering my fear. The predator rips at my soul, stripping away bits of my sense of self with each battering swell¡ª

    No! No. I clutch at my terror. I grasp my defiance. I pull tighter in on myself, gathering every thought and feeling and memory I can scrape together, trying to insulate myself from the void¡¯s broiling sea.

    It¡¯s like the first time I went Between all over again. A fishbowl in an ocean. But this time, the ocean is trying to drag me down.

    And I can¡¯t breathe. I can¡¯t breathe.

    The predator presses around me, sheering away my defenses. Contempt and greed pound against me like a storm. It¡¯s so loud. So powerful. I buckle beneath its pressure.

    My walls collapse, and the void rushes in. It extinguishes my defiance. It smothers my fear. It squeezes even tighter, until I can¡¯t think, I can¡¯t feel, I¡¯m just¡ª

    ¡ªI¡¯m drowning¡ª

    No, I have to do something, it can¡¯t end like this, I have to fight back¡ª

    But I can¡¯t breathe.

    I¡¯m suffocating.

    It¡¯s¡ª

    I¡¯m¡ª

    please

    I¡ª

    We open our eyes, turning our attention back to the outside world. A tiny, lifeless glass vial sits on the ground before us. Our anchor to reality. We pluck it from the floor to hide within our shadows, and our maw splits into a grin.

 Chapter 20 - We

    The hunger is devouring us. It eats us from the inside, maddeningly incessant, and we drag our claws through our surroundings, desperate for relief. Irritating high-pitched sounds rake at our ears. We wish it would stop¡ªwe can make it stop¡ªbut when we turn our attention to the source, we notice a distinct glow in its chest. Our mouth waters.

    Food.

    The room we¡¯re in is tiny, cramped, so when we dart out the door, it shatters from its frame. We shake off the splinters. There¡¯s more noise out here. Screams¡ªyes. More screams. It¡¯s irritating, but inconsequential, because our prey is fleeing.

    A thrill runs through us. A chase¡ªwe love a chase. Usually. But we¡¯re so weak, right now, and tired, and hungry. We can play with our prey later. First, we need to feed.

    We jump, snapping through the air like a black bolt of lightning, covering half the block in an instant. We crash down on our prey, snarling with triumph. Easy. So easy.

    Something dark and wet is spreading across the ground where we¡¯ve pinned one of their limbs. It smells sharp and warm. We crane our head toward it.

    Blood. Right, we remember blood. The one before had so much blood. We hadn¡¯t had time to play with him, then, either. Maybe today we can. But first, the meal.

    Their soul glows bright, so bright, beneath their ribcage. We don¡¯t understand why it¡¯s tucked away in there, when it¡¯s so easy to peel back the layers. We reach toward our prize, savoring its quivering, fragile light.

    Something hits us on our side. Not hard. Barely a tap. But it¡¯s curious. Why? Doesn¡¯t it know what we are? Doesn¡¯t it know not to interrupt a meal?

    At first, we don¡¯t see it. It¡¯s not another creature, but a small, pitiful object. A¡ªa toy, the word comes to us.

    It throws another pebble.

    We laugh. How simple. How stupid! This insignificant bug wants to fight? Alright. We will indulge.

    We spear it with one of our shadows.

    The thing convulses, waving its limbs frantically, trying to grab at the nothing of our essence, as we lift it into the air. How funny! It looks so pathetic, still trying to fight. Why does prey never understand when it¡¯s about to die?

    We are about to tear it in half when we notice the sliver of light shining from inside it. Oh! This one has a soul. Good. We will need many more. We curl our essence around the soul, starting to¡ª

    No! We can¡¯t, not Noli, please, we have to leave her alone, we¡ª

    We hiss, snuffing the thought from our mind. The creature in our grasp has gone limp. Its soul is still in our grasp. We tighten our grip, tasting the first licks of the power we crave.

    But something has soured our appetite. The idea of eating it is distasteful. It is so small, anyway. Barely a snack.

    We toss the thing away, where it cracks into the side of a building and crumples to the ground. Desiring something more filling, we turn back to our other prey.

    But it¡¯s gone! Fury boils up within us as we swing our head from side to side, searching for where it¡¯s run.

    There¡¯s more prey about. More screams. We see the one we had captured, others helping it away, trailing ichor¡ªno, blood¡ªfrom its wound. We sneer at the attempt. Good. In its pain, it¡¯s called more of its kind.

    We¡¯re in for a feast.

    We charge the injured one first¡ªan easy mark. The ones surrounding it freeze, bracing for impact¡ª

    A blow crashes into us from behind and we fly over our prey¡¯s head, slamming into the ground beyond and skidding across the road, leaving a streak of black ichor in our wake. Concern briefly ripples through us, and we quickly check our anchor¡ªundamaged. Good. We tuck it back safely within our shadows. Then anger ignites within us. Indignation. Seething, we spin to face our attacker.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

    Four beings confront us. A tiny, insignificant part of us recognizes them: the adventurers from the forest. Irrelevant. We will devour them regardless.

    The largest one charges first¡ªclumsy and slow. We weave around its attack, stabbing it with spears of black in its back and side. Before it even hits the ground, we are upon the rest of the party, fangs bared.

    The first to react dodges back¡ªa smart move as we swing a blade of void before us, slicing through the other two. They go down, as the last one screams for their companions. This time the sound is more satisfying than grating. Even so, we cut it off with one final move, a spear of ink stabbing through their¡ª

    Stop! This isn¡¯t right, we can¡¯t, we¡ª

    ¡ªstabbing through their chest. Stuttering only a moment, we yank our limb back, drawing with it the freshly harvested soul. The body collapses as the soul leaves its vessel. We wish to marvel at it, to savor its warmth and fragility. But we cannot allow for any more opportunities to hesitate. In one swift move, we crush it between our teeth.

    Its power floods through us, filling us with euphoria and satisfaction¡ªdismay and horror¡ªas we absorb the life force into our essence. The ecstasy is indescribable, all cares abated, the hunger banished. But it is only temporary. The craving begins to creep back in once more.

    Another. We need another.

    No. Please. No more.

    We turn to one of the fallen companions, who is not dead¡ªno, that wouldn¡¯t do for us at all¡ªbut has conveniently decided to only crawl a few spans away. We stalk after them, gleefully spearing one of their legs to reel them back in. They squirm and scream like an animal. This amuses us. Maybe this soul we can savor.

    Our mouth waters in anticipation.

    We feel sick.

    We reach for the glowing star in our prey¡¯s chest.

    Victim. They¡¯re our victim.

    We press the tip of our blade above their soul, ready to plunge it down.

    And hesitate. Our blade quivers. We want to¡ªno, we don¡¯t, we don¡¯t want this, we have to stop¡ªkill them. We want to crush their soul in our jaws. We want to savor that brief, sweet relief from starvation, to sate this never-ending hunger, to stuff ourselves until the craving is buried beneath gorged satisfaction.

    We stab into our prey¡¯s chest, ripping their soul from their body.

    No! No no no no no¡ª

    Our heart breaks as we consume our second soul, and we¡¯re sorry, we¡¯re so sorry, we¡¯re trying, but we can¡¯t stop it. We¡¯re too powerful.

    The thought fills us with pride as the warmth of the soul spreads through our void. The second is just as delicious as the first.

    Now for the next o¡ª

    Something strikes us in the side, and we are slammed into the street, splashing along it like a smashed fruit. We nearly drop our anchor as it crunches against the gravel, and a distant, strange voice rings through our mind.

    [4 points of Fall damage sustained.]

    Echo. That¡¯s Echo.

    We start to engulf the anchor within our void once more, but our attacker doesn¡¯t give us a chance. Another blow swings down on top of us, smashing through our shadows and the street beneath it, splattering our essence away. The anchor slips from our grasp.

    Now, now, now¡¯s our chance!

    We howl in anger as a fraction of our mind pulls away, but we still have the prey to deal with. It¡¯s screaming and frothing as it slashes at us with an ax, blood dripping from its wounds and splattering about with each wild swing. The first and largest companion of the other two creatures we devoured. We thought we¡¯d dealt with this one already. No matter. Despite its strength, its movements are slow and uncontrolled, and its soul glows brightly in its chest, an easy target for¡ª

    Attune. Attune!

    [Activating Attunement with Void.]

    A numbing heat spreads through us like poison. We recoil as the sensation crawls through us, searing tendrils infecting our essence wherever it spreads. We feel a surge of hope¡ªa wave of uncertainty. What is this? But we already know. It¡¯s for controlling magic. Controlling us.

    But it¡¯s not nearly powerful enough. It¡¯s a cup of water against a wildfire, a candle against winter.

    Yet it¡¯s enough to make us hesitate. And as our prey launches itself at us once more, it¡¯s enough distraction for our hold to slip¡ª

    And the Between yawns open behind us. It draws us in like a whirlpool. Our claws are torn from the fabric of reality. Angrily we try to regain purchase, snatching at the anchor, but now that we¡¯ve lost our hold, we don¡¯t have enough power to sustain our presence here. More souls. We need more souls.

    And we try to pull ourself away. We fight, we fight so hard, even as we feel ourself being dragged back Between with it¡ªwith us¡ªwith the predator¡ª

    A final burst of fury explodes through us as we realize we can¡¯t hold us together any longer, as our soul is slipping through our fingers, our warmth, our power, we don¡¯t want to let it go¡ª

    Fucker, that soul is mine.

    And we scream as we rip ourselves apart, as most of us succumbs to the Between while a small part of us¡ª

    Collapses back into my body, light and sound and sensation all painfully, painfully real. Oh god. Oh fuck. Oh my fucking shit fuck¡ªI¡¯m me. I¡¯m me again.

    But every part of me aches, like I¡¯ve been shredded apart and stitched back together, like I could blow apart at the slightest breeze.

    Slowly, the shadows evaporate from the street.

    And I¡¯m left there alone in the rubble, trembling, fragile. Not just physically. My mind¡ªmy sense of self¡ªmy soul. It¡¯s all mine again. The predator is gone. But I don¡¯t know that all of me made it back. When we ripped apart, it didn¡¯t feel like a clean cut. I try to pinpoint anything that¡¯s missing, anything that might be out of place, but how can you even know if a memory¡¯s gone if you can¡¯t remember it? If a feeling¡¯s gone that you can no longer feel? It¡¯s just¡­ a hunch. A lingering dread that when the void was torn away, it left me perforated, and whatever¡¯s filling those holes might not be me.

 Chapter 21 - Rubble

    It takes a few moments to readjust to all my senses. As the predator, we¡ªit¡ªcould taste and smell and vocalize. All that¡¯s gone now that I¡¯m just a vial again. Its vision was also more human, in that it could only see in one direction at once. Going back to 360-vision is a rough adjustment, but the blur of colors and shapes eventually resolve into something I can start to make sense of.

    The town is in chaos. The sun is just beginning to rise, dyeing the scene crimson, but even beneath that stain of light I can make out the blood that¡¯s soaked into the streets. Destruction is everywhere, and people are screaming, crying, and stumbling blearily out of their houses at all the commotion.

    In the midst of that is the orc, blindly swinging her ax around at an unseen enemy, crashing into empty food carts and stumbling into buildings as she continues to roar and bleed and fight. Shakily, I try to move, gathering my legs beneath me as I climb to my feet. It¡¯s not safe out here in the street. What¡¯s wrong with her?

    [Check,] Echo says. [Tetara, a Level 14 orc Bruiser. She has entered a mindless Enraged state as a result of her companions being slain.]

    The words cut right to my core. I hadn¡¯t forgotten, but Echo¡¯s words make it real. I quickly pick out the bodies in the street. There¡¯s three on the ground, moving and calling for help, and two others that aren¡¯t moving at all. The dracid and the felis.

    It killed them.

    I killed them.

    My soul flips. The world swirls dizzyingly around me, and I lurch to the side, all sense of direction lost. Horror wells up in me as my glass begins to rattle, shaking and slipping from my grasp as I stagger back to the ground, and I¡ªI¡ª

    I can still feel it. The satisfaction of the kill, the taste of the souls. It was thrilling. We¡ªI¡ªhad wanted more. And I would have killed more, if that orc, Tetara, hadn¡¯t stopped me.

    I¡¯m not the hero. I¡¯m the monster.

    I want to scream. I want to dissolve into the ground. I want to take it all back, to trade places, to do anything, anything to make this agony stop.

    I want to die.

    And maybe I should. That¡¯s the only way to stop the predator, isn¡¯t it? I¡¯m the only thing keeping it tied to this world. If my bond to this body is severed, then I¡¯ll return Between, and the creature will lose its foothold on reality¡ªlose any more chances to hurt anyone else.

    Would it even kill me if it finds out what I¡¯d done? Or would it just¡­ just absorb me again, forcing me to feel what it feels, think what it thinks, live an endless existence as a starving, hateful shadow?

    That idea scares me less than killing someone else.

    I reach for my magic. I¡¯m not shaking anymore. I don¡¯t know if I have the energy to. I just feel empty and numb. Sever Bond, I think, harnessing the magic. On me.

    [Insufficient mana,] Echo says.

    Right. Yeah. I guess I¡¯ll have to do it the old-fashioned way. Reaching zero HP should do it, right? Echo. Check.

    [Name: Kanin]

    [Species: N/A]

    [Class: Wizard]

    [Level: 7]

    [HP: 1/10]

    [Bonus HP: 9]

    [Mana: 0/41]

    [Void: 0%]

    [Role: Homunculus]

    I do a double take. Seven? Level seven? When had that happened? When had I gained any¡­

    Oh. The people I¡¯d killed. I hadn¡¯t been able to reach Echo before the predator had loosened its grip on me, so it must have happened without me realizing. I feel sick all over again. Grief washes over me in bleak waves. I just want it all to end. I don¡¯t want to feel anything anymore. I can¡¯t live with this. I can¡¯t.

    The ground shakes as Tetara continues her rampage. At least I won¡¯t have to wait long. Only 1 HP left. Maybe her Enraged state will carry her back over here so she can finish the job. That would be fitting. Fair.

    I watch, apathetic, as she turns away from the storefront she was demolishing and blindly focuses her fury on a new building. Something about this stirs a memory. Something about the wall.

    Abruptly, an image of Noli crashing into the wall and falling to the ground flashes through my mind.

    I jolt at the realization. Noli. Oh my god, Noli! How had I forgotten? She can¡¯t be¡ªI have to find her. She has to be okay. Fear shaking me out of my daze, I scramble to my feet. One leg is broken half off, but the other three work, and that¡¯s enough. I hurry out of the street, away from anyone¡¯s line of sight¡ªor misplaced feet. My soul feels tight, each step too slow, and all that¡¯s running through my head is that image of Noli skewered by my¡ªby the predator¡¯s shadows, unmoving.

    As I keep to the edge of buildings, darting between carts and stalls and fallen lanterns, anger creeps in to make its home alongside my fear. I¡¯m so stupid. So selfish. So busy wallowing in my own self-pity, I didn¡¯t spare a thought for Noli. And what if she doesn¡¯t have much time left? What if I wasted it just lying in the street? I shove the fear down before it can swallow me up. I just have to find her.

    The ground lurches with another one of Tetara¡¯s wild blows, and I¡¯m nearly knocked from my feet. Her companion, the human named Saru¡ªthe only one left alive, no, no, don¡¯t think about that now¡ªis calling to the orc, trying to get her to stop, but her pleading seems to be about as effective as an umbrella in a hurricane. I try to focus on the ground in front of me, searching for Noli.

    Even that¡¯s not as easy as I¡¯d like. Dirt and ichor cake my surface, and debris litters the ground in mountains of rubble.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    Echo, help me, I desperately call. Check for anyone in the rubble. Check for Noli.

    [Affirmative,] Echo says. [The user will be notified when a Noli subject is identified.]

    No words or text boxes appear in my line of sight. No one¡¯s here. I have to keep looking. But my gaze keeps being drawn inexorably back to the bodies in the street.

    There are more people about now, more drawn to the battlefield, crouching over the shadows in the road and calling for help. The trampled remains of the festival litter the town. This should have been a morning of peace. Of cozy familiarity and comfort. A morning of slowly waking up to quiet smiles and warm memories from the night before.

    I¡¯d destroyed all of that.

    Tetara lets loose a wild, heart-wrenching scream, and I wish I could, too.

    [Noli located.]

    A glint of metal catches my attention. My soul skips. I rush over to the building¡ªthe building, the one burned into my mind¡ªand find just what I was looking for. Just what I¡¯d feared.

    Noli¡¯s lying on the ground, half buried beneath a pile of rubble. She isn¡¯t moving. She isn¡¯t moving she isn¡¯t moving she isn¡¯t¡ª

    Noli lifts her head. ¡°Kanin? Oh, gods¡¯ grace. You¡¯re okay!¡±

    She¡¯s alive. I stumble over to her, my legs nearly giving out in relief before I even make it. The rocks have pinned half her limbs and all of her torso, but she¡¯s alive. My glass has started to shake all over again.

    I Check her health. [HP: 4/30]

    Alive, but only barely. I need to get her out of here. All my signing glass is gone, lost somewhere in the chaos, so I bring out a couple pieces of Attuned shards from my inventory. ¡°You¡¯re hurt.¡± I roll the nearest loose stone away.

    ¡°Bit of a tight spot,¡± Noli jokes. One of her limbs is slow and jerky, like there¡¯s gears that keep catching. ¡°But all things considered, I¡¯m alright. It¡¯s you I was worried about. I¡¯m so glad to see you.¡±

    Her words only summon a deep, hollow grief inside me. I don¡¯t say anything, and just continue to roll small pieces of the debris away. I can do this much at least.

    ¡°Your glass,¡± Noli signs. ¡°It¡¯s covered in that ink.¡±

    I know.

    ¡°And you¡¯re empty now. All the ink is gone.¡±

    I know.

    ¡°Kanin.¡±

    I pry another rock from the pile.

    ¡°Kanin. Are you okay?¡±

    I wedge one of my legs under the largest rock keeping Noli pinned, and I use the rest of my signing glass to help leverage it up. The stone resists for a moment, then Noli joins in, shoving at it with the only limb that can reach. Together, we push the rock aside, and it tips off of her.

    Revealing the hole torn through her core.

    Broken bits of gears and torn metal and twitching, tiny springs, like metal intestines, frame a perfect view of the street beneath her. The hole is off center, nearly tearing her in half, and one of her six limbs is missing entirely.

    I feel my shadows puncturing her shell. The shape of her soul, so tiny in our grasp. The taste of it, of being seconds, just moments from consuming it¡ª

    ¡°Kanin!¡±

    My legs give out, rattling against each other with a fragile music.

    Noli wraps a gentle arm around me. ¡°Hush. It¡¯s okay. You¡¯re okay.¡±

    I¡¯m not. I¡¯m not okay, nothing about this is okay. She shouldn¡¯t be comforting me. I hurt her. I killed them. Everything, all of this, is my fault.

    I try to tell Noli. ¡°The predator¡­¡±

    My signing glass is shaking so hard, Noli puts a limb on me to steady them.

    ¡°I know,¡± she signs. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Kanin. It¡¯s gone.¡±

    No, she doesn¡¯t understand. I shakily pull my glass from her grasp and try again. ¡°It¡¯s me. The predator. It¡¯s in me. The ink.¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± she repeats. ¡°I saw. It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s not your fault.¡±

    But it is. It is my fault. I summoned it. I couldn¡¯t stop it. And then when it¡ªwhen we were one¡ªI¡¯d enjoyed it. I¡¯d relished the destruction. I¡¯d delighted in torturing those people. I¡¯d killed them.

    They¡¯re dead. They¡¯re really dead.

    My mind spirals, those few words the only thoughts I can cling to, circling on repeat. Noli is gently patting my glass and signing soothing words, but I¡¯m not registering any of it. I just stare at the hole in her chest. Just like the one in Trenevalt. But this one is my doing.

    I don¡¯t know how long I lay there or how long Noli stays by my side trying to comfort me, but my shaking finally stops, only to be replaced with a deep, hollow numbness.

    Tetara¡¯s rampage has also stopped. I¡¯m not sure when that happened. But there¡¯s plenty of other dangers here for us even without an Enraged orc. Like someone recognizing that I was in the midst of everything.

    Noli must realize this, too. ¡°Kanin. We have to get moving, and I need your help. Can you stand?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Wearily, I push myself to my feet. My limbs feel heavier than they should. Every movement takes more mental effort than I¡¯m used to. I don¡¯t know how I¡¯m supposed to help Noli like this. But she can¡¯t move on her own. She¡¯s counting on me to figure something out.

    ¡°Maybe I can use some of your glass as a crutch.¡± Noli tries to pull herself upright, but half her remaining limbs aren¡¯t moving properly, and she collapses back to the street. I wince.

    ¡°No. Stay.¡± She needs my legs more than I do. I lower myself to the ground and roll off my glass. Nudging the legs closer to Noli, she seems to get the idea, and pushes herself up so I can squeeze them beneath her. It¡¯s not perfect: Noli¡¯s bigger than my little glass vial. And when I go to lift the legs up, it¡¯s a struggle. She¡¯s definitely heavier. But I¡¯m not about to let her down. Not again.

    My legs tremble as they stagger to their feet, lifting Noli off the ground. I take a couple cautious steps forward; with her weight, I have to move the legs faster, keep them better centered so I don¡¯t tip the whole setup over and spill Noli back onto the ground. But I can do it. Rolling after her, I slowly move us out of the street.

    ¡°Where?¡± I pause to ask once we¡¯re sheltered in a back alley. I need to find somewhere she¡¯ll be safe.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Noli admits. ¡°Maybe we can head out of town¡ªfind a bush or something to hunker down under while we figure this out.¡±

    No, we need something more permanent. Somewhere I won¡¯t have to worry about a person¡ªor animal¡ªstumbling over her. ¡°The map shop?¡±

    ¡°Atlas Emporium?¡± Noli considers. ¡°It¡¯s only a few buildings down. That might work, if we can get back into the storeroom. Lots of stuff there to hide behind. Oh, but¡­ I don¡¯t know. Maybe¡­ maybe you¡ªmaybe we shouldn¡¯t go back there.¡±

    She¡¯s trying to spare my feelings. Maybe she¡¯s worried that being back there will be hard for me to stomach. She¡¯s probably right. But I don¡¯t deserve a say. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Let¡¯s go.¡±

    I start rolling again before she can object, focusing everything I have on keeping Noli upright and moving forward. I wouldn¡¯t say it¡¯s comforting, but there¡¯s something satisfying in having a task to do. At least it keeps me from thinking about anything else.

    As the village wakes up, there¡¯s more shouts, more crowds, more subdued tones and heavy moods. I can almost feel the fog of grief settling over the town. Or maybe that¡¯s just my soul.

    Attiru¡¯s Atlas Emporium is cracked open like an egg, all its maps and papers spilled into the street beyond. Attiru isn¡¯t anywhere in sight. Suddenly, I have a flash of their face looking up at me in pain and horror as my shadows stab through their arm, blood sinking into the dirt beneath them, but I was only focused on their soul, reaching for it, so hungry¡ª

    My hold on Noli slips and she scrambles for purchase as I nearly drop her. I snatch control of my legs once more, snapping her back upright.

    ¡°Kanin! That¡¯s enough,¡± Noli signs. ¡°You¡¯re pushing yourself too hard. This is plenty. I can figure it out from here.¡±

    No she can¡¯t. She¡¯s barely held together by a handful of springs. Besides, we¡¯re almost there. Just a little further. Haltingly, watching for anyone who might notice our stuttering progress, I edge us toward the front entrance.

    The door¡¯s gone. So are the windows. The front room of the shop is hauntingly familiar, painting a similar scene to the wreckage of Trenevalt¡¯s cabin. As we move through the shop¡ªbeneath the black-stained ceiling, over the shredded wood floor, around the destroyed display case¡ªEcho notes scattered fragments of Attuned glass as they pass back into my range. I dully pick them up, but I keep my focus on Noli. All that matters is her. Just Noli.

    She saved Attiru, didn¡¯t she? When I was about to kill them, it was Noli who distracted me. And for that she almost paid with her life. All she had to work with was the body of a children¡¯s toy, but she didn¡¯t even hesitate. She tried to stop me, even though she must have known she couldn¡¯t have won.

    I guess that¡¯s just what heroes do.

    The door to the storeroom is jammed open¡ªa morsel of good fortune, though it doesn¡¯t bring me any relief. I carry Noli into the back, which is equally a mess¡ªthough this is Noli¡¯s doing, if I remember right. Hah. Feels like a lifetime ago.

    I set her down in a corner, tucked away behind a shelf. She should be safe here. Out of the elements, sheltered from any wild animals, out of the way from any misplaced feet.

    And most importantly, away from me.

 Chapter 22 - Forsaken

    As Noli settles in, I shimmy my legs back out from under her, using them to stand up once more. We regard each other for a moment in silence.

    ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± Noli signs, before I can even think what to say.

    ¡°Don¡¯t what?¡± I ask.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Noli signs. ¡°But you¡¯re planning something terribly stupid, I can just tell.¡±

    ¡°You need help,¡± I sign.

    Noli seems suspicious. ¡°And you plan to get it?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± I¡¯m the only one who can.

    ¡°Let¡¯s talk about it first,¡± Noli signs. ¡°We need to think. Maybe I can get these back legs working again. It¡¯s just bits of metal, right? There has to be some way to fix it.¡±

    Maybe. But how much time can we afford to spend on that? Now more than ever, we have to find someone to renew our spells before they expire¡ªor better yet, get us back in our original bodies. We¡¯d pinned our hopes on Harrowood, but Noli¡¯s not going anywhere like this, and we have less than two weeks before it¡¯ll be too late. I have to find a way to get help without putting her in any more danger.

    But she¡¯ll always be in danger if she¡¯s around me.

    The solution is obvious: The predator has to be destroyed. And if that means I have to die to make it happen, well. I guess I¡¯ve already done that once.

    But first, I have to help Noli. If her spell runs out and she ends up Between again, at the very best she¡¯ll die, and at the worst, the predator will be there waiting for her. Either way, she¡¯s in trouble, and unfortunately, I seem to be the only person on this planet who knows. I¡¯ll have to figure out what to do about the predator after she¡¯s safe.

    ¡°I don¡¯t like this,¡± Noli signs. ¡°You¡¯re being quiet.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± But I¡¯ve already made up my mind. ¡°Stay here. I¡¯ll come back with help. Be safe.¡±

    ¡°Kanin?¡±

    I turn away.

    ¡°Where are you going? Kanin?¡± Her signs are growing increasingly concerned. ¡°Wait! Talk to me. Kanin!¡±

    Each cry digs into my soul, but I keep walking. She¡¯ll be safer here. She can¡¯t walk, and we can¡¯t afford to wait. I¡¯ll have to be fast¡ªget to Harrowood, find help, get back¡ªand I have to do this alone. So I don¡¯t hurt anyone else.

    Noli is still signing frantically after me when I step around a shelf and she passes out of sight. I feel relieved, and I feel like the scum of the earth. But I can¡¯t turn back.

    I leave the Emporium the way I came in and sneak past the townsfolk who have gathered in the street. They¡¯re distracted by bigger things, of course. I think about the injured, about all the blood, and I hope there¡¯s a healer somewhere nearby. Then I try to stop thinking about it, because there¡¯s nothing I can do.

    At the end of town, I reach the wall, still shimmering with runes¡ªfor all the protection that lent them when the predator attacked. The road leads out of town here and then turns south. If it¡¯s the same one that¡¯s on the map of Valenia North, it¡¯s the road that will take me to Harrowood¡ªand hopefully there I¡¯ll find the owner of Cloud¡¯s Arcane Artifacts, the person who bought all those magical texts from Atlas Emporium. They still seem like my best bet at finding help, or at least the best place to start. Noli said the road to Harrowood would take two days on foot, which¡¯ll be closer to two weeks for someone my size. I push myself to walk faster, but with one broken leg, that¡¯s easier said than done.

    Shit.

    I move into some underbrush and stop. Check.

    [Name: Kanin]

    [Species: N/A]

    [Class: Wizard]

    [Level: 7]

    [HP: 7/10]

    [Bonus HP: 23]

    [Mana: 6/41]

    [Void: 0%]

    [Role: Homunculus]

    The passive healing is kicking in I see. Void still at zero. But if my suspicion is correct¡­

    I bring a small piece of Attuned glass out of my inventory. Echo. Void Check.

    [Void: 0%]

    That¡¯s what I¡¯d expected. I¡¯ve already pulled out several pieces of signing glass and the Void stat didn¡¯t change. However¡­

    I add the piece of glass back into my inventory and do another Check.

    [Void: 1%]

    Goddammit. I knew it. Adding things to my inventory is feeding the Void. That¡¯s why it happened in the Emporium: I¡¯d been stowing the maps when it was summoned. And it was the same in Trenevalt¡¯s cabin. I¡¯d originally thought it was Trenevalt¡¯s spell that had summoned the predator, but I had been attempting to add the homunculus shell to my inventory at that moment, too.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    Now for the real test.

    I Sculpt a piece of Attuned glass onto my broken leg, melding the pieces of glass together and evening out the length so I can walk properly again. I don¡¯t have high hopes for this, either, but walking is a necessity.

    Void Check.

    [Void,] Echo says. [3%]

    Fuck. Well that confirms it¡¯s both spells and inventory. I try to think of anything else that might cause the number to increase: Maybe getting hurt, or leveling up, but those are options I can¡¯t really test at the moment. Not that I want to increase the stat, anyway.

    Shit. This doesn¡¯t leave me a lot of options, does it?

    I start walking once more, following the road but keeping right up against the edge of the forest.

    Maybe it¡¯ll be fine. Maybe I won¡¯t have to use my inventory or spells anytime soon. If I can stay under 10% before I make it to Harrowood, then I should be safe.

    And by I, I mean Harrowood.

    I can already feel my thoughts being drawn back to town, to the dracid and felis, and I try to pivot away. I can¡¯t let myself wallow. There¡¯s time for that later. I have to keep moving. I have to do this for Noli.

    Echo, I ask, do I have any skills that don¡¯t use mana? And I mean skills that actually do something, not like cleaning or whatever.

    [Affirmative,] Echo says. [Fall Damage Resistance (Level 3): Check (Level 2): Passive Healing (Level 2): Arcane Intuition (Level 1).]

    What¡¯s that last one?

    [Arcane Intuition,] Echo recites. [The ability to rapidly learn new spells through study.]

    Ah, that¡¯s how I¡¯d learned those spells from Trenevalt¡¯s book, then. I guess that¡¯s something. But none of these will help get me to Harrowood faster.

    [Additionally,] Echo chimes in, [Attuned objects may be controlled without any mana expenditure, and senses of sight, sound, and touch may be applied. Range: twenty-four inches. Attuned Objects: 14 units of glass, 1 unit of void.]

    I stop walking. What?

    [Additionally,] Echo repeats, [Attuned objects may be controlled¡ª]

    No, I cut her off. The last part. What I have Attuned.

    [14 units of glass, 1 unit of void.]

    A shudder runs through me. I force myself to start walking once more. Where¡¯s the¡ªthe Attuned void? I ask. Three pieces of Attuned glass are still in my inventory, the other eleven making up my legs and signing glass. I glance around, paranoid, but I don¡¯t see any void hanging around. Is it in my inventory?

    [Affirmative,] Echo says. [Retrieve item from inventory?]

    No! I cry. No. Leave it in the inventory. Don¡¯t touch it.

    But what even is it? And how did it get there?

    I remember using Attune when the predator had me. I don¡¯t even know why I did it. Maybe just desperation. The only spell I could think to do, when everything else had failed. I hadn¡¯t even thought it had worked, at the time; it certainly hadn¡¯t lasted two hours before getting interrupted. At the very least, though, it had been enough to startle the predator. Was that a weapon I could use against it in the future? Would it spook the predator again, or would it be anticipating the spell? Assuming I¡¯d even get the chance.

    But none of that answers what a piece of Attuned void is.

    Even if I wasn¡¯t afraid of using my inventory right now, I don¡¯t think I¡¯d be brave enough to take it out. Is it sentient? A piece of the predator¡¯s mind? It had been overwhelming; even a fraction of its power poses a threat to me.

    No. I can¡¯t risk it. I guess I just have one less spot in my inventory to work with from now on. Not that I can put anything in my inventory anymore.

    I walk. When my mind starts to drift, I practice signs instead. After practicing all the basic ones, I move onto the more complicated shapes and movements. ¡°Spell. Time. Day. Night. Magic. World.¡± Then, when I¡¯ve signed every word I can recall Noli teaching me, I start over. Like a mantra.

    Twice, people pass me on the road. Both times they are riding a red-feathered bird-like creature that looks like a cross between an emu and a dinosaur: Echo identifies them as footbirds. They¡¯re moving fast, and there¡¯s no opportunity to try to hitch a ride without being trampled, so I just keep walking.

    The sun sinks. Shadows stretch. Before long I¡¯m struggling to pick out the pebbles and sticks in front of my feet. I don¡¯t want to stop, though. There¡¯s not enough time to spend the nights hunkered down in some hollowed-out log. I consider taking out Trenevalt¡¯s beads to use to light the way, but then I¡¯d need to carry them with me¡ªor donate one more percent to the void if I wanted to put them back. No, I can manage without any light. My max health is higher¡ªnow a whopping 16¡ªso I can afford the occasional stumble or injury in the dark.

    I keep walking.

    The night is filled with strange sounds. It¡¯s the first night I¡¯ve spent fully conscious in the woods¡ªthe first time I¡¯ve spent it alone. With Noli keeping watch, I hadn¡¯t given a second thought to any rustles, or bird calls, or distant howls. I knew she would tell me if there was any danger. Now, everything seems strange and close. The faintest breeze, a potential threat.

    At some point in the middle of the night, white light briefly flashes through the sky, and I¡¯m shown a still of my surroundings. Thunder rumbles through the forest seconds later. Great. Rain is just what I need. At least it¡¯ll wash me off.

    I begin to hear the faint hush of falling drops, knocking through the leaves of the canopy and occasionally tapping at the forest floor. But the sound is slightly off. Like the rain is¡­ bouncing. I pause to listen, and something strikes my glass, pinging off it and vanishing into the dark.

    [1 point of Bludgeoning damage sustained.]

    What the hell?

    They¡¯re falling more rapidly now. No longer a gentle hiss, the drops sound loud, and hard, and thump against the ground with every strike. Another one hits me, and my glass rings like it was struck with a rock.

    [2 point of Bludgeoning damage sustained.]

    Because it¡¯s not rain. It¡¯s hail.

    Mother fucker.

    I dart to the side, where I promptly trip over a stick and careen to the ground.

    [1 point of Fall damage sustained.]

    I roll out of my legs, leaving them somewhere behind in the dark. Panicking, I start rolling for cover.

    If only I could see where cover is. I blindly roll in one direction before running into a stick. Hurriedly turning around, I head back the way I¡¯d come, but I might as well be trying to act without knowing my lines. The hail is coming down harder, more pieces glancing off of me. If I don¡¯t figure something out quickly, I¡¯m screwed.

    It takes all my willpower to stop panicking and stay still, clustering half of my glass overhead. With the rest of the glass I reach out, blindly feeling over the ground as far as I can extend my range¡ªwhich is a lot further than I¡¯m used to. Reaching a couple feet in each direction, Echo starts up with her Range Limit warnings. I wince as pieces of hail deflect off my fragile umbrella, but try to focus on what¡¯s around me.

    The legs to the left. Okay. Keeping the signing glass overhead, I feel my way over to my legs and roll back into the setup. Cautiously, I stand.

    Next, some cover. I circle all my glass around me (aside from what¡¯s guarding my flask) and lightly brush them over the ground. They skip over the layer of hail starting to gather on the forest floor. One runs into something solid. I hastily run the glass over the shape: It¡¯s a root, I think, sticking out a few inches from the ground. Sending the rest of my glass in that direction, I plot a path over to the root. Huh. It¡¯s almost like I can see. Like some kind of glass-based radar. Gaining confidence, I feel along the root, tracing it back and up to the trunk of a tree. Finally! I continue to feel my way over, sweeping the glass over the ground around me to dodge any tripping hazards.

    One small piece abruptly explodes as it¡¯s struck by a piece of hail.

    [1 Bludgeoning damage sustained.]

    Budding confidence significantly stunted, I hurry the rest of the way over and huddle beneath the tree. Pulling all my glass close, it¡¯s all I can do to hunker down and wait out the storm.

    The night seems to stretch for an eternity. With the clouds overhead, I¡¯m in complete darkness, and with the hail, the air is cold and the sounds of the forest are drowned beneath the white noise of the storm. I feel isolated from the world.

    Which makes the solitude sting all the more.

 Chapter 23 - Road Block

    Once the hail stops, I start walking once more. No Attunements to jump me through the night; I can¡¯t risk doing magic or withdrawing anything from my inventory, even if I wasn¡¯t already pressed on time. The glass I do have available, however, helps me navigate the dark. Now that I¡¯ve figured out how I can use the glass to feel what¡¯s around me, it¡¯s like a whole new sense has budded into my mind. After using it a couple more times, Echo eventually chimes in with a [New Skill unlocked: Elemental Radar]. That seems to be becoming a trend: It takes me trying something a few times before Echo ¡°Unlocks¡± it as a skill. Activating the ability, it lets me detect my surroundings with my glass like I had been doing already, but this takes up a fraction of the brainpower. I travel the rest of the night without any more mishaps, leveling the ability up to 3.

    The day is long and tedious. A traveler riding an armadillo-pulled cart (Echo informs me these are actually called pebblebacks) passes me on the road, and I make an attempt to stow away on the back of their wagon. But I only manage to throw a couple pieces of glass at their cart, stabbing into the wood at the back, before realizing I don¡¯t have a method to reach them or pull myself up. I dislodge my dwindling supply of glass and am forced to let the traveler pass.

    Hours tick by without me encountering anyone else. The road gradually becomes rockier, the surrounding forest littered with boulders. The ground also starts to slope down, which I guess makes sense, what with the mountains behind me. The road sinks lower as the surrounding woods grow higher, and soon I¡¯m in a sort of ravine, with the forests rising steeply to either side. On the one hand, heading down instead of up helps me move a little faster. On the other, this seems like the perfect terrain for a flash flood¡ªor, depending on your perspective, a really terrible place for me to be if it rains. I eye the sky, which is full of fluffy white clouds, and seemingly absent of the stormier variety I¡¯d encountered the night before. Apart from noting the gradual shift in landscape and worrying about yet another thing I can¡¯t control, there¡¯s nothing for me to do other than keep walking.

    It¡¯s boring as hell. And when I¡¯m not bored, I¡¯m struggling not to slip into crippling depression. The cycle goes something like this: I try practicing my signs again, but it seems a little pointless without Noli, and even just thinking of Noli has her last pleas ringing out in my ears. I have to remind myself why I had to leave her behind: It was the only way to help her. To keep her safe. And that recalls memories of the predator, of everything I did and felt while in that state. Memories of blood. Of the taste of souls. And then I start spiraling.

    Which leads me to trying not to think about anything at all. So I¡¯m back to boredom again. Better than self-loathing and pity, I guess.

    With mounting concern, the day passes, and another night. Travelers between Peakshadow and Harrowood seem few and far between although, to my benefit, they always seem to be heading in the Harrowood direction. Still, I¡¯m barely making any progress on my own, and running into travelers doesn¡¯t help me unless I can hitch a ride with one.

    My next chance comes at noon. Voices drift from behind me along the trail, so I veer off to the side and duck behind a rock to avoid getting crushed by any misplaced claws or hooves.

    These travelers sound like they¡¯re walking, rather than speeding by on a footbird or pebbleback-pulled cart. Maybe now that the threat of blindly being trampled by livestock isn¡¯t in the mix, I¡¯ll finally have a chance to pop out with my cheat sheet and ask for some help. Wouldn¡¯t that be nice.

    But as they draw closer, and I can start to make out their forms and snippets of their conversation, my soul sinks.

    ¡°...to be this way,¡± Tetara says. The orc¡¯s face is contorted in a scowl, and she has bandages all around her torso. I shrink further to the ground, fear and regret crawling like frost through my limbs.

    ¡°Perhaps,¡± Saru agrees. Dark shadows ring her eyes. It doesn¡¯t look like either of them have slept in days.

    Since I killed their friends.

    And even now, flashes of memories that shouldn¡¯t be mine burn through my mind. Saru bleeding on the ground, reaching desperately for her team. Tetara roaring with fury, bathed in her own blood from gashes all across her chest and arms. She swings her ax at us as we gleefully sway around her erratic, slow moves¡ª

    No! I shake myself, tapping my glass against the stone, grounding me in the present. It. Not us. Those weren¡¯t my feelings. Not my actions. But it¡¯s hard to convince myself that¡¯s true when I can still feel everything as if I did it.

    ¡°Where else would they go?¡± Tetara growls. ¡°Harrowood is the only path out of the mountains.¡±

    Saru shakes her head. ¡°If they¡¯re capable of summoning a fiend like that, then their magic might allow them more mobility than a standard traveler.¡±

    Tetara grunts. ¡°Even so, this is the best chance we have.¡±

    ¡°Agreed,¡± Saru says. ¡°We can¡¯t let them do to Harrowood what they did to Peakshadow. The Summoner must be stopped.¡±

    Summoner? What were they talking about? They¡¯re nearly level with me now, and I keep perfectly still as they pass.

    ¡°The first step is to take away their means,¡± Tetara says. ¡°Summoning materials. That foci.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure about what you saw?¡± Saru asks. ¡°I couldn¡¯t make it out when¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure,¡± Tetara snarls. ¡°It had a glass heart. That must have been its summoning foci. Strike down the heart, strike down the beast.¡±

    My soul lurches. She¡¯d seen me tucked inside the void¡¯s shadows. A foci? A summoner? I don¡¯t know what she thinks happened, but she¡¯s right about one thing: Killing me would banish the predator.

    Which means I¡¯ve got a target painted on my back.

    Their voices fade as they move ahead, but I feel rooted in place. Even if I make it to Harrowood, now, I¡¯ll have Saru and Tetara to avoid. If they find me, they¡¯ll kill me. And the worst part is, I don¡¯t even think they¡¯d be in the wrong.

    They¡¯re long out of earshot by the time I start walking again, thoughts of Noli forcing me back in motion. The path drags on, and another night settles in. Now that I¡¯ve got Elemental Radar on my side, I¡¯m making better time. I might even be able to shave a couple days off the trip this way. If my counting is right, I¡¯ve got eleven days left on the spell. If I can shave the trip to Harrowood from two weeks down to nine days, I¡¯ll be left with two to find a wizard before the spell is up. Tight. Too tight, and I hope it won¡¯t come to that. But it would still be possible.

    Of course, that doesn¡¯t account for travel time back to Peakshadow. Maybe they¡¯ll have a way to teleport back to Noli¡­ but I¡¯m probably grasping at straws with this one. The best option is still to find someone to stow away with and cut my travel time down as low as possible. The more time I have to search Harrowood, the better. I don¡¯t like the idea of my presence endangering anyone else, but as long as I don¡¯t do any more spells or use my inventory, they should be safe. And I¡¯ll have to be around people one way or another once I reach the city.

    I sweep my glass over the road, using my newfound ability to navigate the near-complete darkness. Two crescent moons are in the sky, providing occasional half-light when the clouds part. There¡¯s no hail tonight, so that¡¯s a plus.

    Gradually, as I walk, I notice the night has become quiet. I pause, trying to pinpoint what it is about the stillness that¡¯s snagged my attention. Nothing seems out of the ordinary. There are no growls or hoots or distant howls. Everything is still. Even so, something nibbles at my subconscious. Something I¡¯d heard said about woods when I was a kid. If the forest goes silent, a predator is close.

    A shiver runs through me. I strain to hear anything. The buzz of insects. The chirp of some nocturnal bird. The rustling of small animals in the underbrush. All I can make out is a faint hiss as a breeze brushes through the trees. Then, even that dies off.

    The silence presses in on me from all sides. I wait.

    Nothing happens. I don¡¯t hear anything, and nothing is moving. Am I imagining it? Maybe it¡¯s just a normal kind of quiet. Maybe it¡¯s just that down here in the ravine, the steep walls to either side block the forest noise. Maybe I¡¯m just being paranoid. Regardless, I can¡¯t afford to stand around waiting all night. Fighting my nerves, I take a ginger step forward. My glass shifts against the dirt, hardly making any sound. Yet, given the quiet, I can still hear the gentle hush of the movement. I pause again. Nothing happens. I take another step.

    [1 point Bludgeoning damage sustained.]

    [1 point Fall damage sustained.]

    I¡¯m crashing to the ground before I even know what hit me. My glass hisses across the dirt as I roll to a stop, recalling my legs which I¡¯d lost along the way and hurriedly stumbling to my feet. But the hissing sound hasn¡¯t stopped. Two pinpricks of green light materialize in the dark.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    Echo. Echo! What the fuck is that?

    [Check,] Echo says. [Bonefang, level 3. A species of snake native to Valenia North, thought to have been created through the necrotic energy of the Black Spire seeping into land and infecting the surrounding wildlife. Its venom is both toxic and laced with necrotic magic.]

    Maybe lead with that before the ecology lesson next time! I cluster my signing glass before me like a bunch of spears. Level 3, though, so I can probably take it. Not fighting at all would be more ideal, but clearly I¡¯ve done something to piss this guy off. I keep my focus intently on the two triangles of glowing green light. Are those its eyes? That¡¯s as good a target as any.

    I lance a piece of glass at the bonefang, and the blow strikes home¡ªonly to glance off the dot of light with a solid ting as if I¡¯d hit a rock.

    [0 points of Piercing damage dealt.]

    Fantastic.

    The creature hisses in response. The points of light dart forward, and I barely have time to brace myself before it strikes, ramming into my glass and scattering my signing shards like they¡¯re toothpicks. I feel one snap in half.

    [1 point of Bludgeoning damage sustained.]

    Something clamps around me and begins to squeeze, producing a glassy shriek. I stab at the creature with my glass, desperately trying to pull away, but instead of finding anything fleshy and malleable, my shards skip over something as hard as stone. It¡¯s then that the clouds part, illuminating our monochromatic struggle, and I¡¯m able to catch the first glimpse of what I¡¯m dealing with.

    The reason I can¡¯t find any flesh is because it doesn¡¯t have any. The snake is all bones, its eye sockets hollow pits, moss growing between its vertebrae in a faux layer of skin. The glowing green I¡¯d made out before are actually light from its two fangs¡ªwhich are currently latched around my face. The snake tries to bite down, its teeth skipping over my glass, but it¡¯s having as much trouble finding purchase as I am. Hah! Take that, asshole. Can¡¯t poison someone who isn¡¯t made of flesh and blood. My glass creaks as it adjusts its grip.

    [2 points of Crushing damage sustained.]

    Oh. Well. There¡¯s always that.

    I stab my glass into all the tiny holes that pockmark its skull and shove with all my might. The bonefang jerks back, releasing my flask, but I keep pushing on the glass, driving its face into the ground.

    [3 points of Piercing damage dealt.]

    Fuck yeah, that¡¯s right! I was just minding my own business, trying to walk down this stupid little road, and then you just had to decide to make it a whole thing. Was this what you wanted? Does this make you happy? Congratulations, now we¡¯re¡ª

    The snake lashes out with its tail, clipping my side and rattling my mind.

    [1 point of Slashing damage sustained.]

    My hold on the glass slips, and it shakes its head, dislodging the shards. Shit. I quickly gather them up, retreating as I reform my defenses. The snake coils in on itself, bones dragging over bones. How do you kill something that¡¯s already dead?

    I Check my HP: 6/10, Bonus HP: 23. Okay so, not stellar, but not about to die. That¡¯s something. I Check the bonefang, too: 7/10. Alright, I¡¯ve got the upper hand, then. Still, I¡¯d rather not keep trading blows like this. For my HP¡¯s sake, I need to end this fight quickly.

    The snake strikes again, and this time I¡¯m ready for it. I squat to the ground and it flies right over me. I stab upward with all my glass, slicing through the mossy exterior and catching it between two vertebrae. Swinging my glass around, I slam its spine into the ground, and I feel something give. My glass sinks into the dirt beneath the bonefang as its spine parts beneath the blow.

    [3 points of Slashing damage dealt.]

    [4 points of Bludgeoning damage dealt.]

    [Bonefang defeated!]

    The animal convulses, its two halves writhing in final death throes, and I flinch back in horror. The felis. The dracid. Flashes of blood, snippets of screams¡ªNo! no, this is different, this was self-defense. I didn¡¯t want to. I didn¡¯t enjoy it.

    But I still feel sick. Any sense of victory or relief is snuffed out by memories of the predator.

    I guess I¡¯m still alive. With the bonefang dealt with, I can keep moving forward, at least. That¡¯s something.

    Before I can even collect myself, a hush blows through the night. It sounds like wind, at first. But I don¡¯t feel a breeze, and instead of rising and falling, the hissing sound only grows. One by one, pinpoints of light blink on in the dark.

    Unease prickles over me. Echo. Check.

    [Check,] Echo says, and a cluster of overlaying messages simultaneously surface in my vision before me.

    [Bonefang, level 2. Bonefang, level 4. Bonefang, level 1. Greater Bonefang, level 10. Bonefang, level 5. Bonefang, level 7. Bonefang, level 3. Bonefang, level 6.]

    The notifications don¡¯t stop. There are dozens of them¡ªmaybe hundreds. Too many to count, and certainly too many to fight. That level 3 was already a lot for me. I wouldn¡¯t stand a chance against a level 7, let alone whatever the fuck a Greater Bonefang is. Let alone a dozen of them.

    I want to laugh, and I can¡¯t tell if it¡¯s from fear or irony. Of course there¡¯s more. The forest wouldn¡¯t have gone silent from one level 3 snake. It was a whole den of them, and somehow I¡¯d stumbled right into their nest.

    I take a step back. The hissing grows, the glowing fangs pressing in. There¡¯s so many of them¡ªtoo many. Dim resignation settles over me. If I die here, at least the predator can¡¯t use me anymore.

    No. I can¡¯t think like that. I still have to save Noli. She¡¯s stuck in a storage room in Peakshadow, and if I don¡¯t find help and bring it back, then no one will. If I die here, so does she.

    Which means I have to do whatever it takes to escape.

    I backpedal as the snakes close in, thousands of bones scraping over the dirt in susurration. I break into a run.

    I¡¯ve never run with this body before. I didn¡¯t even know if it could. Keeping upright is usually enough of a struggle, and falling at this speed is not likely to go over well with my already criminally low HP. But fleeing is the only hope I¡¯ve got.

    The nearest bonefang strikes, and I know I won¡¯t have time to escape it, so I just react. I pull the largest piece of Attuned glass from my inventory, manifesting it between the snake and myself.

    [5 points of Bludgeoning damage dealt.]

    I feel the bonefang crash into the chunk of glass, I hear it crunch, but I don¡¯t stop running. My glass orbits me like a moon.

    More snakes come at me. I desperately pull a second piece from my inventory. My signing glass is useless¡ªtoo small and delicate for combat. But the large chunks of glass from the broken homunculus are withstanding the blows¡ªfor now. I whip them around, smashing into any snakes within reach.

    The bonefangs are getting closer. I can only deflect so many at once. I consider pulling a third piece of glass from my inventory, but since I¡¯d started with my biggest, every shard I remove is smaller than the last.

    Then, the onslaught ends. Just as abruptly as it began, the wave of snakes recedes, lights pulling back into the dark, the scraping of bone on stone dissolving into the night. Gradually, I slow down. Then, I stop. The snakes are gone.

    At least I didn¡¯t take any more damage. It will be an hour before I passively heal up all the way. But without spending my time Attuning or Chaining or Sculpting, there isn¡¯t much for me to do¡ªwhich sucks considering all the Mana I have to work with now.

    I look back in the direction of the bonefangs. I still needed to get through there, one way or another. Maybe they¡¯re nocturnal, and I can just walk straight on through in the morning. I hate the idea of spending the whole night waiting, however. I turn my attention to the sides of the ravine.

    The walls are steep, but I climbed steeper back in Trenevalt¡¯s cabin. I suppose a detour isn¡¯t ideal, but it¡¯s better than wasting the whole night. I stalk over to one of the slopes, feeling my way with the glass. The two large pieces don¡¯t help me sense the ground that well, but now that they¡¯re out, I¡¯m not putting them back. No sense in donating 2% to the Void.

    I take it one step at a time, sinking each leg of glass carefully into the dirt and waiting to make sure it¡¯s stable before taking the next step. The ground is loose here. Shifting. It¡¯s like climbing up a sand dune, and each step is steeper than the last. My ¡°Climbing¡± skill doesn¡¯t seem to be helping at all, but at least I¡¯m making progress. I can barely make out the ground below me in the sliver of moonlight; I think I¡¯m a good four feet up.

    Okay, yes, I¡¯m now realizing what little progress that actually sounds like, but when you¡¯re less than three inches tall, it¡¯s a pretty significant height. That said, I¡¯ve still got another ten feet to go.

    I steadily climb my way up the incline, slipping incrementally back through the dirt with each step. The wall¡¯s nearly vertical now; I must be seven feet up. I lift another foot.

    And I can feel my vial start to roll out of my legs. I jerk forward, trying to press myself against the wall, but this only makes it worse. My vial tips back. My soul lurches as gravity takes hold¡ª

    I slam the two large pieces of glass forward, knocking me back into my legs and pinning myself against the wall.

    [1 point of Bludgeoning damage self-inflicted.]

    Thanks, Echo.

    But at least I¡¯m not falling. Definitely would have taken more than one point of damage skipping back down this slope. Carefully, I let up the pressure on the glass holding me in my legs, just enough for me to stand. I slowly begin climbing once more, this time splitting my attention between finding footholds and keeping my body from falling out and rolling down the slope.

    It¡¯s only another couple of steps before my progress grinds to a halt. This part of the ravine is completely vertical, and the dirt is far too soft. Each step I take cuts through the soil and sends a scattering of pebbles tumbling down the slope beneath me. I push ahead anyway, trying to force myself upward¡ªand the ground gives way beneath me. I hurriedly use the large pieces of glass to push myself into the wall and stop myself from getting caught in the miniature rockslide. The dirt and pebbles hiss away beneath me for a minute before the cascade slows to a stop. Luckily, it didn¡¯t carry me down, too. Unluckily, it¡¯s made one thing clear: I can¡¯t go any farther.

    The question is, now what? If I had a way to keep my vial from falling out of my legs, I might be able to use the larger pieces of glass to push myself up the last section of the ravine. Maybe I could use the signing glass to hold my vial in. But if it turns out they can¡¯t hold my weight, that could be a fatal mistake.

    I could also fashion some sort of glass seat-belt to keep me strapped to my legs. That¡¯s a good idea actually¡ªsomething that would have come in handy several times before now. Except Sculpting and Chaining will cost Mana, and that¡¯ll feed the Void.

    I guess this is what they call analysis paralysis. But I can¡¯t stay stuck on the side of this wall all night. I have to go up or down.

    Reluctantly, I choose down. It¡¯s the safest route, and I still have time. Maybe I can find an easier way up somewhere else.

    As I slide my way back down the hill, however, a hissing sound rises like the tide. Lights of green flicker on in the dark. I dig my glass in, stopping my descent. The snakes have moved: Now they¡¯re directly below me. Because of course they are. I wait a beat, seeing if they¡¯ll continue past, but it¡¯s like they¡¯re waiting.

    Waiting for me.

    Gingerly, I take another step down. The lights swarm, moving closer. I hurriedly climb a foot back up the slope. The sea of bonefangs flickers out. Shit. Territorial little assholes, aren¡¯t they? But that means I¡¯m between a rock and a hard place. Down is death by snake. Up has a non-trivial chance of me slipping and falling into the pit of said snakes. Using magic might get me out of this pickle, but hasten a future and potentially more horrific death.

    I cling to the rocks, trying to pick my poison, as bones and death wait patiently below.

 Chapter 24 - Boned

    The night takes an eternity to tick away. I try climbing the hill a couple more times, but each attempt is quickly thwarted by gravity and a consequential near fall to my death. Trying to creep around the snakes proves equally impossible. The ravine seems too steep for them to climb, but they¡¯re content to wait for me below. As the sky begins to lighten with the faintest shade of purple, I¡¯m still stuck on the hillside, unsure what to do.

    It¡¯s starting to look like magic is my only option. It feels like admitting defeat. Like I¡¯m letting the predator win. But Noli and I will both lose if I¡¯m stuck up here for the next week and a half.

    Shit. Alright.

    I take the smaller of the two Attuned pieces of glass and activate a Sculpt. I warp it around my vial, creating two arcs of glass in the shape of an X that intersect with my leg harness. I Chain them in place, then let the magic fade. Now I¡¯ll be stuck with these legs for good¡ªuntil I Sculpt them apart, at least.

    Void Check, I wearily call to Echo.

    [Void: 8%]

    Yeesh, that sure creeps up fast. But what¡¯s done is done. Now I¡¯m more secure, and if I can use the last large chunk of glass to help push me up the ravine, without having to worry about keeping me stuck to my legs, then maybe I can finally make it to the top. Here goes nothing.

    Just as I¡¯m starting to make a final attempt at the slope, however, a pinprick of light appears at the far end of the road. It¡¯s back in the direction I¡¯d come, growing larger by the second. I feel a flicker of hope. If it¡¯s a cart or group of travelers, maybe they can scatter the snakes for me, and I can sneak through as well. The light bobs as it grows closer, like a fire in a lantern.

    As their form resolves in the morning half-light, however, my hope sinks back into dread. It¡¯s a lone individual, and something tells me the bonefangs won¡¯t find that particularly intimidating.

    As the figure approaches, I can start to make out more of their features. In fact, the longer I watch, the more I¡¯m certain I¡¯ve seen them before. Back in Peakshadow, I think. To be fair, their appearance is kind of hard to miss.

    The light in the man¡¯s palm appears to be a sparking, levitating ball of lightning, which he carries as casually as if it were nothing more than a compass. His skin is a deep crimson, but light reflects off flecks of gold sprinkled like freckles across his face. Two fiery orange horns curl up between his black hair, and a pointed tail swishes back and forth behind him as he walks. I¡¯ve seen this devilish individual before, but I have to ask Echo for an abbreviated reminder.

    [Name: Zyneth]

    [Species: Cambion]

    [Class: Rogue Artificer]

    Right. The magic user I¡¯d clocked back in Peakshadow. Looks like I¡¯m getting a second chance to try to ask for his help¡ªassuming the snakes don¡¯t get to him first.

    What does a rogue artificer even do, exactly? Is it a defensive class? Offensive? Would that make a difference, given the numbers he¡¯s up against? Either way, he¡¯s heading blindly into their line of fire.

    Looking beneath me, I see the dots of green light have all flickered out. Either they¡¯ve retreated, or they¡¯re lying in wait. Zyneth is getting closer. Maybe he knows they¡¯re there. Maybe he can see them, and he¡¯s just very very confident in his abilities, and this is a reverse ¡°Badass walking away from an explosion¡± sort of situation. Then, the man yawns, rubbing his eyes.

    Goddammit.

    If I don¡¯t want to stand by and watch someone get eaten alive, I have to warn him. But how? I guess I could chuck my last big piece of glass his way, though it would definitely break. I could summon my spell books; they might be big enough to notice even in the partial dark. Or the charmed bracelet, still halfway lit and glowing. But both of those would increase the Void if I have to add them back to my inventory, and if I keep delaying, I won¡¯t be able to warn him in time.

    Below me, something moves. I can barely make out the bone-white smudge of one of the snakes beginning to slither forward. If it hadn¡¯t moved, I might not have been able to pick it out at all. It¡¯s headed toward Zyneth.

    I don¡¯t see the rest of the den, and I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s because they¡¯re hiding, or are just keeping very still. Either way, no more time for hesitations. People can get poisoned: glass can¡¯t. And maybe with the snakes focused on the rogue, I can use this chance to escape. I briefly recall an image of Noli hopping up in the midst of the dissipated cat-spell, declaring, ¡°Sneak Attack!¡± Well, if it worked for her¡­

    The lone snake darts forward, making a beeline toward Zyneth, and I jump into action. Well, fall into action is probably more accurate. Uprooting myself from where I¡¯d parked on the side of the ravine, my descent is less of a run and more an accelerating stumble while trying to keep my legs beneath me.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    I manage to get my Attuned glass in front of me right before I plow through the snake, ramming straight into its side. There¡¯s a satisfying crunch as it¡¯s crushed into the ground.

    [8 points of Bludgeoning damage dealt.]

    My momentum takes me over the twitching bones and several stuttering steps beyond before I¡¯m able to slow to a stop.

    Zyneth makes a startled sound as he peers down at me with wide eyes¡ªwhich, from this vantage point, I can now see are all one uniform yellow color, glowing with some internal light. I sure hope he doesn¡¯t smite me.

    ¡°What in gods¡¯ grace is this?¡±

    His voice has a soft timbre. Less Machiavellian than I was expecting. Now if I can just convince him this ambush was meant for the snake and not him¡­

    But it doesn¡¯t look like we¡¯ll be given time to exchange pleasantries. A wave of hissing follows my attack on the bonefang: I guess these guys are the vengeful type.

    ¡°It seems you¡¯ve brought friends,¡± Zyneth says.

    Wouldn¡¯t that be nice? If they saw me that way, I wouldn¡¯t be in this situation to begin with. Still, I¡¯d rather not be associated with team Undead Snakes, so when the next bonefang darts forward, I swing my glass like a baseball bat.

    [5 points of Bludgeoning damage dealt.]

    ¡°Oh?¡± The rogue hangs back, apparently deciding he¡¯s just going to passively watch me fight for my life. ¡°A turf war, is it?¡±

    God damn this man is dense. One of the snakes slips past me, heading for Zyneth, and I throw my glass in its direction.

    [Range limit,] Echo warns, right as it passes out of my reach. It crashes into the bonefang and goes rolling beyond, leaving me empty handed.

    This is going well.

    ¡°You are one fascinating creature,¡± Zyneth says, still apparently oblivious to the mortal peril.

    Another snake hisses, fangs bared and glowing. With my primary weapon out of reach, I dive in front of the rogue, and the bonefang¡¯s jaws snap around me. This time I jam some of my signing glass into its mouth to keep it from trying to crush me to death, and its teeth scrape harmlessly overhead¡ªthough with an ear-splitting bone-on-glass screech. Now what, asshole? You can¡¯t crush me, and you can¡¯t poison me. The snake¡¯s jaw works back and forth, its body coiling in discomfort. Then its mouth opens wider, it tips its head back, and a sudden undulation pushes me toward its throat.

    Oh god. It¡¯s trying to eat me! I flail my legs, trying to extract myself, but the multitudes of ribs are scraping over me, pulling me down. It shouldn¡¯t be possible to be swallowed by a skeleton; it doesn¡¯t even have skin or muscles or organs to keep me from falling out. But the moss and decaying leaves that stick to its body seem to be acting as that outer layer, and as I struggle to free myself, slashing at the bonefang with my signing glass, it¡¯s quickly becoming apparent that magic has more than just a little to do with keeping this creature together.

    Christ. Is this how I die? Eaten by a pint-sized snake? I don¡¯t know which is more pathetic: this, or death by stage accident.

    ¡°Well, I think that¡¯s enough commotion for now.¡±

    The scene lights up in a flash of yellow. Prickling jolts of energy crawl over my glass, and I feel the snake convulse around me.

    [0 points of Electric damage sustained. You are immune to Electrical type attacks.]

    [Bonefang mob defeated!]

    The snake that¡¯s currently in the process of swallowing me slumps to the ground. I hurriedly struggle free, extracting myself from its now limp jaws. I look around just in time to see a net of sparking yellow light, like a spiderweb of lightning, filling the scene. Abruptly, it flickers out. A shadow of the light¡¯s pattern is imprinted on my vision, and as it starts to fade, I can make out the devastation that lies before me.

    The bonefangs are all still and smoking. I don¡¯t know if they¡¯re stunned or dead, but the road is littered with their bodies. I stare in shock.

    ¡°Much better,¡± Zyneth says, lowering a hand. ¡°It¡¯s far too early for all this ruckus.¡±

    Did he really just electrocute the entire nest in one go? Holy shit. Even more reason not to get on his bad side. I take a hesitant step back, and the bonefang¡¯s carcass slumps off of me.

    Zyneth¡¯s gaze snaps to me. ¡°Ah, what¡¯s this? You can still move despite my spell. Intriguing.¡±

    He crouches down to look at me, which frustratingly means he still towers over me.

    Hey Echo, I ask, nervous. What was this guy¡¯s level again?

    [Level 31,] she dutifully replies.

    Wow, okay. So, yeah, he probably didn¡¯t even need my help in the first place. These guys are small fries to him. I¡¯m small fry to him.

    ¡°Now what exactly are you?¡± he says. ¡°Besides immune to my magic, apparently.¡±

    Apparently is right. Good to know for any run-ins with future thunderstorms. But it¡¯s the lightning user before me I¡¯m slightly more concerned about.

    ¡°You were fighting those bonefangs back there, weren¡¯t you?¡± he asks.

    ¡°Yes,¡± I sign.

    He tips his head at the gesture. ¡°Curious. Can you understand me?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± I sign again. Oh my god. Does he know sign language? Is this the breakthrough we¡¯ve been waiting for?

    He reaches out, gently tapping my signing glass, though even that light touch feels like a ton of bricks are pressing down on my glass. ¡°Fascinating. You appear to be reacting to what I say, at any rate. Can you speak?¡±

    Well, so much for him understanding signs. But I¡¯d planned for this, and I can¡¯t let the opportunity pass me by now. I summon the cheat sheet I had Noli write for me. The paper appears in the air between us and flutters to the ground.

    Zyneth flinches in surprise. ¡°Now how did you manage that little sleight of hand?¡±

    Unfortunately my cheat sheet does not come with a response to that. Zyneth moves to pick up the paper, but I stab a foot into the corner to keep him from pulling it away. Hey, I need that to talk, bucko!

    He chuckles. ¡°Possessive, I see. Alright then. What have we here?¡± Releasing my paper, he leans in for a closer look.

    His eyes scan over the paper, gradually pinching in a frown. I can¡¯t blame him: It¡¯s a list of about twenty seemingly random words. It wouldn¡¯t make much sense without context.

    But that¡¯s what I¡¯m here for. I order my signing glass over the paper, pausing to circle different words. ¡°I NEED HELP.¡±

    Zyneth freezes. ¡°You can speak? You¡¯re sentient?¡±

    I send my glass to the top left corner of the page and circle the word ¡°YES.¡±

    Zyneth appears too shocked to reply for a moment. Then he rocks back on his heels and falls into a cross-legged sit, hands on his knees. ¡°Well this is the second strangest thing I¡¯ve encountered in as many days.¡± A genuine smile spreads over his face as he leans down. ¡°Tell me your story, little one.¡±

 Chapter 25 - A Deal with the Devil

    Little one? I¡¯m going to choose to ignore the condescension there. But ¡°Telling my story¡± is easier said than done, given the limited vocabulary at my disposal. I also don¡¯t even know if I¡¯m getting the grammar right, for whatever language they speak here. Is it different from signing? Different from English? Hopefully he¡¯ll be able to parse something out of my string of verbs and nouns.

    I move my glass over the page. ¡°I AM KANIN.¡±

    ¡°Kanin,¡± he repeats with a frown. ¡°Is that the type of creature you are? I must say I¡¯ve seen nothing like you before.¡±

    I move my glass to ¡°NO¡± and poke at it in exasperation. Come on, you seem smart. This is like the first few days trying to communicate with Noli all over again.

    Zyneth taps his chin, thinking. ¡°Not what you are. But it is¡­ who you are? Your name?¡±

    ¡°YES!¡±

    ¡°Kanin,¡± he repeats, offering a finger. I tap a piece of glass against it in a mock handshake. ¡°A pleasure to meet you. I do apologize for the attempted electrocution. My name¡¯s Zyneth.¡±

    An apology is a good start, as alarming as it is to realize he¡¯d actually been trying to kill me. Good thing I¡¯m immune to Electric damage. I guess all it takes to talk to someone around here is making it through the initial murder attempt.

    ¡°Those snakes earlier,¡± he says. ¡°Were you trying to protect me from them when they attacked?¡±

    The question fills me with embarrassment. I leave my glass on ¡°YES,¡± orbiting the word for emphasis. He clearly hadn¡¯t needed my help to dispatch the den. And to think how much I struggled with just two of them!

    He laughs, eyes crinkling up, and the glow from his irises reflect off his golden freckles in a yellow glimmer reminiscent of his electricity. Not going to lie, the sparkly vampire aesthetic is kind of doing it for me.

    ¡°An admirable effort. You have a good heart, at least,¡± he says, which manages to sound more patronizing than complimentary. ¡°But you said you need help. Can you tell me what¡¯s wrong?¡±

    Now that¡¯s a loaded question. I have a couple different ways of tackling it, but it¡¯s hard to say which is the best. I guess I should start with the easiest to communicate goals and then work up from there.

    ¡°I NEED TRAVEL TOWN. URGENT.¡±

    ¡°Town?¡± he asks. ¡°Which town?¡±

    Unfortunately, I hadn¡¯t figured that out yet when Noli made the cheat sheet. Instead, I point in the direction of Harrowood.

    He glances along my glass. ¡°I suppose traveling at your size isn¡¯t ideal, is it?¡±

    I move my glass to ¡°NO¡± and he chuckles.

    ¡°Well, luckily for you, I am headed in the same direction,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you¡¯d like some assistance?¡±

    Relief floods through me. Those are the words I¡¯ve been waiting for someone to say since I got sucked into this damn world. Finally, someone that can help us.

    Us. The word sounds hollow without Noli here.

    ¡°YES,¡± I circle. ¡°PLEASE.¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you polite?¡± Zyneth jests. ¡°Now, how would you like to do this? I think any further discussions can be saved for the road. Many of those snakes are merely stunned, so we best be on our way before they rouse.¡±

    Yikes, if I¡¯d known that I wouldn¡¯t have gotten so comfortable chatting in the midst of all these skeletons.

    He holds out a hand. ¡°I could carry you? Unless you¡¯ve some other suggestion.¡±

    I find the idea completely humiliating, actually, but there¡¯s something I need to do, first. I don¡¯t have a way to explain to Zyneth, however, so I simply leave him behind as I hurry off to the side, picking my way over the snakes¡¯ bones that litter the forest floor.

    ¡°Kanin?¡± Zyneth calls after me, perplexed. I¡¯m only gone for a few seconds, though: just far enough to get within range of the piece of glass I¡¯d thrown earlier, then I hurriedly call it toward me and go stumbling back. Zyneth watches with interest.

    ¡°It¡¯s an Attunement,¡± he says, though I think he¡¯s more musing to himself than asking me a question. ¡°Curious and curiouser yet.¡±

    Zyneth¡¯s palm is still outstretched, though I hesitate before stepping on. If I do this, I will literally be putting my life into his hands. I have no reason to trust him, and every reason to think he could squash me on the slightest whim. Yet, it¡¯s the first glimmer of hope I¡¯ve had in a long time. Maybe this is why they call it a leap of faith.

    Cautiously, my soul fluttering with anxiety, I step into his hands.

    Zyneth stands, and the movement presses me flat against his palm as I¡¯m whisked into the air. I manage to snag my cheat sheet with some glass before it¡¯s out of range, and then it follows me up; I keep the sheet levitating nearby.

    ¡°Handy,¡± Zyneth notes as my page floats to his side. ¡°Can you still talk like this?¡±

    I rearrange my glass, using several pieces to hold the paper rigid while I hover the rest over the words. It¡¯s a little tricky when he begins to walk, and even trickier when I move the paper and it catches the breeze¡ªbut I can manage.

    ¡°YES.¡±

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t anticipating a travel companion when I started down this road,¡± Zyneth says, stepping over the crippled bonefangs that litter the path. In the dawning light, the white of their bones stand out from the surrounding dirt like a newly fallen blanket of snow. ¡°However, the company is welcome for as long as it may last. My business will take me to the Petrified Groves, if that¡¯s in your direction.¡±The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    Er. I don¡¯t recall seeing that on the maps. Then again, I recall very little of what was on the maps, and I certainly don¡¯t intend to take them out now. ¡°MAYBE?¡±

    Zyneth laughs. ¡°Maybe? Do you not know where that is?¡±

    ¡°NO,¡± I admit.

    ¡°Hm. But you¡¯re sure this is the direction you need to be going?¡±

    Sure is a strong word. In fact, any city is as good as any other, as long as it¡¯s got a wizard who can help. I do know, however, that heading back toward Peakshadow would be a bad idea. Even ignoring how small it was, if anyone else there had seen me, like Tetara, when the predator was summoned¡­

    My insides twist. Forcing the thoughts aside, I circle, ¡°YES.¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll take you as far as you need as long as it¡¯s on my way,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°Though I fear you cannot come with me to the end, as I¡¯ve my own problems to track down. It would likely be too dangerous for a little flask such as yourself.¡±

    I¡¯m not exactly eager to face any more danger myself, so that¡¯s fine by me.

    ¡°Is there anyone in particular you¡¯re looking for?¡± Zyneth asks. ¡°Something you¡¯re seeking?¡±

    I hadn¡¯t written down Cloud¡¯s Arcane Artifacts, either, though I suppose they¡¯re sort of a crapshoot anyway. ¡°WIZARD HELP.¡± Man, I really should have gotten Noli to write out more words.

    ¡°A wizard?¡± He looks over my paper, then taps the name written next to ¡°Kanin.¡± ¡°Noli? Is this them?¡±

    I cringe. ¡°NO.¡± Just seeing her name there has me dripping with guilt. A reminder that she should have been here, too.

    ¡°Ah, alright. What do you need a wizard for? My specialty is somewhat different, but I¡¯ve still dabbled plenty in the arcane. Perhaps I could help.¡±

    Don¡¯t do me like that. Don¡¯t you dare get my hopes up. Still, I respond with, ¡°MY SPELL EXPIRE. NEED WIZARD HELP. URGENT.¡±

    Zyneth clearly tries to puzzle through this. ¡°You need a wizard to help you with a spell that will expire. Your spell. I don¡¯t suppose you could tell me more about the spell? No, I can see you¡¯ve hardly got any words here to work with. Interesting, interesting. What will happen when the spell expires?¡±

    Looks like I didn¡¯t get ¡°I¡¯ll die¡± written on the cheat sheet either. Great. ¡°DANGER¡± is all I can point out.

    ¡°To others?¡± he asks.

    ¡°NO.¡± Well, technically both Noli and I, but I¡¯m not about to muddy the waters with more things I can¡¯t explain.

    ¡°Yourself?¡±

    ¡°YES.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡±

    We walk in silence for a minute. I wish I could tell what he¡¯s thinking, but his lack of pupils and the whole glowing eyeballs thing makes it difficult for me to read his expression.

    ¡°Might I try something?¡± he finally asks. ¡°It¡¯s a spell. It won¡¯t harm you.¡±

    I¡¯m not terribly excited about the prospect of him doing magic to me, if I¡¯m being honest, but I also don¡¯t see that I¡¯ve much of a choice. ¡°YES.¡±

    ¡°Excellent. It will just take a moment.¡±

    A yellow light appears beneath me, radiating from Zyneth¡¯s palm.

    [Your magic has been Identified,] Echo says.

    Oh, uh. Okay. Good to know, I guess.

    The light disappears. ¡°You¡¯re a homunculus,¡± Zyneth says, voice filled with surprise.

    ¡°NO,¡± I reply.

    Zyneth blinks. ¡°No? You don¡¯t believe you¡¯re a homunculus?¡±

    ¡°YES AND NO.¡± I¡¯m a human, dammit. This homunculus thing is just¡­ a temporary and extreme inconvenience.

    ¡°Well your spell appears to be a homunculus spell to me,¡± he says. ¡°That¡¯s the spell you¡¯re worried will expire? I suppose that makes sense. A wizard needs to renew the core that powers their homunculus, periodically.¡± He hesitates. ¡°But I have never known a homunculus to be sentient before.¡±

    ¡°THANKS,¡± I circle.

    He laughs. ¡°Or sarcastic. That¡¯s why you say you¡¯re not a homunculus? You¡¯re something¡­ more.¡±

    ¡°YES.¡± Finally, someone who gets it.

    ¡°Strange,¡± he says. ¡°Truly strange. The glass part is unique as well. Did you know that?¡±

    ¡°NO,¡± I admit. Look, just because I¡¯m in a homunculus body doesn¡¯t make me an expert on them.

    He nods. ¡°Stone is the most common element for a homunculus, due to its durability. Sometimes wood or clay. Really, though, it depends on the core that powers the homunculus: It must be a complimentary affinity. Fire cores often power stone homunculus. Water cores for the wood ones. Lightning and earth arcana can be used for clay. Glass is unique, however.¡± He squints at me, and it¡¯s hard not to squirm under his dissecting gaze. ¡°I¡¯m unsure which element powers this body. My spell did not tell me that much, and my knowledge of the artform is incomplete.¡±

    I might have an inkling. If Trenevalt had been trying to collect an energy source from Between to power his homunculus, then that¡¯s likely the ¡°Element¡± that¡¯s powering my spell. Which surely has something to do with the void. But what¡¯s the difference between void and the predator? Are they one and the same? Is my spell being powered by the predator? Or is the creature just¡­ something else that¡¯s learned to feed off the void as well?

    My mind spins trying to sort through all the possibilities.

    ¡°That¡¯s not the only abnormality,¡± Zyneth continues. ¡°Although glass is odd, I see no reason for it to not be possible, should that meet a wizard¡¯s whims. However, this is an Attunement, is it not?¡± He taps my signing glass.

    ¡°YES.¡±

    ¡°And this?¡± He gestures to my body and the legs I¡¯ve fashioned for it. ¡°Did your wizard make this, or did you?¡±

    I proudly puff myself up. ¡°ME.¡±

    ¡°Amazing,¡± he repeats. ¡°That shouldn¡¯t be possible, you realize. Homunculi don¡¯t have magic of their own to wield; they are artificial constructs, without minds, wills, or souls of their own. At least, that was my understanding before today.¡±

    I¡¯m not sure how to respond to that. I certainly have all three of those. But I mean, Noli and I can¡¯t possibly be the first people this has happened too, right? We were definitely in the wrong place at the wrong time¡ªbut that doesn¡¯t mean our circumstances are one of a kind.

    Because if they are, then we¡¯re unlikely to find anyone who will know how to fix this.

    No, I¡¯m sure there have been others. Maybe our case is just rare¡ªbut not unheard of. After all, Zyneth admitted his knowledge of homunculi is limited. He¡¯s an artificer, not a wizard¡ªwhatever difference that makes. I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll find help in Harrowood.

    I¡¯m sure of it.

    After a while of walking, Zyneth¡¯s arm gets tired, so he offers for me to ride on his shoulder instead. It¡¯s high-key humiliating, being treated like some kind of pet, but I swallow my pride and accept. I¡¯m lucky he¡¯s helping me out at all.

    I dig my glass into the cloth on his shoulders, trying not to stab my gracious host in the process. I¡¯m able to pierce the ends through a couple folds of fabric, and when I press outward with my legs, it pretty well locks me into place. It¡¯s somewhat nicer to feel like my fate is in my own hands, again. Now I don¡¯t have to worry about being dropped: If I slip, death by Fall damage will be entirely my own fault.

    Nice.

    For the first time in what feels like years, my vantage point is actually at human level. It¡¯s refreshing, being able to see the world from more than three inches off the ground. It also fills me with a kind of aching wistfulness; I¡¯m so tired of being so small and helpless. I miss my body. And I¡¯m sick to my stomach of this constant fear hanging over me about what the predator might do to me next. Regret over what it¡¯s already made me do.

    Memories of the void come to me once again. It¡¯s hard to simply dismiss them. And I guess part of me doesn¡¯t want to just pretend like it didn¡¯t happen. I took two lives. Even if it was the predator acting through me¡ªeven if I didn¡¯t want it to happen¡ªI still bear the memories of being the one who killed them. Of relishing it. Those people tried to stand up against a monster, and lost everything. And if I¡¯d never been dragged into this world in the first place, they would still be alive.

    My soul aches for home. Not even for family or friends. Not for food and sleep and laughter. I just miss things being easy. Not having to worry about life and death. Not having others to be responsible for. I wish I could feel what it¡¯s like to live without this weight inside me again.

    Gradually, the melancholy crystallizes into resolve. Once we figure this spell out¡ªonce I make sure Noli¡¯s safe¡ªI¡¯m going to find some way to get our bodies back. Yes, I know I technically died to get here in the first place, but shit, I¡¯ve got magic now. Anything could be possible. If I can live for two weeks as a bottle of ink, why can¡¯t I heal my original body and take it back? Why can¡¯t I find a way to get rid of the predator forever?

    I guess, whatever the odds, I have to try.

 Chapter 26 â€” Glorified Laser Pointer

    The ravine eventually falls away to a gentle slope, trees fencing us in on either side. Sometimes I catch glimpses of green plains beneath us, but the hills rise and fall around our path, obscuring the view. It will still take a day or two more just to make it out of the hills, I¡¯d hazard, and that¡¯s nothing to say for how far away the city might be beyond that. It¡¯s beginning to dawn on me that I never would have made it in time by myself.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be making a camp for the night,¡± Zyneth says as red splashes of sunset drip between the canopy. ¡°We¡¯re nearing the edge of the Spire¡¯s reach, so I doubt we¡¯ll run into any trouble out here. Do you need to rest?¡±

    ¡°NO,¡± I circle.

    ¡°Well that makes one of us,¡± Zyneth says, smiling faintly. ¡°I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll have to wait for me to wake, then. Unless you intend to carry on alone.¡±

    Just the idea of spending eight hours twiddling my glass without anything to do to occupy my time makes me feel antsy. But we covered at least four times the ground I would have made today on my own. Even if I started walking now, he¡¯d probably catch up to me in the morning. Waiting is the right move.

    ¡°NO,¡± I circle again. ¡°NEED YOUR HELP. THANKS.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s settled, then,¡± he says, eyes roaming over the woods. ¡°Give me a tap if you see a decent clearing, would you?¡±

    ¡°YES.¡± If I had any idea what I was looking for. Really makes me wish I¡¯d paid better attention in Scouts as a kid.

    Luckily, Zyneth finds a suitable spot without my help¡ªno surprise there¡ªand unfurls a simple bedroll from his pack. The clearing seems to have been used as a camp in the past, as there¡¯s a deserted and leafy firepit already set up in the middle. I watch as he clears the debris out, adds some sticks, and then sparks a fire into existence with a snap of his fingers. Showoff.

    ¡°I hope you¡¯ll forgive me if I dine without offering you anything,¡± he says, removing a small wrap from his bag. ¡°However I believe I¡¯m not wrong in assuming you don¡¯t eat.¡±

    ¡°NO THANKS.¡± Although I wish I could. The strange blue fruit he pulls out looks interesting. And the dried strips of orange meat intrigue me, too. What would they taste like, I wonder? Beef? Chicken? Something totally new?

    ¡°Here, I¡¯ve something else for you.¡± Biting into his fruit, he casually reaches over my head and sticks his hand into the fire. I cringe, my glass flinching at the sight of his hand engulfed in flames, but he removes it a moment later with a chuckle. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m quite fireproof. Here.¡±

    He knocks a smoldering stick over the fire, casting embers back into the flames, then he reaches for my cheat sheet. ¡°May I?¡±

    I hesitantly hand over my only means of communication, curious what he has in mind. Flipping the paper over to the blank back side, he uses the charcoal to sketch some words over the paper.

    ¡°The front seemed rather full,¡± he says. ¡°I should be able to add some more words here.¡±

    Oh. Well, that¡¯s cool. If only I could tell him which words would help. But I guess, if I could tell him that, I wouldn¡¯t need them written in the first place.

    I watch him jot down several words, including ¡°Want,¡± ¡°Homunculus,¡± and ¡°Stop,¡± along with what appear to be several city names, given Peakshadow, Harrowood, the Black Spire, and the Petrified Groves are among them.

    When he¡¯s done, he hands the paper back over to me. ¡°Do any of these mean anything to you?¡± he asks, gesturing to the city names.

    I flip the paper around to circle, ¡°YES.¡± Then I turn it back to point to Peakshadow and Harrowood.

    ¡°I see.¡± He rubs his chin, then jots down ¡°Yes¡± and ¡°No¡± for me on this side as well so I don¡¯t have to keep flipping. ¡°What lies ahead and what lies behind. You¡¯re heading to Harrowood then?¡±

    ¡°YES.¡±

    ¡°And you came from Peakshadow?¡±

    ¡°YES.¡±

    His brow creases in the faintest of frowns¡ªor perhaps that¡¯s just a trick of the firelight. ¡°You¡¯ve come a long way on your journey. The wizard that created you¡ªthey can¡¯t offer the help you seek?¡±

    I inwardly grimace. ¡°NO.¡±

    ¡°Why is that?¡± Zyneth asks. ¡°Have you become separated? Did something happen to them?¡±

    My signing glass dips, and I hesitate over the word, ¡°YES.¡± Which is more than a bit of an understatement.

    Zyneth sits back, taking a bite of his dinner as he seems to ruminate over his next words. He chews. Swallows. Even though I can¡¯t make out any pupils or irises among the uniform yellow glow of his eyes, I can still feel him watching me. ¡°When I was passing through Peakshadow, a¡­ disturbance occurred. I was too late to the scene to see what happened, but others spoke of a malicious shadow with a glass heart.¡± He emphasizes the word glass, and I tense, my mind racing. ¡°It killed two adventurers passing through. Wounded several more. The survivors speculated it was summoned, given its abrupt appearance and departure. Did this have anything to do with what happened to your wizard?¡±

    His words chill me. He¡¯s putting things together far too quickly. What will he do if he finds out the shadow is connected to me? That I killed those people? He¡¯s a powerful magic user. And even if I¡¯m immune to his electric magic, one of his boots is more than capable of taking care of my meager hit points.

    ¡°NO,¡± I carefully respond.

    He doesn¡¯t take his gaze away from me. ¡°But you know of what I speak?¡±

    I consider lying. Somehow, I don¡¯t think it¡¯d convince him. ¡°YES.¡±

    ¡°Because you¡¯re involved, somehow?¡±

    I don¡¯t answer. That might as well be sealing my fate.

    Slowly, he nods. His hand comes down, and I flinch¡ªbut he¡¯s only reaching for his water flask. Zyneth finishes his meal before he speaks again.

    ¡°You are certainly full of mysteries,¡± he finally says. ¡°Though I believe you¡¯ve been forthright with me so far. If you won¡¯t¡ªor can¡¯t¡ªexplain, I will not try to extract the answer from you. Whatever your reasons for being involved with that shadow, I don¡¯t think you mean ill.¡± A faint smile ghosts his face. ¡°In fact you seemed quite willing to jump into the jaws of a beast to save me. You have a ferocious spirit.¡±This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    A guilty spirit, maybe. But his words make me relax a modicum. I don¡¯t think I¡¯m in immediate danger of getting tossed in the fire, at any rate. He still seems willing to help me. I can¡¯t peg this guy down.

    ¡°I will be getting some rest,¡± he says, stretching an arm behind his head. ¡°Feel free to wake me if anything concerns you."

    As Zyneth settles on his bedroll, I move part way around the fire and out of any accidental kicking range. It will be a long night with nothing to do, and stewing in my thoughts¡ªespecially surrounding Zyneth, what he might think of me, and what he might be planning¡ªdoesn¡¯t exactly appeal to me.

    First, I line up all my signing glass in a row. About half of them are now cracked, pieces missing. I can¡¯t even remember all the places I¡¯ve lost them: when fighting the cat, when sneaking around Peakshadow, the predator, the hail, the bonefangs. Maybe it shouldn¡¯t matter. I¡¯ve no one to talk to, after all. But what if I do find someone who can sign in Harrowood? It would be easier to communicate that way than my cheat sheet, at least. Maybe it¡¯s worth the few percentage points of Void to fix them up.

    At the reminder, I call on Echo for a Void Check.

    [Void: 8%]

    At least there¡¯s no more surprises now that I know how it works. If I did a Sculpt, that would be 2% per item I sculpted¡ªthat could add up quick. Maybe I¡¯ll keep that idea on the backburner for now. If I ended up using 10% a day, I would last for about nine more days before hitting the limit. Which reminds me¡­ how many days are left on our spell?

    I haven¡¯t checked since before the void incident. The bracelet¡¯s in my inventory, which means I can¡¯t take it out unless I also want to put it back and risk upping the Void stat. But if the spell runs out before I¡¯m expecting it to, that might not matter. I weigh my options.

    Shit. Fuck it. It¡¯s only 1%, and if I don¡¯t check it and end up counting the days wrong, I¡¯ll be dooming both Noli and I regardless. Lesser of two evils, I guess.

    I remove the charmed bracelet from my inventory, and I¡¯m immediately struck by how different it looks from what I¡¯d remembered. Only a couple of beads had been dark before. It had still been a mostly bright and glowing bracelet. Now, half the beads have gone out.

    I count out the remaining ones. Of the original twenty-one, only ten are still lit. Suddenly, a week and a half feels a lot shorter than it used to. Ten days to get to the next town, find a wizard who knows homunculus spells, and gather all the necessary supplies to save our souls. No sweat, right?

    I return the bracelet to my inventory (can¡¯t risk it breaking if I leave it out) then Check my Void stat once more.

    [Void: 9%]

    Well, I¡¯d been expecting that. What am I, a masochist? Grumpily, I look around for something to take my mind off things¡ªand catch a sliver of light dimly glowing between Zyneth¡¯s eyelids. I jump. Is he watching me?

    Zyneth chuckles, confirming my suspicion. ¡°You act so much like a person,¡± he says quietly. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you¡¯ll tell me the significance of that bracelet? Or how you¡¯re able to make things vanish and appear at will?¡±

    Not likely. I¡¯m faintly irritated, and I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s because he was spying on me, or because I didn¡¯t notice. But Zyneth doesn¡¯t give me a chance to head over to my cheat sheet for a reply. He stifles a yawn, then rolls over so his back is facing me.

    ¡°Apologies, little one. I shall give you some privacy. We can speak further on these matters in the morning.¡±

    I consider flicking a piece of glass at the exposed skin on the back of his neck out of spite. Maybe he¡¯d think it was a bug. But as his shoulders rise and fall, his breathing becomes more gradual and heavy, and I can tell he¡¯s drifting off to sleep.

    Despite my indignation over the nonconsensual surveillance, I¡¯m a little disappointed to see him fall asleep. He¡¯s clearly full of his own mysteries, no matter what he says about me¡ªand I¡¯m not even convinced, yet, that his intentions are benevolent. But he¡¯s the only person I have to talk to, and without my Attunements, it¡¯s going to be a long, long night.

    Settling in, I spend a while attempting to entertain myself by practicing different signs. I think I¡¯ve already forgotten a couple. It¡¯s a little monotonous to be practicing them now, without Noli here to talk to or give feedback. But I have nothing else to distract myself with as I whittle away the hours.

    Bored, I watch the dying firelight dance through my glass, casting a diffraction of beams across the ground like sunlight scattered through water. I play with them for a while, trying to focus the light and trace patterns over the ground. I can bounce the beams from one piece of glass to another, if I angle them just right, though invariably dozens of smaller dots glint off in every direction, like a mini disco ball. Actually, my main body seems to focus the light the best; it makes me wonder what I could do if I had Sculpted pieces of Attuned glass into spheres and lenses instead of just rods to use as limbs and legs.

    [New Skill Obtained,] Echo says, her voice so abrupt in the otherwise quiet night that I startle, nearly dropping my glass. [Lightbeam, Level 1]

    Oh? Tell me about it, Echo.

    [Lightbeam: A skill which focuses a beam of light on an intended target.]

    No shit. So, like, a flashlight? Does it cost any mana?

    [Negative,] Echo says. [Skills do not require mana. However, Lightbeam may also be cast as a spell, wherein mana provides the source of light to be used for the skill. In this case, the intensity and duration of the Lightbeam will be dependent on the amount of mana consumed.]

    I guess that makes sense. If you don¡¯t have a source of light to focus through the glass, the spell lets you make your own. The skill itself doesn¡¯t seem terribly useful, though. Still, I give it a try.

    Alright, Echo. Let¡¯s use Lightbeam then. As a skill, I hastily add. Not a spell. Don¡¯t want to burn up any more of that Void stat.

    [Select a target,] Echo replies.

    Alright. I focus on a rock on the other side of the clearing. Immediately, my glass snaps to attention, the pieces automatically aligning to reflect the firelight onto the rock. The light is way more accurate¡ªand concentrated¡ªthan I could have done manually. That¡¯s neat!

    Not terribly useful, but neat. I move my focus onto the ground, and the beam of light follows. I make it do a loop-the-loop, and it traces out the path I intend. I focus it on a nearby leaf, and leave it there for a minute.

    No fire. Boooo. So I¡¯ve basically got a glorified laser pointer on my hands. I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m supposed to do with this, but I guess I can¡¯t complain about having more skills that don¡¯t use mana. You know what? Sure. I¡¯ll take it.

    The Lightbeam entertains me for a couple hours longer, but even that starts to grow old, and as the night stretches on, the fire dies out anyway. Eventually, I¡¯m left in the dark with nothing to preoccupy myself but my mind.

    It¡¯s probably near midnight when the first distant howl drifts through the still night air. It¡¯s barely a whisper. I wait for a moment, listening. The night is cold and quiet. No sound from birds. An occasional chirp or click of an insect.

    Perhaps I imagined it. Then, a second howl floats through the night.

    A shudder prickles through my glass. The sound is unearthly. Similar to a wolf¡¯s call but¡­ artificial. Like it¡¯s taken on a metallic ring. Like it¡¯s an electronic imitation. Whatever¡¯s wrong with the sound, I think it might be getting closer.

    I cautiously retreat a few steps toward Zyneth, wondering if I should wake him. Maybe the creatures will pass us by. Maybe this is a common nightly sound. After all, I¡¯d left Noli to keep a look out while I was busy Attuning glass. Maybe this is what she heard most nights as well. Even so, I spread my glass out, brushing over the ground, using my Elemental Radar to create a mental image of my surroundings. I can only reach a couple feet away, but any increase in ¡°Sight¡± is more comforting than staring into the black.

    The animal¡¯s cry comes again, this time much closer. And it¡¯s not alone¡ªseveral other calls go up in response, and they¡¯re not all coming from the same direction.

    Shit. They¡¯re not passing us by; they¡¯re surrounding us.

    I poke Zyneth on his arm with a few pieces of glass. Then, immediately breaking my cool, I start stabbing rather more forcefully. The howls have given way to growls and excited yips, coming from every direction now. Come on, pretty demon guy, now is not the time for some beauty sleep!

    A growl from the other side of the firepit snags my attention away from Zyneth. Pinpricks of green glow in the dark, eerily reminiscent of the bonefangs, but these dots of light are further apart and much higher off the ground. And when the creature it belongs to steps into the moonlight, the similarities¡ªand differences¡ªbecome all too apparent.

    The creature might have been something like a wolf when it was alive. It¡¯s enormous, at least four feet tall, and patches of fur¡ªor what might be moss and decayed leaves¡ªcling to its emaciated hide. But its head is a familiar visage; all white bones, with tiny green flames glowing in each empty eye socket.

    I Check the beast stalking toward me.

    [A result of the Black Spire¡¯s necrotic energy spilling into the surrounding wildlife, these predators are drawn to the scent of magic, and only hunt at night. Once their canines have latched on their prey, they can drain their target¡¯s mana¡ªand lifeforce¡ªin under a minute,] Echo says.

    [Level 19: Nightbane.]

 Chapter 27 - The Nightbanes

    As more of the pack emerge from the trees, Zyneth stirs behind me.

    ¡°I see we¡¯ve some company. I would advise you to not make any sudden movements.¡± Eyes on the predators, he slowly curls a hand into a fist, light spilling between the gaps in his fingers.

    More nightbanes step into the clearing, moving silently between the trees. Only their skulls stand out in the moonlight, the rest of their bodies melting into the surrounding dark.

    ¡°I suppose this is my fault,¡± Zyneth murmurs, eyes flitting between each of the nightbanes. I only count five, but I know better than to be optimistic. ¡°I thought we were far enough away from their territory to not risk an encounter. But they¡¯re attracted to large sources of magic, and I suspect my lightning display yesterday was enough for them to catch our scent.¡±

    Great¡ªat least they¡¯ll target him, and not me.

    Okay, I know that¡¯s kind of an asshole thing to think, but the dude¡¯s got two dozen levels on me. He can handle a dog bite somewhat better than I can.

    I mean, I hope he can, at least.

    One of the nightbanes steps forward.

    ¡°Close your eyes,¡± Zyneth says.

    Are you kidding me? I don¡¯t have any fucking¡ª

    The clearing explodes in a burst of light.

    [Status Effect: Blinded]

    The nightbanes snarl. There¡¯s a gust of movement behind me. The ground pounds with footsteps. I stumble to the side, panic swelling up in me as the clash of a battle rings out and I still can¡¯t see anything. I pull my glass protectively back toward me¡ªand the little bit of surroundings within my glass¡¯s range pop into my head like a movie still. Right. I¡¯m not totally blind: I still have my glass radar.

    And not only that¡­

    Echo, Check on my surroundings. Species and Level.

    [Level 18 Nightbane,] Echo says, the words appearing to my left. [Level 21 Nightbane.] The words are in front of me. [Level 19 Nightbane. Level 22 Nightbane. Level 31 Cambion. Level 17 Nightbane.]

    The words track with the movement of each creature, at least giving me some sense of where they are. Most of the nightbanes seem clustered around Zyneth, though thankfully not on top of him. The labels dart forward and back in an unseen dance of battle.

    I use my glass to feel out a path of retreat, backing up over Zyneth¡¯s bedroll and huddling against the tree behind it. One less direction to worry about. Which is a good thing now that I can tell exactly what we¡¯re up against.

    There¡¯s eight nightbanes, and while most of them are fighting or circling Zyneth, two others are closer to my general vicinity. I hold perfectly still as one lopes around behind our camp. I should be fine. Like Zyneth said: They were drawn to his magic, not me.

    [Status Effect Blinded timing out.]

    Finally, my vision starts to clear. At first, I think a spot has been permanently burned into my vision, until I realize Zyneth¡¯s attack wasn¡¯t all just for show: A fire blazes in the middle of the clearing, illuminating the rest of the scene in stuttering shadows and orange light.

    Zyneth is a blur of motion, daggers crackling with lightning in each hand. A nightbane already lays at his feet, but more still surround him. He ducks away from one of the monsters as they leap for him, burying his blade in their skull and stabbing them into the ground. Another springs forward, teeth bared, and he wrenches the knife buried in the downed nightbane to fling at the other assailant. It snaps through the air with a crack of thunder, flashing with electricity when it strikes home.

    I¡¯m impressed¡ªand a little terrified. This guy clearly knows his way around stabby things. Glad he¡¯s on my side¡ªwhich is exactly how I¡¯d like to keep it.

    A growl far too close for comfort draws my attention away from Zyneth. One of the nightbanes steps around my tree¡ªonly feet away¡ªand its burning eyes have narrowed in on me.

    I hold perfectly still. Nice undead dog. I promise I¡¯m not tasty! I¡¯ll shatter in your teeth and get in your¡ªer¡ªI guess you don¡¯t have gums, do you. Well, it won¡¯t be pleasant for either of us, at any rate.

    My silent pleas are shockingly disregarded. The creature steps closer, its nose lowered to the ground, and despite lacking the organs to be able to do so, a sickly warm puff of air brushes over me as it snuffs about. I mean, I guess I also lack the organs to be able to feel that, so who am I to judge?

    It¡¯s taking all my willpower to stay still. Surely with all the magic Zyneth¡¯s throwing around, it should move on soon. But it¡¯s not turning away. Come on, come on! There¡¯s plenty of other magic about. Why are you coming after me?

    But in my heart of hearts, I know why. I¡¯ve performed plenty of magic in the past¡ªand each time the predator has been released, I¡¯m sure its stench has hung around. At least enough that this creature can tell I¡¯m no inanimate object. I Check the beast.

    [Level 18 Nightbane]

    Panic threatens to bubble up, but I force it back down: Now is not the moment to lose my cool. It¡¯s only almost 3 times my level¡ªno big deal. I have some spells in my back pocket¡ªall of them pretty useless for battle. That¡¯s fine. Got some glass and books in my inventory. None of them really big enough to make a dent on this guy. Not a problem. I can still¡­ uh¡­

    My glass tinks as the tip of the nightbane¡¯s skull taps against me. It snorts a warm wind over me and opens its jaws.

    My composure cracks. I make a run for it, stabbing two pieces of glass into its eye holes as I dive backward.

    [0 points of Piercing damage dealt]

    Fucking awesome.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    The nightbane pounces after me, completely unfazed. I dart around the side of the tree, knowing outmaneuvering the thing is the only chance I stand at escaping it¡ª¡¯cause I sure as hell won¡¯t be able to outrun it.

    It crashes through the brush in pursuit, and I skitter back around the other side of the tree toward the fire, like some kind of fucking cartoon. But without a mousehole for me to dive into, this chase scene will not end with the underdog securing the upper hand. On the other side of the fire, Zyneth is still fighting off the majority of the pack¡ªand good for him on that¡ªbut I don¡¯t have time to worry about how he¡¯s faring when just one of these hounds is more than I can handle. Another flash of lightning sparks from Zyneth¡¯s attacks, illuminating the nightbane still hot on my tail. It glances his way for a moment, drawn by the light¡ª

    That¡¯s it!

    Lightbeam, I mentally call, reaching for the magic. Straight into that fucker¡¯s eyes!

    My glass snaps into place, bouncing a focused beam of firelight right into the nightbane¡¯s face. The creature shakes its head, trying to duck out of the blinding light, but my glass stays honed in on its eyes, illuminating the inside of its skull.

    Hah! Finally someone else who understands the plight of not having eyelids. The nightbane snarls, batting blindly at the reflection, and I duck my glass away from its claws, still keeping the light focused on its eyes. No time for me to savor my victory, however; it could still take me out with one lucky swipe. Now is the time for a tactical retreat. And if I can¡¯t outrun it¡­

    I stick one of my limbs into the side of the tree, wedging it into a gap between two pieces of bark. It feels steady. I hook my next leg in, and then the next. I¡¯m definitely top-heavy, but now that my vial is strapped securely to the rest of my get-up, I at least know I won¡¯t fall out.

    As long as my legs don¡¯t slip.

    But as I climb the side of the tree, I find it easier than I expected. Better than trying to climb up that sandy ravine when my vial hadn¡¯t been secured¡ªand the bark provides more grip than Trenevalt¡¯s wooden desk. Maybe that climbing skill is doing something for me after all. Dare I say¡­ this is pretty easy?

    I know, I know. Something in this world not costing me a herculean effort? I¡¯m surprised, too.

    As I climb the tree, I have to take my glass with me so it doesn¡¯t fall out of range. It¡¯s still pointed on the nightbane¡¯s eyes, but given my glass can only move a couple feet away from me, it¡¯s unfortunately also giving the nightbane a general indication of where I¡¯m headed. Hopefully it¡¯s not smart enough to put that together.

    It is, at least, smart enough to know where the obnoxious light is coming from. The nightbane snarls, jumping at my glass. I yank it to the side as the nightbane flies past my tree, and the Lightbeam is broken. Damn. I keep heading up as I wait for the skelewolf to circle back around and into view, so I can try blinding it again. It appears from the other side of the trunk, and I point my glass at it once more¡ªbut not before it catches sight of me climbing up the tree.

    Oh sh¡ª

    I hastily scamper to the side as it leaps, paw slamming against the trunk just inches away. The tree shakes beneath the impact, and one of my legs slips. My soul drops as I scramble to regain my foothold. Holy shit. If I fall from this height, no amount of Fall Damage Resistance will save me.

    Maybe I should have thought of that before I started climbing.

    Too late now. The nightbane¡¯s skeletal claws tear grooves down the bark as it slips back to the ground. I take the opportunity to retreat a little higher, restarting my Lightbeam. The nightbane snarls, turning its head away, but it leaps back at me nevertheless.

    This time its blow lands high. I lurch to the side as its paw drags down the tree, but I¡¯m not fast enough; one of its claws nicks my back leg as I¡¯m scrambling to get out of the way, instantly snapping the glass off. My leg falls to the ground below, shattering on a root.

    [3 points of Bludgeoning damage sustained.]

    Crap! A phantom ache pulses on the side of my glass, where the leg was snapped off, but that¡¯s the least of my worries as I struggle to keep from falling. I dig my other legs in, pressing back against the tree. I¡¯m stuck. I can¡¯t risk moving, or I¡¯ll fall. But if I don¡¯t move, its next swipe will take me out.

    I can¡¯t run. I have no defense. I need to attack¡ªdo something offensive¡ªanything that can deal some damage¡ª

    The nightbane crouches, getting ready to spring again.

    Summon a spell book, Echo!

    The tome drops on top of the nightbanes head with a satisfyingly solid thump, and the animal lets out a startled cry, backing up a few feet.

    [6 points of Bludgeoning damage dealt.]

    That¡¯s something. But it¡¯s a one-time trick. I¡¯ve got a second book in there, but if I chuck that at the nightbane, I¡¯ll be left empty handed. I have glass¡ªbroken shards and Attuned¡ªbut will it be enough to dissuade the animal? No, it would only buy me time. A few seconds at most. The nightbane shakes its head, padding back over, its gaze fixed on me despite the light I have shining in its eyes. It¡¯s not enough.

    I hate it. I hated even using my inventory for the spell books¡ªthat¡¯s another 2% Void to put them back¡ªbut if I¡¯m dead, none of it will matter, and there¡¯s nothing else I can think of.

    The nightbane crouches as my reluctance crumbles into fear. Lightbeam! I call, this time activating it as a spell. Now. Hurry!

    [Spell activated.]

    A warmth spreads through me as my glass snaps into a new orientation, clustering around me instead of reflecting the firelight. The nightbane jumps, and with a flash of heat, the Lightbeam fires.

    The creature recoils as white light sears into its face, crying out with an unearthly yip of pain. It falls to the ground, missing a step and crumpling, then scrambles to escape me, twisting in pain.

    ¡ªI see the felis looking up at me in horror, dread filling his eyes as I spear him through the chest¡ª

    Stop! I cry. The Lightbeam vanishes as shadows fall back over the scene. Images of the felis dissipate, and it¡¯s only the nightbane lying beneath me.

    [20 points of Light damage dealt.]

    And the Void stat? I ask, trembling. The nightbane staggers to its feet, a black mark on the side of its skull. Instead of turning toward me, however, it limps off into the dark.

    [Void: 29%]

    I don¡¯t even feel anything when she says it. I¡¯m just numb. Full of static. I guess I should feel relieved, at least. I¡¯m not dead. I won. But it doesn¡¯t feel like winning. I stare at a black scorch mark on the ground.

    Gradually, I become aware of sound on the other side of the camp, as if I¡¯d forgotten how to register noise and I¡¯m only now starting to process it again. Zyneth is still fighting the pack of nightbanes. Several of the creatures lay scattered around him and there are only two left in the fight, but he¡¯s slower, breathing heavily.

    It takes me a moment to realize Zyneth¡¯s only focused on one of them. The second nightbane has circled around behind, and I can only see it in the shadows due to the label Echo stuck over its head. It¡¯s going to catch him unaware. Even with this realization I don¡¯t feel any form of alarm¡ªjust resignation. I turn my glass on the nightbane that¡¯s creeping up behind him.

    Lightbeam.

    The laser of light strikes the animal in its jaw, sending it staggering to its side and into a tree. The creature howls in pain, and Zyneth glances back, face lifted in surprise. Then he sees the beam¡ªtraces it to me¡ªand whirls back into the fight, striking the last nightbane before him with his sparking electric dagger.

    [Mana extinguished,] Echo reports. The Lightbeam vanishes. The nightbane I¡¯d been attacking doesn¡¯t get up.

    [21 points of Light damage dealt.]

    [9 points of Bludgeoning damage dealt.]

    [Level Up!]

    Oh. Great.

    [Name: Kanin]

    [Species: N/A]

    [Class: Wizard]

    [Level: 8]

    [HP: 10/10]

    [Bonus HP: 20]

    [Mana: 50/50]

    [Void: 50%]

    [Role: Homunculus]

    The scene is abruptly quiet. With the nightbanes all dead or fled, it feels unnervingly still. A stick pops in the firepit, and I flinch.

    Zyneth sags, and the lightning licking up the sides of his blades flicker out. He glances around the forest, rubbing his shoulder, then slowly heads back toward the firelight. He sags against a tree across from me, holding his right arm.

    ¡°Well,¡± he says, catching his breath. His gaze dances over me, though all the previous hints of faint amusement are gone. His eyes are harder now. Looking at me with a more serious calculation. ¡°Any more surprises you¡¯d like to tell me?¡±

 Chapter 28 - Planar Theories

    If I were able to spill my guts, the void would probably be a good place to start. I¡¯m only level 7¡ªnow 8, I guess. He¡¯s 31. If the predator got out again, could he stop it?

    It might have its own level, and if it does, I have no idea what that number might be. I¡¯d never considered this before, and given how overpowering it had been during our last encounter, the thought isn¡¯t comforting.

    Zyneth sighs, touching his arm, then bringing his hand away to examine a smudge of blood. ¡°All things considered, it looks like we both made it through mostly unscathed.¡± He nods to my broken leg. ¡°Mostly.¡±

    Yeah. Shit. That¡¯s another thing I might have to spend mana on. Unless I can figure out how to walk with three legs.

    Zyneth rolls his shoulder, scanning the surrounding debris field. There¡¯s nightbane bodies everywhere, claw marks torn through the ground, bark stripped from my tree¡ªnot to mention my spell book, spilled open beneath me. Zyneth notices this as well.

    ¡°Yours?¡± he asks with a weak chuckle. ¡°I suppose I shouldn¡¯t be surprised by anything with you now.¡± He pushes off the tree, grunting as he leans down to pick up the book, and carefully shuffles the loose pages back in place before closing it. Hey, he¡¯s a magic user, right? Maybe he can do some of the spells that are in there.

    He flips it over to read the cover and blinks. ¡°Gods¡¯ grace. Even I¡¯m not versed enough in planar magic to understand half of what must be in here.¡±

    Welp. There goes that hope.

    ¡°But I think I have learned my lesson about underestimating you,¡± Zyneth continues. He tucks the book under an arm, then heads over to me and offers up a hand. ¡°Need help? I assume you would have moved down by now if you could.¡±

    You would assume correctly. I gesture him closer with my broken stub, and he puts both hands beneath me. Taking a leap of faith, I loosen one of my limbs from the tree¡ªand my other legs promptly lose their grip as I faceplant into his hands. Good thing I hadn¡¯t attempted any more climbing, I guess.

    I don¡¯t feel so embarrassed to be carried this time. I¡¯m just tired. Sullen. And frustrated, dammit! Why did I do that? Why did I help him? Why did I use the Lightbeam knowing it would just feed the Void? I should have thought of some other way. I should have¡­ have¡­

    But no matter how much I think about it, I can¡¯t figure out what I could have done differently. Without the spell, that nightbane would have killed me, or the other one would have killed Zyneth, leaving me stranded in the woods without enough time to get help. Either way, it would have doomed Noli, too. But using magic, accessing my inventory, it just feels like I¡¯m delaying the inevitable. Each time I do something to protect myself, I put one more foot in the grave¡ªor the void, as the case may be.

    So I did the right thing. I didn¡¯t have any other choice.

    That does nothing to make me feel any better.

    Zyneth sets me on the ground. I take a wobbling step forward, trying to balance on my tripod legs, and end up tipping back onto my broken stump. Perfect.

    I reach for the fragments of glass that used to be my back leg, and am mildly surprised to find them within range. I guess my range got bigger again now that I leveled up. I call them back to me, and a dozen tiny shards float over. Zyneth sits heavily against the tree, setting my spell book aside and making no attempt to hide the fact that he¡¯s watching me. Whatever. It¡¯s not like I need to hide anything.

    Echo, can these pieces be repaired with Sculpt? I ask.

    [Affirmative.]

    How much mana would that take? I tense with trepidation.

    [2 mana,] she replies.

    Oh. I thought it would be more. But I guess that¡¯s all it took to Sculpt them in the first place, and I¡¯m not adding anything extra.

    Alright, I say, weary. In for a penny, in for a pound. I activate Sculpt.

    It only takes a minute to stick all the pieces back together and reshape my leg. I don¡¯t know which pieces fit where, so I just squish them all together and then smooth out the end result. I have to roll on my side to stick it back on my broken stump, but once that¡¯s done, I¡¯m as good as new.

    And up another 2% Void.

    Zyneth finally stirs, but instead of making any comment about my magic, he reaches over to his pack, where he roots around in his bag before pulling out a bandage. Wordlessly, he begins to clean a slash mark on his shoulder.

    I guess that¡¯s it then, huh? Kill a bunch of animals, then tend to our wounds. Go us. What a team. I stalk back over to the fire pit, where my cheat sheet largely survived the battle. Black singes pockmark the page, and a partial paw print has crinkled and obscured the lower left-hand corner, but otherwise it¡¯s still usable. I grab it and drag it back over to Zyneth.

    I drop it in front of him and circle Harrowood.

    Zyneth cinches the tie on his bandage. ¡°You want to go to the city. I believe we¡¯ve already established this.¡±

    I flip the page over to circle a different word. ¡°URGENT.¡±

    Zyneth quirks an eyebrow. ¡°Moreso now than before?¡±

    ¡°YES.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    I don¡¯t have an answer for that. But I¡¯m already over halfway to summoning the predator again. I can¡¯t afford to risk anything else happening before I have a way to save Noli.

    When all I can do is shrug, Zyneth sighs. ¡°While I am sure your mission is of the utmost importance, I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m not in any state to continue our journey tonight. I¡¯ve used a lot of magic¡ªand most of my energy¡ªdealing with those fiends. I need to rest, or travel tomorrow will be equally hampered.¡±Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!

    I know that he¡¯s right, and I know he doesn¡¯t owe me anything, but his words are disheartening nevertheless. I just want all of this to be over already.

    A faint smile ghosts Zyneth¡¯s face. ¡°Come, don¡¯t look so dejected. We will work on puzzling together your story more in the morning, hm? If anything else happens¡ªthough given this graveyard we¡¯ve created, I doubt anything will¡ªfeel free to wake me, as you did before. Now, I shall get some rest.¡±

    Zyneth slowly lowers himself to his bedroll with a groan, then reaches a hand to the fire, and the flames die down to embers. He heaves a sigh as he closes his eyes, and in moments, he¡¯s breathing deeply. He must be feeling it more than he looks it. I scan him with a quick Check.

    [Name: Zyneth]

    [Species: Cambion]

    [Class: Rogue Artificer]

    [Level: 31]

    [HP: 130/150]

    [Mana: 45/580]

    For the first time since the fight, I feel a pang of emotion. He¡¯s hurt and on the last leg of his magic. No wonder he practically passed out. Was all that to help me? Or would he have been in this situation even if I hadn¡¯t been with him? The nightbanes are attracted to magic, Echo said, and Zyneth certainly has plenty of it. But despite that, a nightbane was still able to pick me out of the noise. What does that say about me¡ªor the predator?

    I sag, weary. I guess it doesn¡¯t matter if it was my fault or his¡ªif he fought for the both of us or just himself. I shouldn¡¯t have pushed him to keep going. I need to stop just thinking about myself. Even if he could be used to stop me¡ªstop the predator¡ªhe doesn¡¯t owe it to me to try. He¡¯s got his own life to go live. And if I¡ªif the predator took his life, too, I don¡¯t know how I could live with it.

    I head over to my spell book, tapping it with a piece of glass. I guess this needs to go back into my inventory. Can¡¯t expect Zyneth to carry it for me. Although¡­

    There¡¯s still several hours left in the night. Several more hours of just waiting for time to pass. I don¡¯t want to do anything but sleep. Barring that, just lying on the ground staring at dirt sounds nice. But now that the book is out of my inventory, and now that I have the time, I feel a certain responsibility to read it. It would be a waste of my Void stat if I didn¡¯t at least try to make some use of it.

    I check which book it was I had summoned: This one¡¯s Planar Theories. I haven¡¯t had a chance to read it yet, and frankly I¡¯ve never made an effort to because it sounds dry as fuck. But the other book had taught me a couple of hopefully not useless spells, so I guess it¡¯s worth a shot seeing what this one¡¯s got for me as well.

    I open to the front page: Planar Theories, it reads, with the subtitle As Relevant to Arcana Sources and the Great Ruins. Oh boy. This should be something.

    The preface waffles on for a long while about the author¡¯s personal travels and pursuit of knowledge, managing to be even more self-indulgent than Vessel Construction¡¯s Loquacious Skyheart. Yes, magic is wonderful. Yes, the Ruins inspire such awe and spirituality.

    I skip to the table of contents. The chapters seem to be titled after locations, of which I surprisingly recognize a couple. The Black Spire is the first one to stick out; Echo had mentioned it before when talking about the bonefangs and nightbanes. They were created through necrotic magic or something, right? Seemed like the Black Spire was the source of that. More surprisingly, I notice the Petrified Groves is on the list. I¡¯m pretty sure I heard that one from Zyneth. I pause to go check my cheat sheet, and sure enough, he¡¯d written it down along with the other list of city names. Or maybe this list wasn¡¯t all cities after all, but¡­ significant locations. Hadn¡¯t Zyneth said the Groves was where he was headed? Interesting.

    Returning to my book, I find the last location I recognize from something I¡¯d read in the other spell book: The Drowned City of Emrox. What was that one again? Something to do with the chalk I needed for the spell circle.

    Echo. What do I need from Emrox?

    [For the spell Core Bond, which is used to bind a magic source to a vessel, the spell circle must be drawn with chalk infused with null arcanum-enriched salt from the undersea ruins of Emrox.]

    Which is the spell we need refreshed if we don¡¯t want to end up back Between. Well, that seems as good a place to start reading as any. I spend a few minutes flipping the couple hundred pages needed to get to the proper section.

    Famous within summoning communities, the book says, Emrox may be simultaneously one of the most well-known and least traveled of the Ruins. While its location at the bottom of the Emerald Sea makes accessibility difficult, a handful of adventurers over the years have scouted its depths enough to create preliminary maps of its layout.

    A sketch of a city is included beneath this, full of layered and broken disk-like structures, overgrown by sealife.

    It is speculated that its strange gravity-defying architecture may have been sustained by the very magic that still leaks into the surrounding waters, infusing the salt therein with null arcanum.

    Unlike common elemental arcana, the plane from which Emrox derives its energies remains mysterious. Many a wizard has been born with an affinity for null arcanum¡ªindeed, harnessing its magics is a commonplace occurrence within summoning fields and the growing use of telepads¡ªthough attempts to attune the power directly and travel to the Between oft result in the deaths of such intrepid wizards. While it is possible to visit the planar dimension of Harena, for instance, and walk through the eternal flames, returning with an arsenal of fire to wield at the user¡¯s disposal, accounts of wizards who have sought travel Between to harness the void are questionable in nature. When such null wizards do return¡ªif they return at all¡ªthey are often missing limbs, or have experienced a rearranging of their biology. As a result, true attunement of the void appears perilous at best; luckily for the reader, the oceans around Emrox provide a solution to this volatile magic, allowing us to harness a fraction of its power in the form of refined null-enriched salt.

    Perhaps the uses of these arcana provide some clues of this null dimension which remains frustratingly out of reach. Certainly, it¡¯s spatial in nature. Used to link points in space, such as two telepad locations, it equally strengthens spells used to bind any two objects to one other, and acts as the glue for certain spells where a bond would otherwise be impossible.

    As a result of the geometries of the Emrox architecture, there is also speculation that harnessing this ¡°Spatial magic¡± might hold the key to tinkering with the laws of the universe itself, such as defying gravity, accessing other dimensions, or even the manipulation of time¡ª

    Hold on a sec. I scan backward a few sentences. It can act as the glue for spells where a bond would otherwise be impossible. Is that why this null arcanum stuff is needed for the Core Bond spell? Because otherwise binding a soul to something else would be too hard? Maybe. But Trenevalt had done it¡ªtwice. On accident. Had he been using null arcanum-enriched chalk for that spell, too?

    Crap. Does that mean he could have had the chalk we needed back at his house this whole time? Good god. I hope we didn¡¯t head all this way for nothing.

    Well, it¡¯s too late now. It would take too long to get back there on my own, and Zyneth¡¯s heading the opposite way. Not to mention, even if I could convince someone else to take me, I¡¯d have a whole murder scene to explain. I¡¯ll have to hope I can find some in Harrowood¡ªor, even better, hope the wizard I find there already has a supply.

    Before reading on, I make a detour to my cheat sheet and pull it over next to my book. I might not be able to write in their language, but I should be able to copy what the letters look like. I stare hard at the words Echo is translating as ¡°Null arcanum-enriched chalk.¡± It¡¯s a bit of a mouthful. But I have paper, and I have time.

    I send some of my signing glass over to the firepit to mix around the ashes. Bringing them back, I swipe an experimental stroke down a corner of the page. A smudge of black is left in its place, but that hair¡¯s width of a line has stripped all the soot off that part of my glass. I send it back to the fireplace while I bring a second piece forward. Painstakingly, I begin to copy the words over, one laborious stroke at a time.

 Chapter 29 - Harrowood

    The sun can¡¯t rise fast enough, though even after it does, Zyneth continues to sleep. I¡¯m anxious to get back on the road, but I let him rest. Without him, I¡¯m not going anywhere, after all.

    He finally rouses a few hours after sunrise¡ªstill early morning, so I suppose I shouldn¡¯t be so grumpy. He certainly takes his time packing up, scuffing out the remains of his fire, munching on some dried meat and salted nuts. I shift from foot to foot to telegraph my impatience.

    Zyneth chuckles when he notices. ¡°Alright, yes, I see you, little friend. I¡¯m just about ready.¡± He gestures to my spell book. ¡°Will you be packing that up too, or am I expected to carry it?¡±

    I¡¯d sort of been hoping for the latter, but given his wounds and teasing tone I¡¯m beginning to suspect that¡¯s not an option. Reluctantly, I add it back to my inventory. Out of impulse, I Check my stats.

    [Void: 53%]

    So much for staying under 10% before I reached Harrowood.

    ¡°Ready?¡± he asks, resting a hand on the ground. ¡°Will you be vanishing that language sheet of yours as well, or¡­¡±

    I snag my cheat sheet with some signing glass, dragging it along as I step onto his hand.

    ¡°Good. Hold on.¡± He stands, the movement pressing me down against his hand, then holds me up to his shoulder. I tentatively step over, hooking my limbs into the fabric for purchase. It¡¯s the opposite side from yesterday, I notice: his unwounded side. Maybe it¡¯s because of our classes, or the difference in biology (I guess, lack of biology for me) but his HP isn¡¯t regenerating nearly as fast as mine. He only had 20 points to heal, and I passively regenerate at 1 point every 10 minutes. But now he¡¯s only at 135/150. Still, he¡¯ll probably be fine, right? We should be back in civilization again soon. He can get help there.

    Although, I suppose while a city is preferable for the living, it¡¯s far more dangerous for me.

    I lift my cheat sheet up as Zyneth begins to walk, moving back onto the path and starting down the incline. I straighten the paper out as best I can, given the abuse it sustained last night. Zyneth takes note.

    ¡°You¡¯ve written something,¡± he notices. ¡°In much more terrible handwriting, I might add.¡±

    Look, it¡¯s the best I could manage given the circumstances.

    ¡°Null arcanum-enriched chalk,¡± he reads. ¡°How¡­ oddly specific.¡±

    I flip the paper over. ¡°NEED.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I would have surmised.¡±

    Alright, smarty pants. Then do you know what I need it for?

    ¡°Is this what you¡¯re looking for in Harrowood?¡± he asks.

    Among other things. ¡°YES.¡±

    Zyneth hums in thought. ¡°I¡¯m not very familiar with the stuff myself, but I expect you should be able to track some down at some arcana store or another.¡±

    My hope soars. Finally!

    ¡°Or,¡± Zyneth adds, ¡°At least you should be able to put in an order for some, if it¡¯s more rare.¡±

    And my hope comes crashing back down. Something tells me this world doesn¡¯t have same-day delivery. But surely, in a whole city, there has to be someone who¡¯s skilled enough in this kind of magic to have some of this chalk lying around. I mean, it¡¯s chalk. I¡¯m not exactly asking for a gold-plated toilet here.

    Of course, I might be worrying over nothing. We still need to find someone who can help with our spells; if we find them, they should have all the tools we need.

    I flip the page back over. ¡°HARROWOOD.¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°Where we¡¯re going.¡±

    I flip it over again. ¡°NEED WIZARD.¡±

    ¡°In Harrowood,¡± Zyneth agrees. ¡°Is there a specific one?¡±

    ¡°HOMUNCULUS.¡±

    ¡°I suppose that makes sense,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°Someone who would specialize in your area of, ah, personal experience. Do you have one in mind?¡±

    ¡°YES.¡± The one I stumbled upon in Attiru¡¯s shop. Cloud¡¯s Arcane Artifacts. It¡¯s the best lead to start with, at any rate.

    Zyneth pauses. ¡°But you haven¡¯t written their name down.¡±

    I inwardly grimace. I would if I could. ¡°NO.¡±

    ¡°If I were to give you some charcoal or ink, could you?¡±

    The grimace lingers. ¡°NO.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s rather unhelpful,¡± Zyneth notes.

    Tell me about it.

    Zyneth continues to mull over the issue. ¡°Would you recognize their name if it was written?¡±

    ¡°YES!¡±

    ¡°Hm. Alright. Well, it¡¯s a bit of a needle in a haystack approach, but we might be able to consult a directory once we get into town,¡± he says.

    ¡°YES!¡± Great idea. Better than anything I¡¯ve been able to come up with.

    ¡°However,¡± Zyneth adds, ¡°I must remind you that I won¡¯t be able to stay long. Harrowood is not my destination¡ªmerely a stopgap. I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t afford to spend much time lingering in the city.¡±

    Right. Of course he has other priorities¡ªalthough I¡¯d be lying if I said I wasn¡¯t hoping he¡¯d stay and help.

    ¡°Of course, I am willing to return at a later date, once my errands are resolved,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°If you¡¯re still in the area.¡±

    Would I be? I don¡¯t even know. I haven¡¯t been thinking more than a few days ahead at any given time. Even if I do find someone to renew our spell, and get back to Noli, and help her¡­ then what?

    Figure out our bodies next, I guess. Find a way home.

    Neither of those options feel close enough to be real.

    ¡°I admit, I¡¯ve become somewhat invested in unfolding the mystery that is you,¡± Zyneth continues. ¡°It¡¯s hard to not be curious. A homunculus who acts like a person, has no creator, and can wield magic. Do you have a soul, too?¡±

    ¡°YES.¡±If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    Zyneth barks out a laugh, then winces, rubbing his sternum. ¡°That was intended to be rhetorical, but of course you do.¡±

    We walk on in silence for a few minutes longer, though I can tell Zyneth is thinking. ¡°That attack you did¡ªthe one that made the light. What was that?¡±

    ¡°SPELL,¡± I circle. ¡°I AM WIZARD.¡±

    ¡°You are¡ª¡± Zyneth blinks. Then he throws his head back in laughter. Unrestrained, tears prickling at the edge of his eyes. He rubs his chest, wincing even as he continues to laugh, then has to stop walking, bracing his hands on his knees as he¡¯s completely overcome by the apparent hilarity of my comment.

    I am mildly offended.

    ¡°You¡¯re a¡ªI¡¯m sorry, it hurts¡ªHah! A wizard. Of course. A mouse sized wizard made of glass. Why not? It¡¯s no more strange than the rest of you.¡± He wipes his eyes, smiling as he begins walking once more. This close, it¡¯s hard not to notice a couple of his canines are more like fangs, and his teeth are all slightly pointed. But the grin somehow remains friendly, pure, the kind of unadulterated smile that makes me want to smile, too.

    Even if the joke is apparently me.

    He shakes his head, hiding away his Colgate-white teeth. ¡°At any rate. Kanin the wizard, I am happy to have had your help last night.¡±

    Pff, for all that I did. I took out, like, one and a half nightbanes in the time he took down half a dozen. But sure, you¡¯re welcome.

    ¡°I don¡¯t suppose,¡± Zyneth starts slowly, picking his words, ¡°That light spell has anything to do with the shadowy monster back in Peakshadow?¡±

    I freeze, my upbeat mood evaporating. Of course he hadn¡¯t forgotten about that. He¡¯s too perceptive. ¡°NO.¡±

    ¡°Hm.¡± He doesn¡¯t turn his head to look at me, even though I feel naked beneath his scrutiny. ¡°But it does have something to do with you.¡±

    Hell. What do I gain from holding anything back? He¡¯s already helped me this far. He wouldn¡¯t try to kill me if he found out, would he? (Maybe that wouldn¡¯t even be a bad thing.)

    ¡°YES.¡±

    He nods, probably expecting that response. ¡°Do you want to tell me about it? What you can, anyway?¡±

    Not that I have many words to use. I hesitate anyway; an admission now means no going back, for better or worse. ¡°DANGER.¡±

    ¡°You are dangerous?¡± he asks.

    ¡°NO,¡± I circle, before amending to ¡°YES. MAYBE.¡±

    ¡°The¡­ shadow is dangerous,¡± he guesses. ¡°And it¡¯s related to you.¡±

    ¡°YES.¡± But before he can draw the worst possible conclusion from that, I add, ¡°NEED HELP.¡±

    ¡°Dealing with the shadow?¡±

    ¡°YES.¡±

    ¡°Is it a curse?¡± he asks. ¡°A spell?¡±

    I hesitate. I don¡¯t know. It feels like a creature. It has a mind. But the way that we¡¯re linked¡ªI don¡¯t understand how that works. ¡°MAYBE.¡±

    He taps at his lip, thinking. ¡°Are we at risk of this thing reappearing?¡±

    ¡°YES.¡±

    ¡°Soon?¡±

    I hesitate. I guess that depends on how much trouble we get in¡ªif I¡¯m able to keep from panicking and hold back. Ideally, I¡¯ll never do another spell again. Never use my inventory. But this world has been anything but ideal. ¡°MAYBE.¡±

    ¡°Ominous,¡± Zyneth says, though for some reason, he¡¯s faintly smiling. ¡°Back in Peakshadow, I heard the survivors of the attack discussing what they saw. A glass heart at the center of a shadowy beast. They believed that heart was the summoning foci. Is that true?¡±

    ¡°MAYBE?¡± I mean I guess it does kind of get summoned, and it is related to me, but I don¡¯t know the first thing about this ¡°Foci¡± business.

    ¡°You¡¯re unsure of the nature of the magic?¡± Zyneth asks. ¡°We might be able to narrow it down. The survivors claimed they found summoning materials in the remains of the destruction. Candles, sage, chalk, incense plates. Do you recall anything like that being involved?¡±

    What? ¡°NO.¡± They must have been confused. Mistaken regular junk for something associated with me. Although once they decided I was some kind of summoned creature, I guess I can¡¯t really blame them for finding what they expected to see. Their friends were dead. They needed answers. My mood dips.

    ¡°No?¡± Zyneth repeats. ¡°Then you¡¯re right, it doesn¡¯t sound like summoning magic. What can you tell me about what causes it to appear?¡±

    I scan my cheat sheet. ¡°SPELL. TIME.¡± I guess that¡¯s as close as I can get.

    ¡°It¡¯s a time limit?¡± he asks. ¡°How soon?¡±

    ¡°NO!¡± Shoot, that¡¯s not what I meant.

    ¡°Not a time limit,¡± Zyneth confirms. He shakes his head. ¡°Then I¡¯m not sure what you mean.¡±

    Now I¡¯m just making things more confusing. ¡°SPELL DANGER.¡±

    He chews the corner of his mouth. ¡°The spell is dangerous? Using spells is dangerous? The danger is¡ª¡±

    ¡°YES!¡±

    ¡°Using spells,¡± he backtracks. ¡°A specific spell, or generally speaking?¡±

    I hold up two pieces of glass.

    ¡°Using spells in general poses a danger of attracting the shadow being,¡± he says, stringing the thoughts together in a spectacular fashion. ¡°Somewhat like the nightbanes, no? They¡¯re also attracted to the use of magic. But this seems specific to you.¡±

    ¡°YES.¡±

    ¡°Well then, the solution seems simple,¡± he says. ¡°No more using magic.¡±

    Hah. Well that¡¯s the idea, but it¡¯s rarely turned out to be so simple.

    ¡°That decides one thing,¡± he continues. ¡°After last night¡¯s display I was considering offering for you to accompany me, if you were open to a detour and needed the assistance. But where I am headed, we are likely to encounter more danger; staying in the city should pose a far smaller threat to you.¡±

    You would think that, wouldn¡¯t you.

    ¡°YOU?¡± I ask, flipping the paper over. ¡°PETRIFIED GROVES?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s my destination, yes,¡± he says. ¡°A few days beyond Harrowood. Are you familiar with it?¡±

    ¡°NO.¡± I¡¯m not familiar with shit, Zyneth. ¡°YOUR TOWN?¡± I ask.

    ¡°No,¡± he says, ¡°Merely my destination.¡±

    I wait.

    ¡°...You want to know why?¡± he asks after a space of silence.

    ¡°YES.¡±

    He chuckles. ¡°Rather nosey, don¡¯t you think?¡±

    Hey man, this can¡¯t all be a one-way interrogation. And one of us is better at talking than the other.

    ¡°Alright,¡± he relents, and I¡¯m relieved to see the conversation finally moving away from me and the predator. ¡°I was sent to retrieve an artifact from the Black Spire, which is why I was out here in the first place. Instead, I found nothing but death in those streets. There were signs, however, that it might have been moved to the Groves instead. The telepad through Harrowood should take me there.¡±

    Sort of vague, which I suppose is Zyneth¡¯s M.O. But I¡¯m also a little underwhelmed. Why¡¯s he in such a hurry trying to find some lost relic? Sounds like it isn¡¯t going anywhere.

    ¡°URGENT?¡± I question.

    ¡°In a manner of speaking,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°The artifact isn¡¯t for me. It represents my half of a¡­ trade. Which I need to fulfill as soon as possible. There are people I care about relying on the completion of this job.¡±

    That, at least, I can relate to. I can¡¯t really hold it against him if there¡¯s people that are relying on him: I feel the same about Noli.

    Zyneth shakes his head. ¡°But I doubt you care to hear about any of this. My journey thus far has not been terribly interesting.¡±

    ¡°YES.¡± I¡¯d rather he keep talking than walk in silence¡ªor go back to grilling me on the predator. ¡°YOU.¡±

    ¡°I am not sure I am very good about talking about myself,¡± Zyneth admits. ¡°Or that I¡¯ll have much of substance to say.¡±

    ¡°PLEASE?¡± I repeat.

    He smiles faintly. ¡°So polite. Well, I suppose it will pass the time. But I did warn you. It¡¯s mainly just the mundanity of everyday travel.¡± And he begins to talk.

    He¡¯s wrong, too; it¡¯s anything but mundane. He¡¯s traveled over most of Valenia North, it sounds like, through living caverns in the Firestone Mountains, north to the dark and desolate arctic plains, and through the labyrinthine streets of the Black Spire, overrun with animate bones and malicious spirits. He¡¯s fought direwolves and stonewyrms, and battled¡ªwell, fled¡ªan icecat the size of a house.

    Jesus. I hope this isn¡¯t considered ¡°The mundanity of everyday travel.¡± I need to get off this world.

    But his stories are fascinating. It¡¯s like every fantasy film I¡¯ve ever watched has sprung from the screen and come to life in this one world. Is there something to that? Some reason that all of Earth¡¯s stories and folklore are real¡ªif not different¡ªhere? Maybe I¡¯m far from the first person to fall into this world. And if it can happen one way, then surely it can happen the other. There must be a reason we have stories of dragons and wraiths and krakens¡ªand the answer to that might be my key home.

    We talk (mostly Zyneth) and walk (only Zyneth) the rest of the day, then camp another night on the hillside. I practice signs and play with Lightbeam to whittle away the hours, keeping a tense ear out for any more signs of nightbanes, but the night passes uneventfully¡ªthank god for one quiet night. The next morning we continue our travels and fall back into the same pattern. Despite being a mysterious deadly demon guy, he¡¯s proving to be extremely good company. Hate to say it, but I¡¯ll miss the dude.

    The afternoon is wearing thin when we finally break out of the treeline and the green plains of Valenia North roll to the horizon before us. It¡¯s miles and miles of open space, shadows from fluffy white clouds spotting the grasslands, mountains vanishing to the east and west. A windy band of brown marks our trail down the gentle hills, and straight into the city of Harrowood.

    ¡°There it is,¡± Zyneth says, stepping from the trees. ¡°Should only be an hour or two more. We¡¯ll get there before dusk, I suspect. Is it everything you imagined?¡±

    It¡¯s big, that¡¯s for sure. Peakshadow had been a rural scattering of cottages and single-story shops. In comparison, Harrowood is a fortress. A stone wall runs along the perimeter of the city, but even outside this boundary are buildings and farmland. Within, the city is a bustling metropolis. The streets are shadowed from the tall buildings that tower over them, clustered together like a handful of straws. Despite the cramped appearance, there¡¯s something organic to the layout; like I¡¯m looking at a crystal formation that¡¯s grown up from the ground over millennia. A smoky haze hovers about the city, but within I can make out twinkling lights and unending movement. I bet it shines like a jewel at night.

    But most important of all, there must be thousands of people here. And that means there has to be a wizard who can help us.

    This has to be it.

    It has to be.

 Chapter 30 - Just Room

    The city guards don¡¯t even give us a second glance as we stroll into Harrowood. There isn¡¯t anyone else coming from our direction, but the guards are preoccupied by greater concerns in the form of dice and coins. I stare in awe as the stone city rises around us.

    The streets are loud and bustling¡ªnot with the mirth of a festival, like Peakshadow, but the clamor of everyday life. Merchants beckon from their storefronts, while shoppers check over baskets of fruit, scholars hurry about with arms laden with scrolls, and laughter echoes from open tavern doors. I¡¯m beginning to think my original instinct that the town was some organic formation might be more on the nose than I first thought; the buildings are all stone, seemingly growing out of one another. I don¡¯t know if this was some rocky bluff that was weathered into a city, or if magic grew it from the ground. Either way, being back in the hubbub of civilization is a strange clash of familiar and alien all at once.

    Zyneth walks with purpose through the streets. I want to ask him where we¡¯re going, but limited diction aside, he seems to have some plan in mind. We pass one business full of small caged animals¡ªthose wyverns I¡¯d seen back in Peakshadow. The winged lizards crawl around the inside of their cages, blinking with slitted cat eyes as their owner opens a hatch to feed one of them an egg. It swallows it whole in two hurried gulps, then turns to look back at me even as we move out of view. I shudder for the egg and try not to think about how I¡¯m a comparable size and shape.

    ¡°The Merchant¡¯s Guild should be somewhere close,¡± Zyneth says, glancing at each storefront we pass. ¡°They like to snatch up the newcomers right as they come into the city. Probably near the city¡¯s telepad, to expedite trade. Now if this damned crowd would just let us through¡­¡±

    But from my perch, I can tell it¡¯s more than just a crowd. People have stopped up ahead, and something seems to be taking up a good portion of the street. Tense, raised voices drift back, and I shudder at the memories those sounds bring.

    Displaying suspicious agility, Zyneth weaves his way to the front. A large cart takes up most of the street¡ªor, what remains of it. The wheels are broken, its contents spilled onto the ground and scattered around the area. An angry elf is speaking with the town guards who are ineffectively trying to placate him.

    ¡°¡­the Guild¡¯s responsibility to secure the rest of my assets immediately! First bandits, now pickpockets! Without proper protection, everything¡¯s just free for the taking. The delay is unacceptable. I expect full reimbursement¡­¡±

    The guards are grimacing like they just found a bonefang in their chamber pot. Sheesh, that guy does not seem happy. Wouldn¡¯t want to be in those guards¡¯ shoes. Curious, I get Echo to Check the contents of the cart¡ªwell, street¡ªas we squeeze past.

    [30 boxes of sage. 20 jars of rosewater. 25 incense bowls. 17 candles. 5 miniature altars¡­]

    She continues to rattle off a seemingly random list of vaguely magic-sounding things. Well, at least I know I¡¯m in the right place. If this is the kind of stuff they¡¯re buying and selling in Harrowood, then there¡¯s got to be wizards who use these supplies around here somewhere.

    We leave the irate elf behind as Zyneth pushes deeper into the city, though it¡¯s only a few minutes more before he slows once again.

    ¡°Here we are.¡± Zyneth pushes aside a drape to step into a brightly lit hall. There are a few small groups of people loitering about, sitting at tables and chatting, and a few more guards talking with a woman behind a counter at the back of the room. Zyneth heads for the latter, then waits as the guards speak a few more quiet words before departing.

    The woman at the counter has white cat ears and a fluffy tail which flicks from side to side in irritation. Her expression is soured, ears flat, but as Zyneth steps forward she perks up and plasters on a bright smile, revealing her thin pointed teeth.

    ¡°Harrowood Merchants Guild,¡± she says. My stomach flips unpleasantly as I try not to focus on her cat-like characteristics, and the only other felis I¡¯ve met that it reminds me of. ¡°How may I help you?¡±

    Zyneth tips his head back toward the guards. ¡°Was that to do with the disruption in town?¡±

    The woman manages to force her smile wider. ¡°I assure you it is being dealt with. The Merchant¡¯s Guild still remains the safest way to protect your wares!¡±

    ¡°From ambush?¡± he asks. ¡°The merchant mentioned bandits¡­¡±

    Her ear twitches, false smile unwavering. ¡°Please! Not bandits. There have been a few small cases of, ah, petty theft in recent days. However, it remains our policy that all Guild merchandise is fully insured. Are you buying or selling?¡±

    I doubt Zyneth is going to get anything else out of her on the topic that isn¡¯t corporate sound bites, and Zyneth must be figuring the same.

    ¡°Neither,¡± he says. ¡°I¡¯m looking for a map of registered businesses.¡±

    The felis sags in what might be relief that Zyneth didn¡¯t push the topic, though you wouldn¡¯t know that from her plastic smile. ¡°Of course!¡± She produces a paper from behind the counter. ¡°Five copper pieces.¡±

    Zyneth pulls out a pouch, fishes out the appropriate money, and swaps it for the map.

    ¡°Pleasure doing business,¡± the felis says. ¡°Please enjoy all the indulgences and excitement Harrowood has to offer.¡±

    Yeah, like robbery.

    Zyneth matches the woman¡¯s smile. ¡°Thank you kindly.¡± Then he turns away, the smile vanishing just as abruptly.

    ¡°They charge you just for the privilege to shop at their businesses,¡± he mutters to me. ¡°No wonder someone¡¯s decided their coin pouches could stand to be lightened. I¡¯m in the wrong business, clearly.¡±

    And what business is that, I wonder?

    He steps back out into the street, unfurling the map. ¡°This should get us started. It won¡¯t have everything, but all the wealthiest shops are likely to have registered with the guild, which is mostly likely to be what you¡¯re looking for, given the rarity of homunculus specialized wizards. Now, where first¡­¡±Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.

    Unlike the maps in Attiru¡¯s shop, this one is not moving or beautifully detailed¡ªwhich makes me think the ones I accidentally nabbed from the Atlas Emporium might be worth a pretty penny. Sorry, Attiru. But this map seems to work the same way, and as Zyneth taps a couple names listed on the side of the paper, corresponding spots on the city illuminate. They¡¯re worryingly dispersed.

    ¡°First we¡¯ll find somewhere to get room and board,¡± Zyneth says. Or I guess in my case, just room. ¡°Something central to work as a base of operations. Hopefully that¡¯ll make it easier for you to get around. There appears to be a variety of arcana services, though I don¡¯t see anything that jumps out to me as dealing with homunculi. And there are a couple different arcana supply shops we can check out as well. Do you see the name of the wizard you are looking for?¡±

    Assuming they are a wizard. I take the map with my glass so I can bring it closer to read the fine print. (Apparently, a floating map is nothing of particular note in this crowd.) I scan the list of businesses, most of which mean nothing to me. The ones Zyneth picked out shine in blue ink instead of the standard black: Salt and Supplies; The Crooked Broom; Essential Snake Oils; Ana¡¯s Apothecary; Moondust Materials. Are these arcana stores or pubs? I¡¯m not sure these are exactly what I¡¯m looking for, really, but it can¡¯t hurt to try.

    There are a few spell-focused businesses he¡¯s highlighted as well: Heather¡¯s Healers, Pots and Potions, Tem and Tock¡¯s Enchantment Renewals. These seem to be places you¡¯d go to commission a service rather than buy supplies. None of them mention homunculi, but I¡¯ll have to hope at least one of them will know how to help me.

    And then I see it¡ªCloud¡¯s Arcane Artifacts.

    That¡¯s it! The artifacts portion makes me a little worried their store is more supply focused than spells, but maybe they¡¯d at least have the chalk I¡¯m looking for. And surely they¡¯d have a list of people who¡¯ve bought such things?

    I have six days to know for sure.

    I tap Cloud¡¯s Arcane Artifacts, adding it to the list of highlighted buildings.

    ¡°Alright,¡± Zyneth considers, reading the map. ¡°It¡¯s getting late, so I imagine most have closed for the evening. But we¡¯ll want you to be as close to as many of these stores as you can come morning.¡± He gestures to the middle of the glowing dots on the map. ¡°Somewhere around here would be best. Let¡¯s look for an inn in that area, shall we?¡±

    Zyneth is a fucking saint, I swear.

    ¡°YES.¡± Let¡¯s go.

    Zyneth takes us on a winding path through the city, where we pass more fascinating oddities that give me a sneak-peak into the world. I passively Check interesting looking individuals as we pass, and they seem to be a mix of all the classes I¡¯ve previously encountered¡ªalthough skewing more toward bruisers, brawlers, warriors, and guardians. Those classes focused less on mana, I think. Their levels all seem pretty solidly around 25 as well: Maybe that¡¯s where average people tend to cap out, if they aren¡¯t actively trying to raise their levels.

    I mean. Are people here even aware of their levels, or is that just something Echo knows?

    Regardless, it does make Zyneth somewhat of an anomaly. Not that 31 is significantly higher than the average, but it does have me wondering what in his past or profession is causing the difference.

    As the streets are cast in the buildings¡¯ shadows, and the sun rapidly disappears beneath the horizon, lights begin to flicker on. Paper lanterns, similar to the festival in Peakshadow, but also warm fire lights inside buildings, and candles that glow green and blue in window sills, and an occasional wire cage containing a flickering creature made of purple flames that Echo identifies as a will-o¡¯-the-wisp.

    As some storefronts shutter their doors, businesses of the night open theirs. Some for drinks, some for companionship, some for bed¡ªand it¡¯s the latter of these that Zyneth finally happens upon, close to the center of our map.

    ¡°This should do,¡± he says, stopping before an inn with a picture of a copper jackalope on its sign, labeled ¡°The Red Rabbit.¡±

    Warmth and cheery light beckon us inside.

    Zyneth purchases a week¡¯s stay, emphasizing privacy and a first-floor room as he hands over several gold-looking coins. If I understood the currency of this world I might be alarmed. Maybe it just looks more expensive than it is. He wouldn¡¯t be paying a small fortune on my account, would he?

    The innkeeper shows us to a room, hands us the key, and then departs. Inside, Zyneth locks the door behind us, setting me down on a small writing desk. Apart from that, a single lantern, a bed, a chest, and a chamber pot, there isn¡¯t anything to speak of. Geez. I hope this isn¡¯t what¡¯s considered luxury in this world.

    ¡°Here we are.¡± Zyneth lays the map out on the desk, flattening it and pinning one edge with the lantern and the other edge with a heavy sack that clinks suspiciously like coins. ¡°You know how to work this thing?¡±

    I lay my cheat sheet out on the table, too. ¡°YES.¡±

    ¡°Good. Just a moment.¡± He goes to the window, opening it and looking around the surrounding alley. Then, to my surprise, he jumps out. I hear a clattering of noise outside, but from my vantage point, I can¡¯t see what he¡¯s doing. A minute later he nimbly springs back in. Is it just me, or does he seem a little too used to jumping in and out of windows?

    ¡°Hold tight,¡± Zyneth says, and I dig my glass into the wood as he grabs the desk and drags it over next to the windowsill, shaking me like a can of soda as the wooden legs skip over the ground. He pulls the window closed again, but leaves a gap a few inches wide. Me-inches wide. I take a look outside.

    ¡°I stacked some clutter up beneath the window,¡± Zyneth says as I observe just that. Crates and broken bottles and loose cobblestones create a makeshift staircase up to my window. ¡°I¡¯m hoping that will be enough for you to climb up and down on your own.¡±

    ¡°YES. THANK YOU!¡± It¡¯s definitely better than nothing. I¡¯m kind of touched. But if he¡¯s building all these helpful tools for me, then that means¡­

    Zyneth sets the room key down on the table. ¡°Unfortunately, I cannot stay the night. I am already delayed in my efforts. I purchased the room for a week. In an ideal world, I will have returned by then. If not¡­¡± He smiles sadly. ¡°I hope our paths should cross again.¡±

    Me too. But all I can repeat is, ¡°THANK YOU.¡±

    ¡°Not at all, my small wizard friend. Is there anything else I can help you with before I depart?¡±

    Walk me to each of the arcana shops. Help ask around for a wizard. Stick around in case the predator escapes. Subdue me if you can.

    But I can¡¯t ask for any of that, and even if I could, I don¡¯t feel like I deserve to. He¡¯s already done so much, and he has his own people to worry about. ¡°NO.¡±

    He nods. ¡°Then I hope what I have offered is enough. I wish you luck.¡±

    I wave.

    He smiles at the gesture. Then, without any fanfare, he leaves, just like that.

    And I¡¯m alone.

    My glass sags. No problem. I was on my own before he showed up to help, and I¡¯m in a better place now than I¡¯ve ever been since arriving on this world. All I have to do is follow a map, visit a few shops, and talk to a wizard who¡¯s familiar with my and Noli¡¯s spell. And if I can¡¯t find a wizard, then I might be able to make do with my spell book and some null arcanum chalk. I¡¯ve got plans and backup plans. What am I worried about?

    The Void, for starters. And getting back to Noli in time.

    Okay, what am I worried about besides the imminent threat of death?

    No sense sitting around to spend the night moping. I head over to the map, mentally orienting myself within the city. The closest location to our¡ªmy¡ªinn is Salt and Supplies. It¡¯s a supply shop, rather than a wizard shop, but since I don¡¯t really have the time to be running back and forth across the city, taking the most efficient route along the list of businesses makes the most sense.

    I layer the map over my cheat sheet, then snatch up both pieces of paper. Hopefully no one will notice a couple of crumpled papers blowing around the street, because I¡¯ll need both to get what I want, and I can¡¯t risk adding them to my inventory and donating another 2% to the void.

    Hopping up to the window, I pause once, glancing at the room door as if it would miraculously unlock and swing back open. And for whatever reason, Noli springs to mind. Is this what she felt, waiting for me to come back? The thought makes me feel like my insides have been replaced with lead. No, I¡¯m doing this for her. She must understand. I step out the window, pulling the papers behind me, and climb down into the streets of Harrowood.

    It¡¯s time to find what I came here for.

 Chapter 31 - Window Shopping

    Carrying the map and cheat sheet around is a bit of a pain, making sure neither get snatched up by a breeze or kicked by any drunk passersby. I¡¯m still not sure how my second attempt at Cheat Sheet Usage is going to go; Zyneth was very patient with me the first time. Trying to flag someone down in the middle of the street, whilst avoiding getting stepped on, doesn¡¯t seem like the soundest strategy. Maybe I just need to catch one of these wizards alone, so they have an opportunity to read it over without anyone else around. I¡¯ll just have to keep out of the way until then.

    My first opportunity comes at dawn. It takes me the whole night to get to the nearest shop, despite appearing a mere inch away on the map. When I reach Salt and Supplies, the front door is locked, so I settle in a nearby alleyway, carefully tucking my pages behind me, and wait. When the shopkeep does finally arrive, she doesn¡¯t even give me a second glance as she unlocks the door and steps inside¡ªnor does she notice when I skitter inside after her.

    The store looks like something out of a flea market, but with slightly improved organization and more labels. Jars of powders and bottles of liquids clutter the shelves, while craggy crystals fill the front window. There are animal bones, brass measuring tools, and of course, as the name implies, colorful salt in dozens more varieties than I ever thought existed.

    There¡¯s also what appears to be a small pet weasel that someone set on fire, and it¡¯s looking right at me. Considering the general lack of squealing and stop-drop-and-rolling, I¡¯m going to assume it¡¯s supposed to be on fire. I Check it.

    [Level 8 stove stoat. This popular house pet is often used for starting the furnace or disposing of pests. They also make for excellent lap warmers. This one, in particular, enjoys disposing of pests.]

    Its black beady eyes are locked onto me. Uh. Nice fire ferret. There¡¯s a row of dusty bottles and clutter arrayed on the ground under the windowsill, and I take a nervous step in its direction. Like an angry, possessed hotdog someone dropped in the firepit, the stoat darts forward.

    Gah! I go rolling end over end as the animal pounces on me, awkwardly bouncing off my glass legs in my tumble.

    [1 Fall damage dealt.]

    [1 Bludgeoning damage dealt.]

    [1 Fire damage dealt. You have resistance to Fire type attacks.]

    Well that would be nice if I didn¡¯t have bigger problems to worry about. I scramble to try to right myself and stop my vision from being a fiery, fluffy blur. I make it to my feet just for the creature to come at me again. I dive for cover, clinking against the bottles as I struggle to squeeze between them. Too slow: I swing my papers between me and the stove stoat to try to block its path.

    I immediately regret this when it claws at the paper, each place its paw touches catching fire and burning to ash. No! I try to jerk them back toward me, but it gets its claws in them. One paper tears free, and the second it sweeps back in my direction and touches my vial, I add it to my inventory. No time to worry about the void percentages¡ªI need my map and cheat sheet more than anything!

    The stoat won¡¯t give up, however. It¡¯s gleefully attacking the paper with teeth and claws, like a kitten playing with a ball of yarn. I try to stab at it with a few pieces of my signing glass, but it only rolls away¡ªand out of my glass¡¯s range.

    I¡¯m about to go after it when the shop keep speaks. ¡°Soot? What are you doing over there?¡±

    The creature finishes shredding my paper to pieces, and I can only watch with a sinking feeling as I catch sight of the word ¡°Noli¡± on a scrap of paper before it, too, is burned away. My cheat sheet is gone.

    The woman picks up the stove stoat, ash and tiny paper scraps fluttering to the ground as they slip from its desperate grasp. She tsks. ¡°What a mess you¡¯ve made. Just the thing I needed before opening shop. You¡¯re no help at all.¡± The woman turns, takes the creature through a back door, and then the door rattles shut behind her.

    I¡¯m left sitting there in shock. My cheat sheet¡¯s destroyed. I have no way to communicate anymore. What am I going to do? How am I going to get help? My mind races as I try not to panic.

    Zyneth will be back in a week, but I can¡¯t wait that long. My and Noli¡¯s spell will expire in seven days, and it takes two days to get back to Peakshadow¡ªassuming I can hitch a ride with someone. If I can sneak onto someone¡¯s supply cart, that gives me five days to find a solution to this. Maybe I could head back to my room and use the spell books to look up words and make a new cheat sheet. I was able to use soot to write a few words for Zyneth¡ªI can do that again. It¡¯s not ideal, but at least it¡¯s an option. Plus, if I find some null-arcana chalk, maybe I can renew the spell by myself without a wizard¡¯s help. Yeah. That might work.

    Okay. Calm down. It¡¯s fine. I can still save this. More than ever, I just need to buckle down and start searching.

    I return my attention to the shop. I don¡¯t see any chalk, but maybe one of those powders contains the null arcanum-enriched salt that spell book mentioned.

    I ask Echo for a Check of the shop¡¯s contents, and she starts identifying the contents of whatever I focus on, tiny labels popping up and vanishing in my field of view.

    [Ground sage picked during a full moon. Simple wax candle. Summoning candle. Brass bell. Soapstone bowl. Ground gryphon bone. Sea salt. Rock salt. Hot spring salt. Rose salt. Lava salt¡ª]

    Why are there even this many types of salt? Christ, were they going to have every type of salt imaginable except¡ª

    [Null salt.]

    There! See? I was panicking over nothing.

    I scan the rest of the shop just in case, but don¡¯t find any other mentions of null arcanum-enriched items. I guess that salt is my best bet. Might not even need the chalk if I can make a spell circle with just the salt¡­ right? I mean, it seems like sound logic to me. That should be good enough for the ingredients list.

    The jar itself presents an issue. I guess worse comes to worst, I¡¯ll just inventory the whole thing. I¡¯d rather not, but it¡¯s an option. I can¡¯t really see how much salt is in the jar from this vantage point, but I can¡¯t imagine I¡¯ll need a ton to draw a toy-sized circle.

    The shopkeep still hasn¡¯t returned from the backroom, so I decide to make a break for it. I hurriedly tap my way over to the shelf containing the null arcanum salt, then start my not-so-steady ascent.

    Although the glass keeping my bottle strapped to my legs helps me feel more secure, it¡¯s also causing me to feel more top heavy. Luckily, I now have joints in my glass I hadn¡¯t figured out before. I¡¯m full of staticky nerves, not sure if I¡¯m more afraid of getting caught or missing a step, but I make it to the top of the counter without incident¡ªand with a new Climbing Skill Level Up. For all the good it seems to be doing me.

    I weave between the eclectic wares, making my way over to the jars of assorted salts. Some appear more popular than others. No one¡¯s going for the sea salt. I zero-in on the null arcanum jar and¡ª

    It¡¯s empty. A few tiny grains of salt sit at the bottom of a dusted jar.

    Really? I ask Echo. Why even say this had null arcanum-enriched salt in it?

    [The jar does contain null arcanum-enriched salt.]

    Like three specks!

    [A quantity was not specified.]

    Are you fucking kidding me?

    I stomp a foot in frustration¡ªyes, I realize this is juvenile, but I don¡¯t have the ability to grumble¡ªand then start back the way I¡¯d come. It¡¯s fine. This was just the first place on my list. And hey, if this jar is out, maybe the shopkeep¡¯s planning to refill it soon. I¡¯ve still got options. And plenty more places to visit.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    I make it down just as the shopkeep returns to the front of house, and now that I finally have a chance to Check her, I find she¡¯s just a regular old Herbalist. What a waste of time. It takes another hour before I have the opportunity to leave, using my Lightbeam skill to cause a sparkly distraction as I slip out the door between the shopkeeper¡¯s feet, and by then it¡¯s well into morning. There¡¯s a lot more people on the streets now, so I skitter into a side alley to check my map¡ªand Void stat.

    [Void: 54%]

    I don¡¯t like having such a high number while buried in the middle of this metropolis, but there¡¯s not anything I can do about it now. Just have to find some null-arcana salt¡ªor make a new cheat sheet and find a wizard¡ªand I¡¯ll be out of here.

    The map is now singed and torn in several places, but it¡¯s still readable. Heather¡¯s Healers, you¡¯re up next.

    It¡¯s a grueling six hours to make it to the business. It took half this long for Noli and I to walk from one end of Peakshadow to the other, but I guess Harrowood is significantly larger, and it doesn¡¯t help that I¡¯m stopping to hide every other step. At least now I don¡¯t have to worry about getting launched off my legs like a golf ball on a tee. So small wins, right?

    But as I approach the front doors, something is off. The street before the building sparkles in the afternoon sun, and there¡¯s a sign roped around the front handles. It¡¯s not hard to see the reason for both: the front windows are shattered, glass littering the cobblestones, and the sign says ¡°Closed.¡± Looks like a break in.

    Damn. I want to peek through the windows, in case anyone is still inside, but given the foot traffic I won¡¯t exactly be inconspicuous. Well. Onto the next one, I guess. I check my map: Ana¡¯s Apothecary.

    Dusk is falling by the time I reach its doors. Luckily, though, it doesn¡¯t appear to have closed yet. Ana¡¯s got a much more booming business than Salt and Supplies, so I slip inside without having to wait around. Once in, I sit down next to a couple of vases for perfect camouflage, and then survey the shop.

    I Check Ana first: My hope soars when I see all her mana, but is quickly snuffed once more when I see she¡¯s a Healer, with a subclass of Potion Maker. Not a wizard or summoner who would know homunculus magic, then.

    Trying to bury my disappointment, I scan the shop¡¯s contents instead.

    [Potion for enhanced endurance. Elixir of healing. Elixir for poisonings. Potion for fire resistance. Potion for underwater breathing¡­]

    Pretty interesting stuff, but none of this is what I¡¯m looking for. Now if they had a potion for ¡°Prevent cracks in glass¡± or especially ¡°Transform back into a human¡± we¡¯d be in business. I Check the rest of the shelves just to be thorough, even though none of it looks like what I¡¯m looking for. Strike two. Or is this three?

    Finishing my sweep of the shop and finding nothing, I slip back out the door the next time it swings open. It¡¯s dark now, so I¡¯m betting the next stores on my list have already closed. I¡¯m not ready to give up yet, though. This was only day one. I still have half a dozen more shops to go.

    Maybe it would be best to head back to the inn at this point, make a cheat sheet, and then strike back out for the next shop in the morning. If I head to Essential Snake Oils now, I definitely won¡¯t make it there until the middle of the night. Maybe I¡¯ll get lucky, like with Attiru¡¯s Atlas Emporium, and someone will have left a door propped up, but I¡¯m not counting on it. Then again, if I head back to the inn, I¡¯ll probably have to turn around and start walking again as soon as I make it there. And it¡¯ll take hours at least to scrape together a few words on a loose sheet of paper. This would be so much easier if I could get places as fast as a normal person!

    Ugh. I¡¯m so sick of being small.

    I reluctantly decide to walk through the night, so I can slip into the next storefront right when it opens¡ªand hey, maybe I can make a new cheat sheet with some garbage while I wait. I finally make it to the address somewhere in the middle of the night, but even when I¡¯m halfway down the street, I can tell something¡¯s wrong.

    The windows are shattered¡ªagain. Something the cat woman at the Merchant¡¯s Guild said finally comes back to me: a string of petty theft in the area. Downplayed, much? These are some serious B&Es, not to mention the cart that had been attacked at the beginning of town. And if I¡¯ve found two hit locations in one day, how many more places have been broken into recently?

    Still, I can¡¯t have come all this way for nothing. I check that the coast is clear, then climb up to the store sill and look through the shattered window. My vision is warped by the cracked glass, but Echo scans whatever I can make out from this vantage point¡ªand turns up nothing. No null arcanum-enriched chalk, salt, or any other magical condiment. My confidence wavers. There are still five shops left on my list. I can¡¯t give up now. There¡¯s still plenty of time.

    The next day passes much the same. No one is a wizard, much less one specializing in homunculi. Moondust Materials is more sham than shop, while The Crooked Broom appears to be the victim of another robbery. Something about this isn¡¯t right. I¡¯m not passing any other storefronts that have been broken into. Why is it only places on my list? Granted, not all the places on my list, but there¡¯s definitely a pattern. Is someone targeting magic shops?

    I reach Pots and Potions that night, and its doors are locked. It¡¯s not just closed up early for the evening, however. A sign on the door reads, ¡°Due to recent events, P&P will remain shuttered until safe to reopen.¡±

    Fuck. Now they¡¯re closing preemptively? What¡¯s going on?

    By day three of my search, I can feel the clock ticking. I only have two shops left on my map: Tem and Tock¡¯s Enchantment Renewals, and Cloud¡¯s Arcane Artifacts.

    But even if I find someone in one of these two businesses, I still need to get back to Noli before our spell is up. It took Zyneth and I two days to reach Harrowood on foot, but we¡¯d been walking downhill, so would it take three to get back? And then another day to find Noli, set up the spell, and make sure we stayed anchored in this plane of existence¡ªand away from the predator. Given I have five days before our spell is up, that leaves¡­

    One day. I have one day to find someone who can help.

    I start walking a little faster.

    I reach Tem and Tock¡¯s late in the morning, but it¡¯s closed as well. Anxiety sours my soul. I can¡¯t let it end like this. If I don¡¯t find someone by this time tomorrow, I won¡¯t have enough time to make it back to Noli. Maybe I should recheck my list. There¡¯s got to be stores I missed. I could also search for places not registered with the Guild, though without a map to point them out it¡¯d be like finding a needle in a haystack. No, that would take too much time.

    My hopes are pinned on Cloud¡¯s Arcane Artifacts, for better or worse.

    It¡¯s late when I finally make the last stretch to Cloud¡¯s shop. Two slivered moons hang between the silhouettes of the cityscape. Stars sparkle in the sky¡ªnot as brightly as what I saw back in the woods, but compared to L.A. it might as well be sprinkled with diamonds.

    Only the occasional late-night patron is out for a stroll, so the streets are easier for me to navigate. On the other hand, it¡¯s harder to read the signs, so I lose my way a couple times and have to pause to figure out my map before getting back on the right track. It¡¯s sometime before midnight when I find the shop I¡¯m looking for.

    It¡¯s closed, of course, but I¡¯d been expecting that. Should be six to eight hours before someone will be here to open up, and I¡¯ll have the opportunity to slip inside. But I can¡¯t afford to wait. Maybe I should take a page out of the robber¡¯s book and break myself in. I¡¯d need to either Attune the glass in the window or use Lightbeam¡ªboth of which would cost mana¡ªbut the threat of the spell ending is starting to outweigh spending a few more percent on the Void.

    I climb up to the window to scope the place out. I can pick out jars of spices and salts, like in Salt and Supplies, as well as a wall labeled for summon circle supplies. It¡¯s mostly sticks, candles, and crystals but¡­ I¡¯m cautiously optimistic? I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll find a wizard who can help, but it looks like it might at least have the chalk I¡¯m looking for. Would I really be able to do the spell myself, given all the ingredients? I¡¯d only considered it a desperate backup option before now, but it¡¯s starting to look like it might be my only hope. I don¡¯t have time to figure out anything else.

    I climb back down from the windowsill and head into an alley across the street, stashing my map. This store might be my last chance, and I can¡¯t let it pass me by. I¡¯ll have to break in and hope for the best. Before I can make it back around to the door, however, soft voices drift down the street. I wait for them to pass by.

    I don¡¯t pay them particular attention until they stop in front of Cloud¡¯s. One figure is large and hulking, while the other is human sized and slim. It¡¯s when one of them speaks in a familiar voice that I jump.

    ¡°This is it?¡± Saru asks, low and quiet.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Tetara¡¯s voice is tight, scarred by emotion.

    When they speak, I can only hear their screams of fear and rage, and when I look at them, all I can see are their two missing teammates: the felis and dracid, whose names I can¡¯t even remember.

    I should. I should remember their names.

    I shrink back into the shadows as fear curdles inside my soul. If they catch sight of me now, I¡¯m dead. What are they doing here? Why now?

    ¡°The door?¡± Tetara growls. Her voice is soft, but even at these subdued levels I can hear the hatred biting into each word.

    Saru checks the handle, and there¡¯s a small bloom of light about her hands. ¡°Locked, but no warding spell.¡± She moves to the window, cupping her hands about her eyes. ¡°Empty.¡±

    Tetara gently pushes Saru back, then grabs the handle. I hear a groan of metal¡ªa sharp snap¡ªand then Tetara lets go, pieces of the door falling to the street. She pushes it open, and it creaks as it swings into the quiet black. Tetara ducks beneath the frame, Saru following as silent as a shadow behind.

    And I just stand there, stunned.

    They¡¯re the robbers. They¡¯re the ones who have been breaking into magical shops and stealing from supply carts. I should have realized. Zyneth even basically said as much. They thought some summoner was responsible for Peakshadow¡ªthey¡¯d even thought they¡¯d seen destroyed summoning materials among the wreckage. And when I¡¯d caught them speaking about this while on the road, they¡¯d said they had to stop it from happening again in Harrowood.

    Dread pulls my soul through the ground.

    By some unlucky accident, Saru and Tetara ended up hitting the nail on the head. They¡¯re out to stop a summoner, so they¡¯ve been targeting summoner supplies. And I need those same supplies to renew my spell.

    Which means the adventurers are achieving their mission: I¡¯m fucked.

 Chapter 32 â€” Shadows and Glass

    I take a hesitant step forward, then back. The shop¡¯s open. Now¡¯s my chance to sneak inside. If they see me, they¡¯ll kill me, but if I don¡¯t take a chance, I might be missing my only opportunity to get Noli the help she needs.

    Fighting my indecision, I creep out of my hiding spot, approaching the dark void of the open door with a shiver. Quiet, indistinct voices waft from within. I cross the road, hugging the wall that leads into Cloud¡¯s Artifacts. Just a few feet from the entrance now. I take another step¡ª

    A light inside flickers on.

    I freeze as cries of alarm ring from the building. Fear jolts through me. The last time I heard yelling like that was when the predator¡ª

    Saru and Tetara stumble out the front door, arms laden with jars and flasks.

    ¡°What is this?¡± a man¡¯s voice comes from inside. ¡°Thieves!¡±

    ¡°We didn¡¯t think anyone was here,¡± Saru says.

    ¡°We don¡¯t want trouble,¡± Tetara adds.

    ¡°Trouble?¡± the man scoffs, stepping outside. ¡°Says the people who break into my shop and home in the middle of the night?¡± He¡¯s brandishing a staff with a blue stone glowing at the tip. I give him a quick Check.

    [Hemral Cloud, Conjurer Wizard, level 21.]

    A wizard! But only half Trenevalt¡¯s level. Ten levels less than Zyneth. This is who I¡¯m pinning my hopes on?

    ¡°We¡¯ll pay you back,¡± Saru says, retreating a pace. ¡°But we can¡¯t hand these back over. They have to be destroyed.¡±

    The light in Hemral¡¯s staff grows brighter, casting the alley in a wavering oceanic light. ¡°I¡¯m not going to let you destroy my merchandise and just walk away.¡±

    ¡°Please,¡± Saru says. ¡°This is for everyone¡¯s safety.¡± Her plea is desperate, yet strong.

    Hemral scoffs. ¡°As if that¡ª¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a rogue summoner,¡± Tetara cuts in. ¡°They killed our friends last week. In Peakshadow. Did you hear about that?¡±

    It feels like my limbs have turned to ice. I¡¯m frozen to the spot.

    Hemral¡¯s eyes narrow with suspicion. ¡°Ay, I heard about some trouble up in the hills. Sorry for your friends. What¡¯s all this got to do with my shop?¡±

    Saru takes a step forward. ¡°We saw it all first-hand. A shadow creature that killed anything that got in its path. That killed my team. Tetara managed to defeat it, but it vanished.¡±

    ¡°A summoned monster with a glass foci,¡± Tetara grunts. Unlike Saru, her eyes are burning with hate instead of regret. Wild, instead of stoic.

    ¡°And I imagine you got a good look at the summoner?¡± Hemral asks, weapon still raised.

    Saru hesitates, then shakes her head. ¡°We don¡¯t know who they were. But we know they could only have come this way, and if they try here what they did in Peakshadow, a lot more people will die.¡±

    Hemral sighs, his staff dipping. ¡°You¡¯re just kids. It¡¯s not your job to fight this mysterious summoner on your own. Leave it to the city guard. Come on. Bring those back inside and we¡¯ll have a chat.¡±

    Saru looks to her companion. ¡°Perhaps we can convince him.¡±

    But Tetara shakes her head, taking a step back. ¡°We can¡¯t allow any summoning materials to fall into the wrong hands.¡±

    Finally, my ice cracks. Echo, I call. Check their supplies.

    [Summoning candles, summoning crystals, null arcanum salt¡ª] Yes! Finally. [¡ªnull arcanum-enriched chalk¡ª] And the chalk!

    But just as quickly as my hope soars, it comes crashing back down as I realize the direness of the situation. Tetara and Saru¡¯s crusade against summoning materials started before I even got to Harrowood, and if it¡¯s as thorough as it seems, these meager supplies might be the last batch of null materials in the whole city.

    I eye the jar of salt in Tetara¡¯s arms warily, and the packet of chalk in Saru¡¯s hands. I just need to grab one. Just one.

    ¡°If we hand these back over,¡± Tetara continues, ¡°How will you guarantee none of this will be sold to any customers?¡±

    Hemral scowls. ¡°That¡¯s not your call, girl.¡±

    ¡°See?¡± Tetara says to her friend. ¡°I told you he couldn¡¯t be reasoned with.¡±This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.

    I tense. No, please, you guys can talk this out.

    Hemral raises his staff once more. ¡°I¡¯m warning you.¡±

    Saru hesitates, glancing between Hemral and Tetara. Can she talk her down? Dammit. I¡¯m sick of being so helpless. If I had brought my cheat sheet with me¡ªif I could just tell them all what happened¡ª

    Then, everyone moves at once.

    Tetara steps forward.

    Saru calls, ¡°Wait!¡±

    Hemral jerks his staff toward Tetara, a blue light flashing from the crystal. With a wave of heat, a fireball flies toward her.

    Tetara doesn¡¯t even flinch. She takes the hit square in her chest, the jars in her arms exploding in the blast.

    No!

    Shards of glass and burning material spray through the street. Tetara shrugs it off like a sunburn, dumping the burning remnants of her supplies to the ground.

    Hemral swears. ¡°You two will pay for this. I¡¯m part of the Merchant¡¯s Guild, you know!¡±

    This apparently means as little to Tetara as it does to me, as she only snorts, stepping around the burning pile of supplies, planting herself between Hemral and the flickering blue flames. ¡°Saru!¡±

    Face filled with tired resignation, she steps up to the fire and throws her supplies¡ªand my only hope¡ªinto the blaze as well.

    I watch in horror as the box of chalk goes up in flames. No, she can¡¯t do this, not when I was finally so close! I raise my glass as if reaching out, desperately wishing I could reach into the fire and pull them free.

    And a shadow rises from the cobblestones, stretching like fingers for the flames.

    Fear bolts through me like lightning. The predator! No, how did it get here, my Void isn¡¯t at 100% yet. But the wavering intangible abyss before me can only be one thing, and it doesn¡¯t matter how it appeared because I have to run, run¡ª

    Tetara¡¯s eyes dart toward the shadow¡¯s movements, then she sucks in a startled breath, eyes widening at the void-hand clawing its way into existence. After a moment of frozen silence, she rips her ax from its holder, face contorting with fiery hate. ¡°It¡¯s here!¡± she roars.

    I stumble back¡ªaway from Tetara or the predator, I don¡¯t even know¡ªand the clawed hand jerks in my direction. I¡¯m lanced with panic as I scramble to get away, but the hand bobs after, as if pulled along¡­

    ¡­like a kite on a string.

    My mind races. Something¡¯s different. The predator¡¯s mind isn¡¯t overwhelming me, and I don¡¯t feel that ache like I¡¯ve been split open. In fact, it takes me until now to realize I haven¡¯t been; there¡¯s no crack in my glass. No ink leaking out. Just the hand-shaped void, which I can distantly sense. Almost like¡­

    Hesitantly, I mentally prod the shadows. And they respond to my will, the darkness retreating a respectful distance.

    ¡°What?¡± I hear Saru call. ¡°What is it?¡±

    They don¡¯t matter. All I can focus on is the void, and the brimming horror as I finally understand. It¡¯s the fraction of the predator that I had Attuned. Those shadows are responding to me. They reached out for the burning supplies because I wanted to. But I don¡¯t want this. Not this way. Horror bleeds into revulsion as I try to throw the shadows away from me. It splatters across the street, but the spots of inky black creep back in my direction, as if drawn by a magnet.

    I back away, tripping over myself in my panic. No, no, I don¡¯t want it! Get it away from me! Get it away¡ª

    [Replace item in inventory?] Echo asks.

    I don¡¯t care. Just as long as it¡¯s gone, as long as it can¡¯t touch me¡ª

    The void evaporates, gone in an instant.

    [Item returned to inventory.]

    I stare at the empty spot of the street, numb with fear or relief, I¡¯m not even sure. It¡¯s gone, at least. I don¡¯t even¡ª

    The cobblestones explode into shrapnel of rock. Three of my legs collapse as debris flies through them, shattering the limbs in a spike of pain. Another stone pings off of my vial with a sharp crack.

    [12 points of Piercing damage sustained.]

    Tetara roars. ¡°Where is it? Coward! Show yourself!¡± She yanks her ax from the ground, casting a shower of dirt and pebbles over me. She wheels around, swiping her weapon at imaginary foes.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Hemral asks, his voice somewhere between irritation and concern. ¡°You¡¯ve gone mad.¡±

    ¡°The summoner was here,¡± she seethes, rounding once more on where the void had been. ¡°Didn¡¯t you see? It was here!¡±

    ¡°I think you need to calm down.¡± The way Hemral is now holding his staff appears more defensive. He eyes the large crevice she¡¯s carved out of the street.

    Saru seems equally confused. ¡°Are you sure? I didn¡¯t see it. Tet, you¡¯re getting worked up.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not getting worked up!¡± Tetara yells. ¡°It was here!¡± There¡¯s a strange glint in her eyes. Even in the night, even in the glow of Hemral¡¯s blue flame, something red is burning brighter in her gaze. Her breathing is getting heavier. Ripples of orange flicker beneath her skin and wisp across her muscles.

    What¡¯s happening? I ask Echo, attempting to drag myself back. Amidst the darkness and debris of the destroyed supplies and broken street, I¡¯ve apparently gone unnoticed, but I can¡¯t count on luck to stop me from getting stepped on.

    [The orc is becoming Enraged,] Echo says. [Enraged: An ability which grants the user heightened strength and resistance to all forms of damage, at the expense of the user¡¯s mental awareness.]

    And she was about to go Hulk in the middle of a city. Because of me. Because of that damn void. If she hadn¡¯t seen it¡ªif I hadn¡¯t Attuned it in the first place¡ªif I had figured out what that Void stat meant sooner, if, if, if¡ª

    Saru grabs Tetara¡¯s arm, and the woman flinches. ¡°It¡¯s not here,¡± Saru says. ¡°You have to calm down.¡±

    Tetara grinds her teeth, swinging her head from side to side as her gaze darts down the streets. If I move, she might see me. And honestly, I¡¯m not even sure that I don¡¯t want her to find me.

    Hemral fires a blast of blue into the sky. Saru and Tetara take a step back, their faces lit in cobalt light as the flare flickers out.

    Tetara rounds on him. ¡°What¡ª¡±

    ¡°The guards will be here soon,¡± Hemral says, mouth set grimly. ¡°If you¡¯re around when they arrive, you¡¯ll be arrested for destruction of Guild property.¡± He nods to Saru. ¡°Get your friend some help. I¡¯ll spread word about this¡­ summoner of yours.¡±

    Saru pulls on Tetara¡¯s arm. ¡°Thank you.¡±

    Tetara keeps her glare locked on Hemral for a long moment. Then she sighs, passing a hand over her face, and the flickering light dies out beneath her skin. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Alright. Let¡¯s go.¡±

    The women turn away, shoulders hunched. I can only watch as they vanish down the street, oblivious to the doom they just sentenced me to. My legs are broken, so I can¡¯t walk. My cheat sheet is gone, so I can¡¯t ask for help. And now my last hope is left burning in the street.

    This is it, isn¡¯t it? It¡¯s over. I lost. There¡¯s no way for me to get back to Noli in time, let alone with a way to save her. The scene flickers a silent, cold blue as I sit there, alone, watching the stars wink indifferently above as I wait for the end.

 Chapter 33 - Pocket Dimension

    The city guard shows up later, and Hemral explains what happened. I don¡¯t really listen, because I don¡¯t particularly care. I just watch as the blue fire burns itself away, leaving only a pile of charred black shapes in the street. It must have been a magical fire: Even the glass is reduced to melted blobs. I half-heartedly have Echo scan the smoldering pile, but she only comes up with [Unidentifiable burnt remains.] At some point the guards leave, Hemral shuts his broken door, and the night continues on.

    I don¡¯t try to get anywhere safe. The alley is too far away, and I can¡¯t drag myself more than a few inches on these broken legs. I¡¯m up against the wall of Cloud¡¯s Arcane Artifacts, out of the street, though I don¡¯t know that I would try to move even if I was in the middle of the road. I¡¯m just¡­ tired of all this. I¡¯m tired of trying so hard, and fucking it up, over and over again. I¡¯m done. I quit. Once the spell ends, at least the predator can¡¯t hurt anyone anymore.

    Time numbly passes.

    The sky goes from black to blue to purple. People walk by on the streets. Before dawn, Hemral reemerges to clean up the pile of ashes left in the middle of the road. He doesn¡¯t bother with the rest of the scattered debris, so he doesn¡¯t see me. I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s for better or worse.

    I¡¯m beginning to think that my plan to just wait for the spell to end might take too long. I¡¯ve never been a patient person.

    Crushed would probably be the best. A fast death. No one would even see me out in the middle of the street. I could probably drag myself that far, at least.

    Perhaps I could be a little more proactive with Lightbeam. There¡¯s not enough light out now for it to work, but if I used it as a Spell instead of a Skill¡­

    I shiver at the thought. No, even I¡¯m not that desperate. The idea is to get myself killed so the predator doesn¡¯t have another chance to eat people. I can¡¯t risk giving it any more mana. Although, given I¡¯d accidentally summoned the Attuned void from my inventory last night, I might have already inadvertently raised the stat anyway. I Check it out of habit.

    [Void: 54%]

    Strange. Isn¡¯t that the same as it was before? But I returned the Attuned void to my inventory. Shouldn¡¯t that have added a percent? I thought I had this system figured out.

    Echo, why didn¡¯t my Void stat increase when I added the Attuned void back to my inventory? I ask.

    [The void cannot derive energy from itself,] Echo says.

    What the fuck does that mean?

    I wasn¡¯t asking Echo, but she replies anyway. [The Void stat increases as energy is expended into the Between via mana or matter for the ¡°Predator¡±¡ªas designated by the user¡ªto harness.]

    Clear as mud. Why is it called a Void stat then? What do you mean by the void deriving energy from itself? What¡¯s that got to do with the predator?

    [Between is the dimension from which null arcana arises,] Echo says. [Void is a physical element associated with null arcana, comparative to how stone is associated with earth arcana, or water with storm arcana. The predator was able to survive the Between by merging with the void it found there. The resulting entity is both being and magic.]

    Weird. So void isn¡¯t just the predator, it¡¯s also a kind of magic. And the predator just happens to be¡­ a special, horrifying flavor of void. Well I guess that sort of explains how it¡¯s harvesting my mana usage. But what has that got to do with my inventory?Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

    [The user¡¯s inventory is a compressed, isolated pocket of Between. When matter passes through the barrier between dimensions, residual energy disperses into the void.]

    A sickly feeling creeps through me. My inventory is part of the Between? I don¡¯t like that. Imagining the predator stuck in some other distant dimension was vaguely reassuring, but the idea that I¡¯ve been accessing a portion of that dimension at-will feels far too intimate and close.

    So if I¡¯ve got this right, void is a type of null magic that floats around the Between. And the predator merged with some of that void. And now anytime I use a spell or put something in my inventory, it¡¯s able to harness that energy until it¡¯s built up enough to pull itself back into reality¡ªthough it doesn¡¯t seem to be able to survive here very long without more energy. Maybe that¡¯s why it¡¯s been trying to eat the souls of anyone it can get its claws on when it appears.

    But when I Attuned it, I was able to strip a little piece of that magic away from the predator. I don¡¯t know how I¡¯m supposed to feel about that. I mean, I guess it¡¯s great that I was able to co-opt a sliver of the predator¡¯s power. Yay. And it¡¯s also nice that putting the Attuned void back Between doesn¡¯t seem to have any effect on causing the predator to pull the rest of itself from Between. Double yay.

    But I don¡¯t want anything to do with it. I don¡¯t want to touch it, I don¡¯t want to be able to control it. I want to leave it where it is and never see it again.

    Which, I remind myself, should be easy, considering as soon as my spell expires, I¡¯m going to die.

    Oh, yeah. Right.

    I don¡¯t know why I¡¯m even bothering trying to puzzle out all this void stuff. It won¡¯t matter soon anyway. I shouldn¡¯t care. I shouldn¡¯t be so engaged.

    I¡¯ve given up, right? There¡¯s nothing more to do but sit around and wait for the inevitable.

    Since it won¡¯t matter anyway, and I¡¯m not planning to add it back in, I bring out Trenevalt¡¯s charmed beads from my inventory.

    Only two beads are left glowing on the bracelet, and one of them is starting to dim.

    Too short of a time to bring help to Noli. Too long of a time to wait for the seconds to just tick away. How can it feel like too fast and too slow all at once?

    I¡¯m sorry, Noli. I wish you¡¯d never fallen into this mess with me. You deserved someone smarter or stronger or more creative to figure all this out. Instead, you got me. Someone who always seemed to be one step behind. Someone who gave up when things got too tough.

    I always wanted to be the action hero: bullet proof, swooping in to save the day and get the cute blond. That¡¯s why I went into acting. To be the star. The irony doesn¡¯t escape me that now, the first time it¡¯s really counted, when I was given the chance to step up, I choked. I¡¯m no champion or white knight.

    Turns out I was just fragile all this time. And now I broke.

    The murmur of life returns to the city as the sun rises, people filling the streets as their work days begin. I think about fixing my leg. I think about returning the beads to my inventory. I think about trying to drag myself back to the inn in the hopes that Zyneth returns and just magically solves everything. But I don¡¯t do any of that. I just sit and wait. Tired. Numb.

    Some people comment on the broken stones and pieces of glass that remain scattered in the street. They crunch under foot each time someone goes by, and I idly think about someone stepping on me the same way. The thought makes me uneasy, which in turn makes me ashamed. I¡¯ve already died once. What am I afraid of?

    ¡°What happened here?¡± another person wonders as they pass through the scarred street.

    Nothing much, I think. Just a bunch of people failing at playing hero.

    ¡°It¡¯s like the other shops,¡± they say. ¡°This is the third one.¡±

    Something about their voice sounds faintly familiar. I don¡¯t understand why, though, because just about the only person in this world I¡¯ve exchanged any significant words with is Zyneth, and this definitely isn¡¯t his quiet timbre. I spare an uninterested look at the speaker, and give a start because for a moment I think it is Zyneth: a cambion with rust-red skin, curling horns, a pointed tail¡ªand bifocals. No, it¡¯s not him. But it is someone I¡¯ve met before.

    Attiru, the map maker.

    What on earth are they doing here?

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± They¡¯re looking down at something cupped in their hand. ¡°What are¡­ Where?¡± They squint, their gaze sweeping over the ground. Looking for something.

    Coincidentally, their eyes land on me.

    ¡°Oh yes, I think I see,¡± Attiru says. ¡°You sure?¡± They step over to the side of the road, in my direction, and for a moment I think they¡¯re about to step on me, or kick my glass as they pass over, and I tense up in anticipation.

    Only, to my amazement, for them to crouch down in front of me. Still looking at me. Definitely looking at me. Not a coincidence at all.

    They lower their hand to the pavement, and in their cupped palm is a copper toy octopus.

 Chapter 34 - A Friendly Face

    ¡°Kanin!¡± Noli signs. ¡°Oh, thank the gods, you¡¯re alive! I was so worried we wouldn¡¯t find you.¡±

    I stare, stunned. Is this real? Is she really here? ¡°How?¡± I struggle to my feet, using some of my signing glass as a crutch to prop myself up.

    Noli makes a beckoning sign at Attiru, and the map-maker leans Noli closer to me.

    She balls up some of her tentacles like clenched fists. There¡¯s a patch on her midsection that looks like paper. The gaping hole through her mechanisms is hidden away, though clearly not all of her insides were fixed, as she makes no attempt to stand or crawl out of Attiru¡¯s hands.

    I still just can¡¯t believe it. I can¡¯t believe she¡¯s here.

    Noli reaches out¡ªthen smacks me across my glass, lurching me off my crutch and sending me rolling back to the street.

    [2 points of Bludgeoning damage sustained.]

    ¡°You left me!¡± Noli cries as I sit there, stunned. ¡°How could you do that? How could you just leave me there alone and hurt with no one to help? Why would you abandon me like that?¡±

    ¡°I¡ªI hurt you,¡± I sign, fumbling through the movements with what little broken fragments of signing glass I have left. ¡°The predator¡ª¡±

    ¡°The predator hurt me, not you,¡± Noli interrupts.

    ¡°But I make it,¡± I start again. ¡°In me. My fault.¡±

    ¡°No!¡± She throws her limbs in the air. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault! I saw what happened.¡± Her signs become less animated. ¡°I know it¡¯s attached to you, somehow. Probably ever since we first got stuck Between. And I saw how it was¡ªhow it was using you when it hurt those people. But that doesn¡¯t make it your fault, Kanin. You¡¯re just as much a victim as everyone else.¡±

    The words sting unexpectedly deep. I¡¯m not a victim. That can¡¯t be right. Not when I can still feel what the predator felt, taste what it tasted. Not when I reveled in all the pain I was causing. I shake myself from side to side.

    ¡°So why?¡± she asks. ¡°Why did you leave me?¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t want to hurt again,¡± I sign. ¡°Had to protect you.¡±

    Noli balks. ¡°You¡ªyou ass!¡±

    I lean back in surprise. That¡¯s a new sign. I mentally tuck the word away for later use.

    ¡°Protect me?¡± she continues. ¡°You know, I could have just as easily been saddled with that void monster as you. And I wouldn¡¯t have left you back there in Peakshadow if the roles were switched. Don¡¯t you understand by now? We¡¯re in this together.¡±

    Something in me melts. All the strength goes out of me. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± I¡¯d given up on her¡ªon both of us. I¡¯d stopped trying, while she never quit. What kind of friend am I? ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    Noli slumps as well. ¡°Good. You should be.¡± Then she wrings her tentacles in concern. ¡°Oh gosh. I shouldn¡¯t have hit you like that. That was very wrong of me¡ªI was just so mad. No, I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m making excuses. Are you okay?¡±

    I¡¯m not sure if I want to laugh or cry. ¡°Good.¡± My soul aches in a good way. I¡¯m glad she¡¯s back. ¡°I¡¯m good.¡±

    Attiru clears their throat. ¡°As fascinating as it is to watch you two wiggle at each other, I think we¡¯re drawing some attention.¡± They look at Noli questioningly. ¡°So, now that we¡¯ve found him, I suppose he¡¯ll be needing a lift, too?¡±

    Noli turns to me. ¡°Well? Are you coming? What am I saying¡ªof course you¡¯re coming!¡±

    ¡°Where?¡± I ask. But I¡¯m already pushing myself upright. I wave Attiru closer so I can fall into their hand alongside Noli.

    ¡°To figure this whole thing out,¡± Noli signs. ¡°Together.¡±

    Her confidence is infectious. I don¡¯t know how we¡¯re supposed to figure any of this out, given the creeping Void stat, the destroyed spell materials, shuttered wizard storefronts, and less than two days left on our timer. But now that she¡¯s here, we have more time to find a solution. Somehow, with Noli, I think we¡¯ll manage.

    I¡¯m still trying to roll into an upright position in Attiru¡¯s hand before remembering my map. ¡°Oh! Wait.¡± I point to the glass beads first, and Noli gestures for them as well: Attiru graciously picks them up. ¡°There¡¯s a map, too,¡± I tell Noli, sending my signing glass in the right direction. Noli taps on Attiru¡¯s thumb and gestures at my glass. They follow it to the alley, where they find my map and pick it up with their freehand. As they do so, I notice the movement is stiff, and as I look longer, I realize bandages are wrapped around the exposed skin on that arm.

    The arm we¡ªthe arm the predator stabbed.

    Guilt prickles at my conscience, but they don¡¯t let me dwell in it long.

    ¡°What¡¯s this for?¡± Attiru asks.

    I send my glass to tap on the icon of my inn, causing the map to zoom in on the location.

    ¡°Staying here,¡± I tell Noli.

    Noli pats Attiru¡¯s hand, which must be some sort of sign they¡¯ve worked out between each other, as Attiru pulls it closer to examine it.

    ¡°We¡¯re heading here?¡± they ask.

    ¡°Yes,¡± I sign, and Noli pats their hand again.

    ¡°Alright then. Ready?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Being carried around like a helpless child is almost getting less embarrassing. Almost.

    I point at Attiru as they start to carry us through the streets. ¡°How?¡±

    ¡°They found me in their shop,¡± Noli explains. ¡°And they recognized me from before, when I was trying to distract the shadow monster with pebbles. I guess they feel like I saved their life¡ªbut I think that¡¯s an exaggeration! It¡¯s what anyone would have done.¡±

    Noli, very few people would have chosen to throw stones at a murder void while only three inches tall.

    ¡°After that, they found the letter I wrote to Rezira,¡± Noli continues. ¡°They helped me send it, too. Then I explained everything else I could manage in writing. Gosh, it¡¯s great to have someone who can understand me! Not,¡± she adds, ¡°That you can¡¯t understand me. It¡¯s just that our conversations can be a little more deep. Not that yours aren¡¯t deep. But the vocabulary¡­¡±

    I never thought listening to Noli¡¯s mildly insulting rambles would fill me with so much happiness. We have someone with money and hands to help us. We have Noli who can communicate for us. We have a chance.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

    ¡°...Anyway, after Attiru patched me up, I decided we needed to track you down,¡± Noli signs. ¡°And I knew you were coming to Harrowood to find a wizard that could help us, so I asked Attiru to take me. We thought we¡¯d catch up with you on the road, but we never found you, so I¡¯m guessing you also got help to get here so fast. So we walked for a few days, fought a greater marrowwing, camped a couple nights, blah blah blah¡­ And finally got here! We looked around town for a bit, trying to find a homunculus wizard and ask around at all the arcana shops, but most of them seemed to be vandalized. I was starting to get worried until, well, until we found you!¡±

    If she had lungs, I imagine she would have had to stop for breath at some point. And what was that about a greater marrowwing?

    But as regaling as her story is, I have more important information to communicate.

    ¡°Two days,¡± I sign, pointing at the beads Attiru is carrying for us. They¡¯re apparently ignoring our conversation, stopping occasionally to consult my map and mumble about shoddy workmanship.

    ¡°Ah, yes, I suspected we were pretty low,¡± Noli signs, not seeming nearly as bothered as she probably should. ¡°Attiru didn¡¯t know of anyone back in Peakshadow who might have been able to help us, though I suppose it¡¯s too late to head back there, anyway. We can ask around town, still. We haven¡¯t had any luck so far, but there should be plenty of time left for Attiru to find someone.¡±

    I hope so. But can they find anyone who¡¯s willing to talk to us, given Saru and Tetara¡¯s attacks? And even then, would they have the supplies? Another concern I needed to get across so we can waste as little time as possible.

    But first¡­

    ¡°The void,¡± I sign.

    ¡°Ah, yes.¡± Noli seems to be taking this a bit more seriously, at least. ¡°Are we in danger of it appearing again? Do you know what summons it?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± I sign, to both questions. I do my best to explain to her what I know: that I can¡¯t use magic, or even risk making my belongings vanish and reappear. That it¡¯s over halfway to reappearing once more.

    ¡°That¡¯s tricky,¡± Noli admits. ¡°But it sounds like if you just take it easy, there¡¯s no risk of it being summoned, right?¡±

    Well, ideally. But that hasn¡¯t worked out very well so far.

    I gesture to Attiru. ¡°They know about me and void?¡± Even as I ask, I¡¯m provided unwelcome flashbacks of towering over them, eager to stab my claws through their chest.

    ¡°Not exactly,¡± Noli admits, squirming. ¡°I mean, we could all see the monster carrying you around, but I don¡¯t think they realize it¡¯s connected to you. However!¡± Noli adds, ¡°As long as you don¡¯t do any magic, it¡¯ll be fine! And we won¡¯t have to worry about that creature ever again.¡±

    In this instance, I don¡¯t think I¡¯m able to bring myself to share in Noli¡¯s optimism.

    ¡°Ah.¡± Attiru stops, looking up from their map. ¡°Is this it?¡±

    I show them around back, to where the gap in my window remains cracked open.

    They snort. ¡°How terribly secure.¡±

    Says the person whose shop we snuck into.

    Even so, they climb through, and after taking a moment to look around the room, they deposit Noli and I on the desk. Attiru sets the map and beaded bracelet down as well, then digs around in their pack to remove a slate and piece of chalk. My heart leaps at the sight of the chalk, but a quick Check reveals it¡¯s merely that. They put these on the table next to Noli, then sit down heavily in the desk¡¯s chair.

    ¡°Well, we¡¯ve found your friend,¡± Attiru says. ¡°What¡¯s next?¡±

    ¡°Time,¡± I sign, tapping the beads.

    Attiru¡¯s gaze flickers to the beads. ¡°What are those for?¡±

    Noli grabs the chalk and starts writing on the slate. Attiru adjusts their glasses, waiting patiently as Noli explains the beads. They already seem to understand our time limit, because they don¡¯t ask for clarification about that.

    ¡°I see.¡± They wipe the slate clean so Noli has more space to write. ¡°Two days isn¡¯t great, but we¡¯ve still got time. I can start asking around. It seems we would best be served finding a wizard who creates homunculi. Is there anything else I should be looking for?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± I don¡¯t know how to communicate this to Noli, though. I summon Vessel Construction and Binding from my inventory, and the book appears on the desk with a thump.

    Attiru jumps. ¡°How did you do that?¡±

    Yeah, that¡¯s a whole different can of worms I¡¯m not interested in opening. Instead, I tap the cover repeatedly until Attiru catches the hint and opens it. I turn to the Table of Contents, skim for the spell I went, and point out the page number. Attiru flips through the book and finds the page in a matter of seconds. God damn I miss having hands.

    ¡°Core Bond,¡± they read. ¡°Used to bind an energy store to a vessel, primarily used for forging homunculi cores. Requires periodic spell refreshes to maintain the connection.¡± They raise their eyebrows. ¡°This is the spell you need renewed. How did you find it?¡±

    ¡°Amazing,¡± Noli signs. ¡°We don¡¯t even need a wizard, then. We can do it ourselves!¡±

    She might not be wrong, but I¡¯d seriously prefer deferring to a professional before experimenting with any new spells of my own. However, the devil¡¯s in the details, as I quickly point out.

    ¡°The spell circle needs null arcanum-enriched chalk,¡± Attiru concludes. They regard me with a look of newly found respect. ¡°Resourceful.¡±

    How flattering, but they¡¯re missing the point.

    ¡°People attack,¡± I tell Noli, tapping where it reads ¡°Null arcanum-enriched chalk¡± on the spell book¡¯s page, since I don¡¯t know how to actually sign that.

    ¡°Someone attacked the chalk?¡± Noli repeats.

    Thank god she can understand my broken speech. Noli translates what I say to Attiru so they stay in the loop as well.

    I do my best to explain what happened, though I still don¡¯t know enough letters to spell out Saru or Tetara¡¯s names. Half-assed descriptions will have to be enough. I explain the sabotaged supply cart, point out the shops I checked on the map, which ones had been broken into, the general lack of wizards (and chalk), and finally the encounter I¡¯d had with Saru and Tetara. I leave off the part about the void hand. I don¡¯t want to talk about it, anyway.

    ¡°Well you¡¯ve kept yourself busy,¡± Attiru observes. They glance at the sack of coins weighing down an edge of my cheat sheet. ¡°And well paid.¡±

    Right. I still haven¡¯t explained how I got to this city. I try to tackle that too, keeping to the cliff notes on my and Zyneth¡¯s journey to Harrowood. A guy helped carry me. He had to leave once I got here. The end.

    ¡°At least we know what spell we need,¡± Attiru says, tapping the book. ¡°That will help me when asking around. Is the chalk part of the spell absolutely necessary, though? Sometimes ingredients are added for stability, but can technically be performed without.¡±

    For some reason, I don¡¯t like the idea of removing stability from an unknown spell that¡¯s already resulted in two souls getting trapped in inanimate objects once already. But if they¡¯re right, then so much the better.

    I look back at the page, scanning through the requirements. Echo, can you write up a checklist or something? So it¡¯s easier to keep track of everything we need.

    [Affirmative,] Echo says, and a list lights up my vision.

    [Spell Circle: Non-existent]

    [Target Foci: Specify target]

    [Null Arcanum: Substitution Available]

    [30 Mana: Available]

    I pause. Substitution available? What does that mean? Echo? What can be used for the null arcanum part of this spell?

    [As void is a subset of null arcanum, lines drawn with your Attuned void may be used in place of null arcanum-enriched chalk.]

    It feels like my insides have turned to ice. The spell needs me to use the void? No. I can¡¯t. That¡¯s not an option.

    ¡°Kanin?¡± Noli prompts. ¡°You¡¯re quiet. What is it?¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± I don¡¯t know what to say. I¡¯m not willing to use the void. Not when we still have other options. Attiru could still find some chalk or, better yet, a wizard. No, they don¡¯t need to know about this alternative.

    ¡°...No,¡± I finally sign. ¡°We need chalk.¡±

    Noli nods, passing the message along to Attiru.

    ¡°I thought you¡¯d say that,¡± they say. ¡°That¡¯s alright. I¡¯ll keep an eye out while I¡¯m trying to track some wizards down.¡± Attiru stands up, absently rubbing their injured shoulder. I watch the movement with nauseous guilt. ¡°I think you two should stay here. It might take more time than it¡¯s worth to explain a pair of sentient homunculi. If I find someone who can help, I¡¯ll bring them back.¡± They pause, glancing at the door key. ¡°Will your friend be coming back?¡±

    I gesture for them to take it. ¡°Don¡¯t know,¡± I tell Noli, who translates for me. I hope so. But Zyneth had something important enough on the line he was willing to let me figure out my life-or-death circumstance on my own. I suspect I won¡¯t see him again anytime soon.

    ¡°Be back by this evening, then,¡± they say. ¡°Hopefully sooner, if I find someone.¡±

    ¡°Good luck!¡± Noli waves after them, as if Attiru was heading out the door for some groceries rather than a cure to our impending doom. The door closes after them, and the lock clicks shut. Then it¡¯s just Noli and I.

    I sit there awkwardly for a moment, wondering what I should say. I¡¯m still sufficiently humbled by her earlier scolding. And guilt prickles me over not saying anything about the void substitution. But now that I¡¯m no longer resigned to an imminent death, every passing minute is ratcheting up my anxiety a notch more. I¡¯m grateful for Attiru¡¯s help, but I also have no desire to sit here twiddling my thumbs while the hours tick by.

    And it seems like Noli feels the same way. ¡°Well?¡± she signs. ¡°What are you waiting for? Let¡¯s make that spell circle.¡±

 Chapter 35 - The Circle

    ¡°What?¡± I ask.

    ¡°The spell circle!¡± Noli points to the spell book, still open to the Core Bond instructions. ¡°It¡¯s right there. Let¡¯s copy it.¡±

    ¡°But no chalk,¡± I sign, stumbling through the movements of the last word. I¡¯ve caught Noli signing it a few times now, but she still moves too quickly for me to replicate on the fly.

    ¡°Yeah, we don¡¯t have the magic chalk,¡± Noli agrees. ¡°But if we get it all drawn out first, then that means Attiru could trace it faster with the null chalk once they get it, right?¡±

    Or I could trace it with my Attuned void¡ªa thought I quickly put out of mind. I¡¯m not fully on board with this idea. Neither of us have opposable thumbs. Noli can¡¯t move. I have broken legs. What does she expect us to do? ¡°We need wizard help.¡±

    ¡°Kanin, you are a wizard,¡± Noli signs. ¡°You can shape glass like it¡¯s taffy. That¡¯s magic. And anyway,¡± she adds. ¡°If Attiru doesn¡¯t find anyone who can help, I don¡¯t want to be stuck with no fallbacks. If they do find someone, great. If they don¡¯t, we¡¯ll have to hope they can find that chalk¡ªand then we¡¯ll be prepared to take matters into our own hands.¡±

    The idea makes me nervous. What happens if you botch a spell like this? Trenevalt did, and look where we ended up. Not to mention he was an experienced wizard. I¡¯m just¡­ me.

    But she¡¯s right that it beats sitting around hoping for someone to save us. It can¡¯t hurt to be prepared, and I guess there¡¯s no risk if we¡¯re just drawing stuff with normal chalk. No magic, and certainly no void. I guess, if nothing else, it¡¯s worth a shot.

    I roll back over to the book and look at the spell circle. The pattern wouldn¡¯t be too complicated with hands, but we lack those. Start simple, I guess.

    I tap the outside circle. ¡°This first.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I have an idea for that,¡± Noli signs. She points over at Attiru¡¯s bag, sitting on the chair next to our desk. ¡°In there. Attiru¡¯s got some map supplies they brought along¡ªI guess it¡¯s hard for them to step away from work. There should be some twine. Can you get it?¡±

    I spend a moment thinking through how I¡¯ll get down there, before recalling that I don¡¯t actually need to. With my increased range, I send my signing glass down and flip open the flap.

    ¡°Oh, wow,¡± Noli signs. ¡°Your magic¡¯s gotten stronger!¡±

    The compliment sours in my gut. That might be true, but the cost of two lives will never have been worth it.

    I feel around blindly in the bag before my glass snags on some twine, and I pull the roll of string out.

    ¡°Hand it here.¡± Noli takes it, tugging a few of the loose ends out. ¡°Now put a piece of glass down here.¡± I obey, and she begins to tie the string around my glass. It takes some time, given a general lack of fingers, but I help as much as I can with my other pieces of glass, nudging the string around and threading it through. Noli points to the chalk. ¡°That next.¡±

    I think I see where she¡¯s going with this. ¡°How big?¡± I ask.

    Noli hesitates as she¡¯s unwinding more of the twine. ¡°Good question. I don¡¯t know. You¡¯re the wizard.¡±

    It feels weird for her to defer to my expertise on anything. I¡¯ve been doing magic for less than a month. I don¡¯t even understand what it is I¡¯m doing half the time. But I guess in this one case, I might know more than her. I head back over to the spell book to reread the instructions.

    Focusing on the first item of the checklist I had Echo make, I¡¯m rewarded with a visual of the spell circle I need to draw¡ªand the dimensions. A little crowded for the desk.

    ¡°Give it to me,¡± I sign, asking for the string. I don¡¯t know how to sign units yet, so I¡¯ll just do the measuring and cutting. Noli hands over the string, and I unwind about a foot and a half of it, using a broken edge of my glass to saw through the end. I hope the circle doesn¡¯t have to be exact. The spell book did mention you could scale it, though what that means for the magic requirements or any other adjustments I¡¯d have to make, I have no idea. I¡¯ll just have to hope this is close enough.

    Noli ties the other end of the string to the piece of chalk.

    Great. My tools are ready. Now I just have to get down to the floor.

    Which normally wouldn¡¯t be an issue, but with nonfunctional legs, I¡¯m not seeing how that¡¯s happening.

    Void Check.

    [Void: 54%]Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

    I¡¯m already nervous about how high it is. But if I want to get down there, if I stand a chance at making that circle, I¡¯ll need to be mobile. Reluctantly, I call a few of my glass fragments over and activate Sculpt. It only takes a minute to fix my broken legs, but¡­

    [Void: 60%]

    What¡¯s done is done, I guess.

    Ready to descend, I stab the glass with the string into the top of the table, then grab the rest of the string, loop it through my leg harness, and start climbing down the table. I use the string mostly as a backup, trying not to put too much weight on it, as I climb down the back of the chair, over Attiru¡¯s backpack, and onto the seat. Now it¡¯s only a two-foot fall to the floor: probably not lethal. I unhook the glass with the string attached to it, re-secure it on the base of the chair, and continue my pseudo-rappelling to the floor. Hey, I¡¯m not too bad at this. Maybe that Climbing skill is finally paying off.

    The room is small, but empty: I¡¯ve got at least a three-foot span of space to work with.

    Noli watches from her perch. ¡°Move a bit to the left! No, sorry, I mean my left. Your right. Good! Now a little forward¡­ okay there! That should be good.¡±

    I stab the string-tied glass into the floor, then grab the opposite end, tied to the chalk, and pull the string taut. Following the chalk to stay within range, I start to trace out the circle.

    It takes a couple false starts. Once, when I¡¯m not concentrating on it, the middle piece of glass pops out of the wood, causing the chalk to veer off course and add a zig-zag to the circle. I do my best to brush it away, but that¡¯s easier said than done when your only eraser is made of glass. It goes smoother after that, although the chalk marking is barely visible against the wood floor. I can¡¯t press down with much force, so I end up going around the circle five times to make the chalk noticeable.

    ¡°Great job!¡± Noli signs. ¡°Now for the next one.¡±

    Ugh. She doesn¡¯t need to tell me. I consult the diagram, spin the middle piece of glass to wind up the string and shorten it a few inches, then repeat the process.

    There¡¯s four main circles to draw altogether, and I finish each one faster than the last. But that was the easy part.

    Next are all the cross-hatches. There¡¯s a main shape, like a ten-pointed star, but there¡¯s more lines and smaller circles off-shooting from the primary design. I feel a headache coming on. This looks like math.

    Noli also seems stumped. ¡°Hmm, maybe we guess at the spacing and put some initial marks down, then erase them if they look too far apart and shuffle them around that way?¡±

    I guess it¡¯s an idea. But I haven¡¯t been great at erasing the chalk so far. Wait¡ªwhat am I thinking? I¡¯ve got better options than that.

    ¡°String,¡± I sign back up at Noli. ¡°Drop here.¡±

    Instead of asking why, Noli drags herself away from the edge. She¡¯s gone for a minute, and I cringe at how much effort just that simple task is taking her. Then she reappears at the edge. ¡°I promise not to drop things on you this time!¡± She rolls the string off the desk, and it tumbles to the floor nearby.

    ¡°Thanks!¡± I unknot the twine and begin to stretch it out. Grabbing the end with one piece of glass, I spread the rest of my signing glass around the circle, sticking ten of them down as equal distance from each other as I can manage. Checking the diagram once more, I start to wind the string around the design.

    ¡°Oooh!¡± Noli claps her arms together in excitement. ¡°Great idea! But that one on the left is a little off. It needs to move closer to the one on its right. No, not that piece of glass, the other one. No, the other one. No, the other one. Yeah! That one. Okay. So nudge it a little to the right¡­¡±

    With Noli¡¯s bird-eye view and the string to guide where I¡¯ll be drawing with the chalk, we start to get all the angles right. I keep making tiny adjustments, walking around the circle to check every perspective, as Noli continues to shout encouragement and directions from above. Finally, we both think it¡¯s as close to the diagram as I can make it. I pick up the chalk and start tracing it out.

    It takes a long time. I have to go over each line half a dozen times, and it seems like there are always more shapes to trace. Luckily, they all seem to be circles or straight lines, both of which I can manage with the string. But it still takes me all day to get the simple three-foot circle drawn to completion. At least, I hope it¡¯s to completion.

    The sun is setting when I¡¯m done, filling the room with long, slanted shadows. I¡¯m mentally exhausted, my mind buzzing with lines and angles. Physically, though, I have enough strength; I don¡¯t seem to experience physical exhaustion at all. Wearily, I make my way back up to Noli.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it grand?¡± she says, still looking off the edge of the desk.

    I carefully step up beside her. It is impressive. It looks, dare I say, professional. Not to mention, it feels good to be productive. Now if Attiru does bring a wizard or some magic chalk back, it should be quick work to trace our circle and renew our spell. We¡¯re so close.

    Attiru, however, still hasn¡¯t returned. It¡¯s almost nightfall, and we haven¡¯t heard a peep. I guess there¡¯s nothing we can do but wait for them to get back, but it still makes me nervous. I check Trenevalt¡¯s beads, and my soul skips: There¡¯s only one bead left lit.

    But how much time is that really? When will that last bead go out? Do we have a full day? Under?

    Echo, can you Check the mana sustaining our Core Bond spell? I ask.

    Numbers pop up over Noli¡¯s head. [Mana: 31]

    I rack my brain, trying to remember how much I¡¯d seen before. It was back when I first learned about these spells. What was that, two weeks ago? How much mana had been sustaining our spells then? It was at least 700, I think. I know it was way more mana than I could use at that time. 31 sounds worryingly low. Even as I watch, it ticks down to 30.

    Nervous static crawls through me as I stare at the number, waiting for it to move again. It doesn¡¯t¡ªfor now. But if it was 700 two weeks ago, and it¡¯s 30 now¡­

    ¡°Kanin?¡± Noli asks as I head over to her board and grab a piece of chalk.

    I was never great at math, but I think I can still work out some long division. Noli peers curiously over my shoulders as I painstakingly write out the numbers and divide my guess at the mana by fourteen days.

    ¡°What language is that?¡± Noli wonders. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen those symbols before.¡±

    Shhh, I am trying to keep track of numbers.

    ¡°One of these days I¡¯m going to teach you enough words so you can explain all this to me,¡± she adds.

    I don¡¯t reply because I¡¯ve just finished the calculation. I drop the chalk as dread seeps through me.

    50. The spell drops 50 points of mana per day. Which means we can¡¯t wait until tomorrow for Attiru to get back.

    In fact, we¡¯ll barely make it through morning.

 Chapter 36 - Substitution

    I feel cold. Fifteen hours, max. We¡¯re fucked. We¡¯re really really fucked.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Noli asks. She pokes at my math scribbles. ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°Time limit,¡± I tell her. ¡°Ends tomorrow.¡±

    She freezes. ¡°When?¡±

    ¡°Day,¡± I sign, wracking my mind for the right words. ¡°Early sun.¡±

    ¡°Morning?¡± she guesses.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Noli remains silent for a moment. ¡°Well, I suppose there¡¯s nothing for it. We¡¯ll just have to wait for Attiru to get back.¡±

    I shift nervously from foot to foot. ¡°You sure? That¡¯s it?¡±

    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t see that we have any other options,¡± Noli signs. ¡°We can¡¯t do the spell without a null wizard, or null arcana chalk.¡±

    Guilt claws at me. There¡¯s also the void. I might be able to do the spell. But she doesn¡¯t know that.

    ¡°Attiru is our best bet,¡± Noli continues. ¡°They can speak, move quickly, and have our only map. If you try to leave now, you¡¯re likely to get lost or injured. And what happens if they come back and you¡¯re not here?¡± Noli shakes her head. ¡°No, from now on, we¡¯re sticking together.¡±

    She¡¯d be right about all of that if I hadn¡¯t lied to her. But it¡¯s just a lie of omission, right? Using the void is dangerous. It¡¯s part of the predator.

    Besides, we can afford to wait a little longer. Attiru might come back any minute.

    I wish I could believe that.

    ¡°You trust them,¡± I sign.

    ¡°Who, Attiru?¡± Noli asked. ¡°Of course! They brought me all the way here¡ªthey won¡¯t fail us now.¡±

    She¡¯s right. They¡¯ve already done a lot, and they barely even know us. But they¡¯re going out of their way to help Noli and I, despite the fact that it was me who nearly killed them in the first place.

    ¡°They like you,¡± I sign.

    ¡°Maybe,¡± Noli signs back. ¡°But more than anything, I think they just want to help.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± I ask. Why go through all this effort for relative strangers?

    ¡°Why?¡± Noli repeats. ¡°Well that¡¯s a silly question. Because they can, I suppose. Because we need help, and they can give it.¡±

    Her words don¡¯t make me feel any better. ¡°But they¡¯re hurt.¡±

    ¡°I suppose,¡± Noli signs. ¡°But when people¡¯s lives are on the line, sometimes you can work through the pain, I think. And I guess they think they owe me, after I saved their life, though I really wish they wouldn¡¯t see it like that. Helping people¡¯s just the right thing to do, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Which was why she¡¯d tried to stop the predator in the first place. Why she threw those rocks at us. Had she been trying to save Attiru from being killed, or me from doing the killing? Both at once, probably. She¡¯s an optimist like that.

    Which makes me feel even worse. Of course helping people is the right thing to do. Of course it is. I know that. But making me use the void¡ªthat¡¯s different, isn¡¯t it? It might not help at all. It might make everything worse. Summoning the Attuned void might risk summoning the predator¡ªin the middle of a populated city, no less.

    Except it hadn¡¯t summoned the predator before. It had been inert. Following my intentions, just like my glass. And summoning it wouldn¡¯t even up the Void stat either.

    I pace restlessly to one end of the desk, then back again.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Noli asks.

    If there¡¯s no risk, then why am I so scared to try it? Why won¡¯t I even consider the option? Helping people¡¯s just the right thing to do.

    Maybe I¡¯m not a good person. Maybe I¡¯m selfish and a coward. I tap a leg nervously against the desk, the decision tearing me in half.

    ¡°Kanin? What¡¯s going on?¡± Noli asks again.

    I stop. Maybe Attiru¡¯s got it right. Maybe your motives don¡¯t have to be selfless as long as they¡¯re for the right reason. I¡¯m not an optimist like Noli. I don¡¯t nearly have her altruism. But doing this for Noli. Because I hurt her, because I abandoned her, because I feel like I owe her: Maybe that¡¯s enough.

    My ink is lead. My glass weighs a thousand pounds. Somehow, I get them to move anyway.

    ¡°I can do it,¡± I sign. ¡°I have null magic.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Noli cries. ¡°That¡¯s great!¡± Then she pauses, confused. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say so earlier?¡±

    I shift nervously from foot to foot. ¡°It¡¯s different. Dangerous. Not null chalk.¡±

    Noli tips her head. ¡°Like a substitute?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°But it will still work?¡±

    I hope so. ¡°Yes. But¡­¡±

    ¡°But what?¡± Even she¡¯s starting to seem a little impatient with me dancing around the subject.

    A thrill of fear flutters through me. ¡°It¡¯s void.¡±

    Noli stops short at that. ¡°You mean¡­ like the predator?¡±

    I shiver. ¡°Yes. But this is¡­¡± I don¡¯t know how to explain it. ¡°Piece of predator.¡±

    Noli takes a moment to digest this. ¡°Will using it be safe?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I admit. But every instinct of mine is screaming no, definitely not.

    ¡°Hm.¡± Noli considers. ¡°Is that why you were reluctant to suggest it?¡±

    I almost say yes. That¡¯s the easy out. And I guess it wouldn¡¯t be a complete lie¡ªI don¡¯t understand the first thing about it. It could be dangerous. It could summon the predator. It could be a lot of things. But the real reason¡­

    ¡°I¡¯m scared,¡± I admit. ¡°Don¡¯t want to use it. Don¡¯t want to be like it.¡±

    ¡°Be like it?¡± Noli repeats. ¡°Kanin, using null magic doesn¡¯t make you anything like the predator. Plenty of people use null magic every day. Plenty use shadow magic.¡±

    ¡°Different,¡± I argue. It¡¯s not even comparable. This stuff is alive¡ªor at least it was. And if it carries even a whiff of the predator¡¯s intent, then who¡¯s to say it won¡¯t control me again? Who¡¯s to say it won¡¯t make me hurt people?This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

    ¡°I almost killed you.¡±

    ¡°But you didn¡¯t,¡± Noli signs.

    But I could have. I was so close to taking her soul. That I was able to influence the predator in even the smallest way, souring our interest in her, was the most I could manage¡ªand I couldn¡¯t even do that much for the other two lives we took. ¡°Hard to stop,¡± I insist.

    ¡°But you did,¡± Noli signs.

    She isn¡¯t getting it. ¡°It kills. Null magic is for killing.¡±

    Noli swipes her limb through the air as if striking the words down. ¡°Nonsense. Magic is just a tool. Energy. It¡¯s not evil. Not even necromancy, or null magic, or this void stuff. Like a pocketknife, magic can be used to help or harm. The predator uses it to harm. But using it doesn¡¯t make you anything like that creature, because you¡¯d use it to help people. To help both of us.¡±

    I understand what she¡¯s saying, but it¡¯s one thing to know something and quite another to believe it. But I¡¯ve already gone this far, haven¡¯t I? Now that Noli knows we have this as an option, I can¡¯t put that knowledge back in the box.

    ¡°Okay.¡± I sag, fear pressing down on me. ¡°But only if no chalk.¡±

    ¡°If Attiru finds something, we¡¯ll go with that,¡± Noli agrees. The but that follows her words lingers unspoken in the air between us. ¡°Do you want to practice now anyway?¡±

    Fuck no. That¡¯s the last thing I want. But I guess we¡¯ve already moved way past catering to what I want. ¡°Okay.¡±

    I nervously step back, putting some space between Noli and I. Noli waits. A few seconds tick by, neither of us moving. I shake myself, glass tinkling quietly. Come on, come on. I can do this. I just have to will it out of my inventory. I just have to wish for it to appear. It¡¯s that easy.

    And that hard.

    I feel sick and cold and heavy and afraid¡ªvery afraid. The most afraid I¡¯ve been since the predator crushed my willpower like a bug. It¡¯ll be fine. It was fine last time. I can just summon it for a moment, then banish it just as quick. That¡¯s it. Like getting a shot. Worrying about it is worse than actually doing it.

    Echo, I blurt before I can change my mind. Summon the Attuned void from my inventory.

    [Affirmative.]

    Shadows swirl into existence between us. Ink spills into the air, bleeding out into its surroundings. The pillar of black¡ªof nothingness¡ªdrifts toward me.

    My soul seizes up. I jerk back, panicked, and miss a step. I fall to the side, pain and dread lancing through me. Scrambling to my feet, my mind is blinded by an overwhelming urge to flee. I retreat another step¡ª

    But the void isn¡¯t following. The weightless ink whorls in place, barely the size of a piece of fruit, rippling and twitching like a liquid magnet. It¡¯s unresponsive. Waiting for my intent to shape it.

    Tentatively, I reach out my mind, and shiver as I feel it connect. It¡¯s nothing like controlling my Attuned glass. There¡¯s no comforting stability here. But there¡¯s also no hint of the predator.

    I allow myself to relax the smallest fraction. Mentally brushing the void off to the side, I can see Noli again, who appears to be signing at me frantically.

    ¡°...you okay? Kanin! Oh stars, I never should have¡ªPlease be okay! Please be¡ªOh!¡± She pauses as the ink hovers off to our side. She looks between me and the looming cloud of void. ¡°You did it! Great job, Kanin. I never doubted you!¡±

    Thanks for the vote of confidence. I nervously edge back over to her, giving the void a wide berth.

    ¡°Well?¡± Noli asks. ¡°Can you control it?¡±

    I mentally probe it, and its form ripples. ¡°Yes.¡±

    Noli waits a moment, but I don¡¯t offer any more insight. ¡°Can you shape it then?¡±

    Hesitantly, I reach into the magic. If controlling the glass is like mentally picking up each piece with an invisible hand, stacking and holding them together, this is like swirling that hand through water. I try to grasp it, but it slips through my hold, ebbing around my intent. The void coils through the air, elongating into strands and filaments, only to curl in on itself and merge back into the nothingness. I shudder, reminded all too well of the way the predator whorled and roiled.

    ¡°Well it seems to be doing something,¡± Noli observes.

    But what, exactly? I try to wrangle it under control once more, but the shadows only swirl lazily through the air. Do I need to use Sculpt to get it to change forms? It¡¯s responding to me, but not the same way it had last night, when it had formed a hand to reach for Saru and Tetara. I hadn¡¯t used Sculpt then. What am I doing differently now? Reluctantly, I try to recall every detail of that encounter.

    Yesterday, I hadn¡¯t even been thinking about it. I had been desperate to grab the chalk, and it had reacted to what I wanted. Was that it? I¡¯ve been trying to hold it, like the glass, force it to move how I¡¯m directing, but this stuff isn¡¯t a solid. Granted, I¡¯m not sure it¡¯s really a fluid, either, but that¡¯s what it feels like, in my mind. So maybe I have to take a different approach. How does one control a liquid?

    With a cup, I guess.

    Great thinking, Kanin. Now I just need a magic cup. Wow, I¡¯m totally killing this.

    Although, perhaps the idea isn¡¯t totally ridiculous. Magic cups aside, maybe the void needs some kind of direction. I¡¯ve just been trying to control it without telling it to do anything specific. But if it reacted to my will last night, maybe it just needs to be¡­ funneled the right way. Given a shape to fill.

    If the void needs intent in order to form, that would be completely different from my glass, which requires precise, concrete instructions. Why they¡¯d operate so differently, I have no idea. But there¡¯s only one way to know for sure.

    I scan the desk, finding Noli¡¯s piece of chalk. Instead of focusing on the void, I focus on that. I imagine picking it up and writing with it.

    I put will into the thought. I want to write. I need to pick that up¡ª

    ¡°Woah!¡± Noli jerks back as the void swoops over to the chalk, wrapping around the tiny writing utensil to lift it from the table. A thrill of excitement goes through me. I did it!

    Just as quickly, the triumph sours to disgust. This isn¡¯t something to celebrate. I don¡¯t want to be able to do this kind of magic.

    As if hearing this thought, the void loses form, splashing down to the table in a black mess. The chalk falls to the desk as well, nearly rolling off the edge of the table before I grab it with my glass.

    Echo, return the Attuned void to my inventory, I say.

    [Affirmative.]

    And with the blink of an eye, it¡¯s gone.

    I slump. I don¡¯t know if I feel relieved or deflated. I do feel dirty. Contaminated. God, what I¡¯d give for a shower. But at least I know I can control it, if I need to. And it doesn¡¯t seem to pose any threat¡­ right now.

    ¡°What happened?¡± Noli asks. ¡°Was that you? Did you pick up the chalk? Then send it away?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± I wearily sign.

    ¡°So you can control it then?¡± she asks.

    ¡°Maybe.¡±

    ¡°It sure looked like it to me.¡±

    I inwardly sigh. ¡°Yes. I can control it.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s great news!¡± Noli signs. ¡°Then we can do the spell, can¡¯t we? We have a way to save ourselves.¡±

    She¡¯s right: This should be good news. We¡¯re not doomed¡ªwe have a way out. We can perform the ritual to renew our spells and keep us going just a little bit longer.

    But then what? That spell takes magic, and magic is exactly what¡¯s feeding the void. Then our spell would decay and we¡¯d need to renew it again. I¡¯d just be delaying the inevitable.

    ¡°Wait for wizard,¡± I say, settling down near Noli. Even standing feels like too much mental effort right now. ¡°Won¡¯t use void unless we need it.¡±

    ¡°Alright,¡± Noli agrees, seeming a little more subdued. ¡°We¡¯ll see what Attiru finds out first.¡±

    I hesitate, remembering how Noli had said she still hadn¡¯t told Attiru about the connection between me and the void. ¡°What they think?¡± If they saw me wield the same darkness that nearly took their life, how would they react?

    Noli wrings her limbs in clear discomfort. ¡°We don¡¯t have to do it while they¡¯re around. And we don¡¯t really have to tell them, do we? If they never see it, it¡¯s not really relevant.¡±

    It finally clicks into place: She doesn¡¯t want to implicate me. Noli¡¯s a good friend, but I don¡¯t feel like I deserve her protection. It might end up getting others hurt.

    Not that I have any way to speak to Attiru anyway. I guess I¡¯ll just have to hope it¡¯s not relevant, like Noli said. That Attiru will just show up with a wizard or null magic and we¡¯ll be fine.

    I Check Noli¡¯s Core Bond spell: 29 mana left. One more point evaporated since I last checked. Nothing we can do now but wait.

    The night ticks away with only a few words exchanged. I occasionally go back over to reread the spell book, hoping to find something in there that tells me we don¡¯t need the null arcanum after all. Hoping to find a different spell that¡¯ll work just as well.

    It¡¯s just a desperate, futile wish. Even I know that.

    The tension grows as the night gets longer. Attiru still hasn¡¯t returned as the first hints of dawn begin to color the sky. I Check Noli again: 13 mana. Still 6 more hours, if my math¡¯s right. But this is close. Way, way too close. Where¡¯s Attiru?

    ¡°Something¡¯s wrong,¡± Noli finally signs.

    My soul sinks. She¡¯s not supposed to say that. She¡¯s supposed to be the optimist.

    ¡°Maybe,¡± I acknowledge. Or maybe they are on their way back right now. Maybe they found help, and it¡¯s just taking some extra time to navigate back. Sure, it¡¯s pre-dawn and there are no crowds, so they should be moving faster, not slower, but there¡¯s tons of reasonable explanations.

    Noli shakes her head. ¡°It¡¯s time, Kanin. We have to do it now.¡±

    ¡°Wait longer,¡± I sign, distant panic starting to nibble at my mind. I try to shove it away. We still have time.

    ¡°No,¡± Noli sharply signs. ¡°We¡¯re not putting this off to the last second. Do we even know that you¡¯ll be able to do magic if we cut it too close? What if our dissolving spell results in us being too weak to help ourselves?¡±

    I hadn¡¯t thought about that. That¡¯s probably not likely, but¡­ can we risk it?

    A big part of me wants to.

    ¡°Kanin,¡± Noli repeats. ¡°We have to do it. You know we do. You¡¯re just postponing the inevitable.¡±

    Dammit. I hate it when she¡¯s right¡ªwhich seems to be most of the time. But I do know it: It¡¯s now or never.

    ¡°Okay.¡± I stand up, looking down at the chalk circle sketched over the floor, and nervousness flutters through me. ¡°Let¡¯s do it.¡±

 Chapter 37 - Refresh

    ¡°I¡¯ll go first,¡± I say, gathering my glass and getting ready for another trek down the table. Best to test it on myself before I do anything that might result in another Trenevalt-level failure.

    ¡°No,¡± Noli snaps. ¡°We¡¯re in this together. We¡¯ll do it at the same time.¡±

    I don¡¯t like that idea. It¡¯s risky. Maybe dangerous. Is the circle even designed to refresh two spells at once? I guess we were both summoned by a single spell, so it¡¯s plausible, but there¡¯s already so much about what we¡¯re doing that we don¡¯t understand.

    I¡¯m about to try to make my point when another thought occurs to me. Echo, Void Check.

    [Void: 60%]

    Crap. And this spell takes 30 mana. That means I only have enough wiggle room to do it once: a second time will summon the predator. And this spell is already cutting it close. I guess it¡¯s a good thing I caught this now. Well that settles it: We¡¯ll have to go together.

    ¡°Okay,¡± I concede. Then I look over the edge. ¡°But how you go down?¡±

    ¡°Ah.¡± Noli also looks over the edge. ¡°I guess you¡¯re going to have to help me with that. How about that twine? We can make a pulley and use a counterweight.¡±

    Ugh, more math. But it¡¯s better than any ideas I¡¯ve got. I use my glass to grab some of the twine that was left on the floor and bring it back up to Noli. She sets to work directing me where to anchor my glass and tie all the knots. It only takes ten minutes or so to get everything set up (knots aren¡¯t easy with the hands we¡¯ve got to work with) but I have to stop myself from obsessively checking the mana remaining in Noli¡¯s spell. Every second makes me more anxious than the last.

    Luckily, lowering her to the floor goes smoothly. My glass strains against her weight as the twine slips around the series of glass anchors I¡¯d placed, and I use my own weight as the counterbalance to keep her from falling too fast. In a few short moments, however, I hear a soft thump and feel the string go slack. Whew.

    I head down next, making the now practiced trek from table, to chair, to floor. It¡¯s getting easier, but no less nerve wracking, knowing one missed step could be all that stands between me and a quick death. Or maybe not: I¡¯ve certainly been leveling up my Fall Damage Resistance these past few weeks. Hooray?

    Once on the floor, I help drag Noli over to the circle. We scratch up some of the lines of chalk as we do, and I wince, but there¡¯s not much that can be done. Just have to hope those aren¡¯t important.

    As we move into the innermost circle, my spell list updates.

    [Spell Circle: Available]

    [Target Foci: Available]

    [Null Arcanum: Substitution Available]

    [30 Mana: Available]

    All that¡¯s left is to activate the spell.

    ¡°Ready?¡± Noli asks me.

    ¡°No.¡±

    She laughs. ¡°That¡¯s alright. One step at a time, okay? The void first.¡±

    Not that I have to be reminded. Tensing up, I pull the Attuned void from my inventory.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    The darkness instantly swirls into the air before us. I reluctantly extend my reach into the void and feel it connect. It¡¯s easier than last time¡ªa thought which brings me no comfort.

    I try to focus on the task at hand. If the original spell needed the null arcanum to be in the chalk that sketches out the circle, then perhaps if I layer the void over the chalk, it will achieve the same effect. I try to picture it. The void spreading out, perfectly tracing the circle¡ª

    The ink splits into dozens of thin tendrils, swirling around us. I edge a step closer to Noli. It looks just like the predator. One strand drifts my way, and for a moment I¡¯m back in Attiru¡¯s shop, the creature¡¯s mind pressing down on me, the void reaching for me¡ª

    Panic spikes through me before I can quell it, and the void splashes to the ground like a cup of spilled water.

    ¡°Kanin?¡± Noli gingerly touches me, and her limb rattles against my glass. Oh, I¡¯m shaking. ¡°Kanin? Are you with me?¡±

    I try to stop trembling. ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Are you okay?¡±

    No. But I stand up straighter, tensing my glass to force it to be still. ¡°I can do it.¡±

    ¡°I know you can,¡± Noli signs. ¡°I trust you.¡±

    She shouldn¡¯t. Look where that¡¯s gotten her. But it doesn¡¯t matter if her trust is misplaced or not. I have to do this. For her. For both of us.

    I try again, picturing the void layering itself over the circle. Drops of the darkness pick themselves up, like rain falling in reverse, and I¡¯m again reminded of the moment in Attiru¡¯s shop. This would be easier if I could close my eyes. If I didn¡¯t have to see it. Instead, I bump up against Noli¡¯s side. The stability is comforting. I focus on that as I direct the void around us.

    The tendrils of dark settle to the floor, tracing over the chalk. They creep along the spirals and lines, glinting like streams of blood in the half light. Just watching them respond to my will leaves me feeling nauseous, but I don¡¯t stop. I don¡¯t let my focus slip.

    After a minute of the void silently seeping into place, it stops moving. The room is still. The white lines of chalk are now black and glistening. Our spell circle is complete.

    ¡°Okay,¡± Noli signs, and I feel a slight tension go out of her.

    Was she scared, too? Has she just been hiding it better than me?

    ¡°Are you ready?¡± she asks.

    Echo, I call. Are all requirements met to renew the Core Bond spell?

    [Affirmative,] Echo says. [Cost: 30 mana.]

    ¡°Ready,¡± I tell Noli. She grabs one of my pieces of glass and gives it a careful squeeze. I guess this is it. I¡¯m really doing this. I¡¯m about to refresh the very spell that got me into all this trouble in the first place.

    With a trill of trepidation, I cast the Core Bond renewal.

    The circle comes to life. The lines light up with the same black glow as my magic, that unearthly color of light that seems like it shouldn¡¯t exist. The void vanishes beneath the magic as the color beams into the air, tracing out each curve of our circle.

    Noli and I are lit up, too. Something pulls faintly at my soul. Warmth wraps around me. I feel claustrophobic¡ªI¡¯m overwhelmed by an urge to bolt out of the circle¡ªbut I use every iota of my willpower to stay standing in place. I can¡¯t let my attention waver. I can¡¯t let this spell fail now. The 30 mana needed to activate it has already been spent, so we¡¯ve only got one shot for it to count.

    Then, the light fades. The circle flickers out. Noli and I wait still, silent, as the room lapses into darkness once more.

    ¡°Was that it?¡± Noli asks. ¡°Did it work?¡±

    I Check Noli¡¯s spell. [Mana: 43] I Check mine: It¡¯s the same.

    I sag with relief. ¡°It worked.¡± Not nearly as much as Trenevalt¡¯s though. And if the spell loses 50 mana per day, then that means I¡¯ve only bought us¡­

    ¡°One more day.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s great!¡± Noli signs. ¡°Kanin, you did it! You saved us.¡±

    My soul swells with pride. She¡¯s right. I did it. I actually did it.

    ¡°That should be plenty of time for Attiru to get back,¡± Noli continues. ¡°Or, we can always do the spell again.¡±

    And there it is. I might have bought us some time, but not much. Noli¡¯s wrong; I can¡¯t just keep renewing this spell every few days. I Check the Void stat: 90%. If I use this spell again, I¡¯ll summon the predator.

    ¡°Can¡¯t,¡± I sign. ¡°The predator comes with next magic.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± Noli also seems to deflate. ¡°You¡¯re sure?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    We¡¯re both silent, the victory of the moment boiling away beneath thoughts of the predator.

    ¡°What now?¡± I ask, gesturing to the door. ¡°If they don¡¯t come back?¡±

    ¡°Attiru will definitely be back today,¡± Noli signs. ¡°But you¡¯re right: We can¡¯t wait. Especially if we¡¯ve really only got one day. Every hour counts!¡±

    And Noli¡¯s here to help me write out a new cheat sheet. If nothing else, we can make it down to the innkeep and plead our case. It¡¯s not much, but it¡¯s a chance. And as long as there¡¯s a chance, we have to keep trying.

    Before I can agree, however, the door to our room rattles. There are muted voices outside, raised and tense. A key clicks in the slot, and the knob turns.

    The door slams open, and the hulking form of an orc fills the frame.

 Chapter 38 - Rezira

    I shrink back, hurriedly dismissing the Attuned void into my inventory. Did she see? Has she seen me? Shit, I can¡¯t deal with Tetara now, not when we¡¯re just getting close to figuring all this out¡ª

    The orc¡¯s gaze sweeps the room, landing on us within moments. Eyes wild, she lurches forward¡ª

    And falls to her knees before us. ¡°Noli!¡± she cries, her hands a flurry of motion as she speaks. ¡°Gods above. Is that really you?¡±

    It¡¯s... not Tetara. Baffled, I give her a Check.

    [Name: Rezira]

    [Species: Orc]

    [Class: Battle Healer]

    [Level: 22]

    [HP: 200/200]

    [Mana: 38/250]

    ¡°Rezira!¡± Noli flings her limbs around one of Rezira¡¯s outstretched fingers, barely wrapping around it. ¡°You found me!¡±

    Attiru steps in the door behind Rezira. ¡°I told you, please be careful! They are very fragile.¡±

    Rezira scoops Noli up in her hands, gently pressing her forehead against the tiny brass toy. Noli pats her cheek. Then Rezira quickly sets her down again to resume signing. ¡°I can¡¯t believe this. When I got your letter, I took the first telepad slot. I came as fast as I could, but¡ª¡± Rezira¡¯s eyes well up with tears. ¡°¡ªI thought you were gone. I¡¯d nearly given up hope.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Noli signs. ¡°You¡¯re here now.¡±

    Rezira rubs her eyes, and when I see her face again, it¡¯s contorted with rage. ¡°I swear on Wintega''s blood, when I find out who did this to you, I¡¯m going to kill them.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be so dramatic,¡± Noli signs. ¡°And besides¡­¡± She hesitates.

    ¡°Too late,¡± I grimly add.

    Rezira watches Noli with a concentrated frown. Apparently, I don¡¯t even exist. ¡°It¡¯s hard to understand you like this. Do you have paper or something?¡±

    Attiru squeezes into the room finally, retrieving the chalk and slate for Noli. Rezira picks Noli up off the floor to relocate her to the desk and, after I signal for attention¡ªhello, yes, I¡¯m still here¡ªAttiru does the same for me. For the first time, Rezira finally seems to register my existence.

    ¡°You must be Kanin, then,¡± she says. ¡°Noli mentioned you in the letter.¡±

    Hopefully she didn¡¯t mention that I abandoned her while she was broken and falling apart in an unfamiliar city. If punishment for Trenevalt¡¯s accidental spell was to be death, I¡¯m not eager to know what sort of retribution I¡¯m due for.

    I wave uncertainly. ¡°Hello. Happy you here.¡±

    ¡°Wow,¡± Rezira says, watching my glass move. ¡°His signs are even worse than yours.¡±

    Okay, rude. I¡¯ve only been signing for three weeks.

    ¡°He¡¯s only been signing for less than a month,¡± Noli explains. I think I love that six-legged octopus.

    Rezira waves her hand dismissively. ¡°We can talk about everything that¡¯s happened later. We don¡¯t have much time. We need to find you a wizard that specializes in homunculus creation, right?¡±

    ¡°Actually,¡± Noli signs, then jots down words on the slate when it seems Rezira can¡¯t quite make out her simplified signs. ¡°We¡¯ve got a little more time now, thanks to Kanin.¡±

    ¡°All of today,¡± I add.

    Attiru glances between us, then down at the spell circle. ¡°You mean¡­¡±

    ¡°It worked!¡± Noli exclaims. ¡°First we had to devise a pulley system to get off the desk, then we had to make sure Kanin could really activate the circle, since we need null arcanum, then he¡ªwait, I should back up¡ª¡±

    Rezira chuckles, sitting heavily on the bed as she gestures for Noli to stop. The frame creaks nervously under her weight. ¡°Might as well sit down, map-maker,¡± she says to Attiru. ¡°When she gets like this, she¡¯ll be going a while.¡±

    Attiru sits in the chair by the desk so they can read the slate Noli¡¯s working on. Even so, as Noli begins to recap our adventure, sometimes she forgets to write things down, instead signing rapid-fire to Rezira in her excitement. Watching Noli and Rezira go at it, I¡¯m beginning to suspect Noli¡¯s been slowing things down for me so it was easier to learn. It¡¯s obvious I¡¯ve got a long ways to go before being fluent.

    It takes a long time to explain everything we¡¯ve been through, but Noli keeps it to the SparkNotes. I add comments here and there, mostly only when Noli prompts me, because she¡¯s clearly the better communicator between the two of us. She probably just wants me to feel included.

    ¡°...Which is when you showed up,¡± Noli finishes.

    Rezira has both hands on her knees, elbows squared, frowning silently at every word Noli says as if she¡¯s gearing up to tackle the existential threat of our time limit. You know, if anyone could do it, I¡¯d put money on her. Finally, she turns her glare on me. I shrink back.

    ¡°Thank you.¡± Rezira bows her head. ¡°I¡¯m glad Noli didn¡¯t have to go through this alone. Knowing someone was there to help when I couldn¡¯t¡ªthat means a lot.¡±

    Oh. Not what I was expecting. ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± I awkwardly sign, partially because I¡¯m pretty sure Noli would have been better off without me on this whole metaphysical rollercoaster we shared. ¡°But¡­ not done yet.¡±

    Rezira nods. ¡°You¡¯re right. And while I¡¯m thrilled to learn you can keep extending her spell, we don¡¯t have much time to waste.¡± Her gaze shifts back over to her wife. ¡°When you stepped onto that telepad last month, you collapsed the second it activated. Your mind must have gone Between, but your body stayed behind. I took it back to our house. You¡ªit¡¯s still alive. Breathing. Heart beating. That¡¯s why I never gave up. But I¡¯m holding it in a stasis with my magic. It¡¯s the only thing keeping you¡ªit¡ªalive. And my magic¡¯s running out. We need to get you home, Noli. As soon as possible.¡±A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    ¡°Of course,¡± Noli signs. ¡°Home. I¡¯ve missed home.¡± Then she hesitates. ¡°But even if we got back there, do we know how to get me back in my body?¡±

    That gives the rest of us pause. I hadn¡¯t even been thinking that far ahead. The first priority was just to make sure our spells didn¡¯t expire. It seems obvious now that I should have been thinking a little further ahead than that, but I guess I was just hoping that once a wizard fixed our first spell, they¡¯d know how to fix the next one, too.

    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Rezira sags, and for the first time I notice the bags under her eyes. The slump in her shoulders. I¡¯m not used to non-human anatomy, but now that I¡¯m looking for it, fatigue is written in every line of her skin. I wonder how many nights of the last month were spent sleepless, trying to keep her wife alive.

    ¡°We still need to find someone who can help, then,¡± Attiru says. ¡°But I¡¯ve searched the whole city. No one here is willing to talk with all the attacks on magic establishments going on. We¡¯ll need to try a different city. I suppose that¡¯s always an option: The telepad could take us to one.¡±

    ¡°And then start the search all over again.¡± Rezira frowns. ¡°Just hoping we find someone. That¡¯s going to take time we don¡¯t have. Not to mention, we have to wait until the telepad is aligned with another major city. Do you know what the schedule is?¡±

    Attiru shakes their head.

    Everyone stews in their own silence, thinking.

    Kanin, you are a wizard, I can hear Noli saying. I mean, sure, I was able to renew our spell. But that doesn¡¯t mean I know how to get Noli back in her body. Even so, I ask Echo for a recap of my spells.

    [Known spells,] Echo recites. [Attune, Sculpt, Chain, Core Bond, Mana Stowage, Sever Bond, Bond Trace.]

    I pause. Echo, remind me what Mana Stowage does again.

    [Mana Stowage: A spell used to collect and store energy from an arcanum source. Requirements: 50 mana, target arcanum, and a spell circle.]

    The spell that captured my and Noli¡¯s souls in the first place.

    And you said a soul can¡¯t be bound to more than one object at a time, right?

    [Affirmative.]

    My mind races, the beginnings of an idea forming. No, that would be crazy. I¡¯m not a magician or mad scientist. I can¡¯t experiment with magic¡ªespecially when Noli¡¯s life is on the line.

    But if it could get her bonded back to her body¡­

    I tap my glass against the desk, thinking.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Noli asks.

    I freeze. ¡°What? Nothing.¡±

    If Noli could narrow her eyes, I¡¯m pretty sure she would be doing that right now. ¡°What do you mean nothing? You¡¯re thinking about something again.¡±

    For being an actor I¡¯ve got a terrible tell. ¡°Have an idea. But¡­¡±

    ¡°But?¡± Noli prompts.

    No. It wouldn¡¯t work. ¡°Not enough magic,¡± I say. Even if I didn¡¯t have to worry about hitting 100% Void, I only have 50 mana, and this series of spells would use at least 80. ¡°Sorry.¡±

    ¡°But you have an idea,¡± Noli signs. She knocks the chalk against the board to get the others¡¯ attention. ¡°Kanin has an idea!¡±

    Dammit, Noli.

    Everyone turns to look at me. I mentally sigh. ¡°I know spells to help Noli,¡± I sign. ¡°But not enough magic to use. And too much magic is¡­¡± I hesitate, glancing at Noli. Even in Noli¡¯s recap, she didn¡¯t explain my link to the predator. ¡°Dangerous.¡±

    ¡°But you know the spells?¡± Rezira presses. ¡°And you can do them?¡±

    Hypothetically. ¡°Yes, but¡ª¡±

    ¡°Then you have to try,¡± Rezira says. ¡°You might be our best shot. You might be our only shot.¡±

    I look to Noli, helpless. She knows we can¡¯t summon the predator. I won¡¯t go through that again. Not to mention, she wouldn¡¯t put her wife at risk, would she?

    ¡°I think we should try,¡± Noli signs.

    For a moment I¡¯m too stunned to reply. ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± Noli interrupts before I can say anything else. ¡°I know! But Rezira is strong. She can fight it.¡±

    Strong, maybe, but not strong enough. I got a peek at her level: 22. And the predator had killed the felis and dracid, levels 9 and 12, and nearly killed Saru and Tetara, 13 and 14. And it took them all down at once. One on one, Rezira wouldn¡¯t stand a chance.

    Besides, I don¡¯t have enough mana, anyway. ¡°No magic,¡± I emphasize. ¡°Even if I want, I can¡¯t.¡± And I definitely don¡¯t want.

    ¡°What was that sign?¡± Rezira points at me, watching intently. ¡°You¡¯re saying you can do it? If you have enough magic?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but¡ª¡±

    ¡°I might be able to help with that,¡± Rezira says.

    Man, they really don¡¯t want to let me get a word in edgewise, do they? It doesn¡¯t help that I¡¯m fumbling over my words already.

    ¡°I¡¯m a healer,¡± she says.

    I wait a moment, but she doesn¡¯t elaborate. Right. I¡¯m sure if you spent your life growing up on this planet, that would have explained everything. Echo, what¡¯s a healer?

    [As opposed to the offensive Wizard class, the Healer class is focused on defensive magic,] Echo says. [A Healer can bestow their magic onto other living creatures, in the form of enhancing attributes, or, as the name implies, casting regenerative effects.]

    Which is how she¡¯s keeping Noli¡¯s body alive, no doubt. But Noli¡¯s body is alive. Does the same count for me?

    I check my mana: 23/50. In another few hours it will be fully recovered. I guess if we want to see if Rezira¡¯s magic can restore my mana, now¡¯s the time to try.

    ¡°Okay,¡± I tell Rezira. ¡°Try to give magic.¡±

    Rezira nods, standing up to cross the room and hold out her hands. I try not to squirm as she towers over me. I¡¯m not exactly wild about the idea of people doing magic to me. But of all the shitty stuff I¡¯ve gone through this last month, and of all the dangerous things I¡¯ve done¡ªand might still do¡ªfor Noli, this is the smallest pill I¡¯ve had to swallow.

    ¡°This is a regenerative spell,¡± Rezira says. ¡°It should only be a small amount¡ªI need to reserve my mana to keep the spell going on Noli¡¯s body.¡±

    ¡°Ok.¡± I brace, waiting to feel the effect of her magic. A blue glow blooms in Rezira¡¯s hands, bathing me in azure light. It shines for a few seconds, then flickers out. Huh. I didn¡¯t feel anything, but¡­

    Mana Check.

    [Mana: 23/50]

    I stare at the numbers for a moment. It didn¡¯t work. None of the magic transferred. I guess I should be disappointed because it means I won¡¯t be able to perform all the spells I need to get Noli¡¯s soul back in her body. That should be my priority. And maybe it¡¯s selfish of me that that isn¡¯t my first thought, because if Rezira¡¯s magic didn¡¯t work, then what does that say about me?

    Am I even alive?

    ¡°Well?¡± Noli asks.

    With a twinge of disquiet, I turn back to her. ¡°No. Sorry.¡±

    Noli deflates. ¡°I thought that would work.¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter,¡± Rezira says, shaking her head. ¡°It would have been nice to have an easy fix like that¡ª¡± I wouldn¡¯t call it easy. ¡°¡ªbut our priorities haven¡¯t changed. We still need to get you back home as quickly as possible, Noli. My magic is only going to last another day or two, and if you also only have another day in your spell¡­¡±

    ¡°Kanin can renew the spell again,¡± Noli signs, and I cringe. She knows that will summon the predator. And maybe she¡¯s willing to risk it, but I don¡¯t know if I could. Even if I wanted to, now that I know what might happen, what it can do¡­

    I shiver, trying to block out all the memories that idea stirs.

    ¡°We¡¯ll use that as a stop-gap then,¡± Rezira says. She must be as blindly optimistic as her wife to say that with such conviction. ¡°Let¡¯s get home first¡ªthen we¡¯ll figure everything else out.¡±

    Rezira picks up Noli, clutching her protectively to her chest.

    ¡°I could check nearby cities,¡± Attiru offers as they pack up all my things into their satchel. ¡°Maybe there¡¯s still a chance we can find help there. Perhaps if renewing the spell is an option, I could put out a letter to the Academy to see if they might have a homunculi specialist.¡±

    ¡°Good idea,¡± Rezira says, heading for the door. ¡°See? We¡¯ll get you home while others are out searching for an expert. It will all come together.¡±

    I wish I could share their faith, but sooner or later¡ªand given our time limits, it¡¯s definitely going to be sooner¡ªNoli¡¯s going to have to tell them about the predator I¡¯m going to summon the next time I do a spell. Every new plan they blithely discuss just feels like another nail in my coffin. Shouldn¡¯t I get a say in all this?

    I¡¯m happy for Noli. I¡¯m glad she¡¯s been reunited with her wife. But I can¡¯t help but be jealous that she¡¯s got someone to take care of her. To take at least a little bit of all this pressure off. Meanwhile, it feels like the weight on my shoulders just keeps getting heavier. I don¡¯t want to be the one everyone¡¯s relying on. When will someone show up to take care of me?

    When do I get to be saved by a hero?

    After everything¡¯s packed up, Rezira opens the door to our room¡ªjust as the person outside is raising their hand to knock.

    ¡°Oh. Well. I see this little venture has somewhat expanded in scope in my absence.¡± Zyneth¡¯s gaze lands on me with a smile. ¡°I¡¯m not too late to rejoin the party, am I?¡±

 Chapter 39 - Time Crunch

    Rezira blinks. ¡°Who the fuck is this guy?¡±

    Well, at least now I know the aversion to swearing only extends to one half of the relationship.

    ¡°In milder terms, I could express the same sentiment to you,¡± Zyneth replies. He gestures past her at me. ¡°Last I left this place, Kanin was the only known resident.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s a friend,¡± I hurriedly sign, counting on Noli or Rezira to pass the message along. ¡°Helped me get here. Got this room.¡±

    ¡°Zyneth,¡± he says, introducing himself as everyone else quickly exchanges names. He watches Rezira and Noli sign with interest. ¡°Ah, I should have figured that out. When we first met, Kanin, you were trying to sign?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s alright, I don¡¯t blame you,¡± Rezira says. ¡°His signs are awful.¡±

    I¡¯m right here.

    ¡°Zyneth,¡± Attiru repeats with a frown. ¡°Why does that sound familiar?¡±

    Zyneth waves off the question. ¡°It¡¯s not the rarest name.¡±

    ¡°Wait.¡± Attiru¡¯s eyes go wide. ¡°You¡¯re not p¡ª¡±

    ¡°Zyneth is sufficient,¡± he cuts in. ¡°And at any rate, I¡¯m sure we have more pressing matters. It seems I found you in the middle of leaving?¡±

    ¡°We were just checking out,¡± Rezira says. ¡°Come on, we don¡¯t have all day. If you¡¯re here to help, we¡¯ll explain on the way.¡±

    Is he here to help? Or just pick up the extra change he left behind? Maybe he was just curious to see how everything played out. Given his abrupt and seemingly pressing departure, I hadn¡¯t really expected to see him again. But now that he¡¯s here, I¡¯m glad he came back.

    ¡°You finish your task?¡± I ask him, Rezira translating for me.

    Zyneth grimaces. ¡°In a manner of speaking. I suppose it wasn¡¯t the outcome I was seeking, but¡­¡± He glances at Attiru so quickly, I nearly miss it. ¡°But the matter is now resolved, so I suppose that¡¯s as much as I can hope for.¡±

    This man has got to be the most cryptic person I¡¯ve ever met. Not that I don¡¯t have my own skeletons¡ªor voids¡ªin the closet. But if he found some resolution on his quest, then I¡¯m happy for him.

    As we strike out into the city and begin to navigate the morning crowd, Rezira and, after some hesitation, Attiru begin to fill Zyneth in on all of my and Noli¡¯s adventures. Or at least, what they understand of it.

    ¡°Fascinating,¡± Zyneth says once he¡¯s caught up, which I guess is one way to sum up a tale of body horror and constant near-death experiences. ¡°But if you think Kanin¡¯s spells are the answer to undoing this knot of magical malpractice, I might be of some assistance. My specialty is enchantment, you see.¡±

    Once again, he says this as if I¡¯m supposed to immediately understand the implications. Echo, what¡¯s a rogue artificer do?

    [A rogue artificer is a combination of two primary classes. A rogue class generally uses close-combat weapons which rely on agility rather than strength. Meanwhile, an artificer specializes in enchanting objects, such as creating charmed amulets, enhancing weapons, and brewing potions.]

    Even with that explanation, I¡¯m not sure I follow how this helps. The others seem to understand at least.

    ¡°You think you¡¯ll be able to refill his magic supply?¡± Rezira asks. ¡°Interesting. Only healing magic should be able to transfer magic to other people, but¡­¡±

    But I¡¯m not a person. Or I guess that¡¯s how the magic sees it.

    ¡°Well, what do you think?¡± Zyneth holds out a hand. ¡°Want to try?¡±

    Well I guess since we¡¯re just doing all the magical mad science today, why not? ¡°Alright.¡± I gesture him over and Attiru stops to hold out their hands as well. I step carefully over into Zyneth¡¯s palm, then gesture for him to go ahead. Let¡¯s get this magic mayhem over with.

    Yellow light crackles to life in his hands, licks of static crawling over his fingers. I wait for a moment to feel anything, but it¡¯s just like Rezira¡¯s magic. A nice lightshow, and nothing more. Oh well. I wasn¡¯t wild about this plan anyway. I turn to tell Noli, but she¡¯s watching with such rapt attention that I feel a sting of guilt. I should want this to work. She needs for this to work. Suddenly, the idea of not being able to perform all these spells¡ªeven if it means summoning the predator¡ªfills me with disappointment instead of relief.

    A staticky warmth creeps over me. The glow pulses through my limbs, comforting and gentle. Energy zaps into my soul.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    [Mana recovered,] Echo says. [50/50]

    Then, a new stat appears.

    [Bonus Mana: 10]

    It worked. ¡°It worked!¡±

    And that¡¯s bonus mana stat is also encouraging: if Zyneth can fill me up over my max mana, then I might be able to do the spells Noli needs after all.

    But if his magic is only supposed to work on things that aren¡¯t alive, what does that say about me?

    ¡°You did it!¡± Noli cheers.

    ¡°Wow.¡± Rezira gives Zyneth a begrudging look of respect. ¡°Well done, pretty boy.¡±

    ¡°Pretty¡ª!¡± Zyneth splutters, face flushing a darker red.

    Hah. That¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen him at a loss for words.

    ¡°Well, thank you, regardless.¡± He clears his throat. ¡°I suppose that means we have a plan¡ªassuming I¡¯m welcome to join.¡±

    ¡°More than welcome, I¡¯d say your involvement is critical.¡± Rezira¡¯s gaze shifts over to me. ¡°Well then? You¡¯re the one with the spells. You¡¯re sure you can get Noli back in her body?¡±

    I mean, I think so. I¡¯m taking a shot in the dark, here, but by their descriptions and what I saw with Trenevalt, I should have all the spells we need. And with Zyneth to refuel my mana, I should be able to cast them all, too. The real question is what to do about the predator. If this really is the plan, then Noli and I need to make sure the others know what they¡¯re getting into.

    ¡°Yes,¡± I sign. ¡°But¡ª¡±

    ¡°Of course!¡± Noli cries. ¡°I told you Kanin could do it! He¡¯s a natural.¡±

    Was that intentional? Or had she interrupted me by accident?

    I don¡¯t have a chance to ask, however, as we step into the telepad square.

    Travelers and merchants are crowded around the center pedestal, a raised lip of stone at least fifteen feet across with an intricate spell circle carved in its surface. The lines of the circle pulse with a blue glow. I watch, fascinated, as a set of dwarves step up onto the circle, and moments later, vanish with a pulse of light.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go check the schedule and purchase travel tokens,¡± Attiru says. They quickly vanish into the crowd as they head toward a nearby storefront market with the Merchant Guild emblem.

    The scene is such a strange mix of familiarity and the bizarre. I¡¯ve been in buzzing, good-natured crowds like this countless times before, waiting outside venues to get into a concert or bar. Yet none of them included dragon people, or carts full of flowers that bloom eyeballs, or cages of flying fish, lazily floating in circles.

    For all its strangeness, there¡¯s an exciting beauty to this world. I can¡¯t help but wonder what other fascinating creatures and places I¡¯ve yet to see.

    And why it¡¯s taken this long for me to notice.

    I sweep my attention around the square, trying to take in everything at once¡ªwhich is when I notice Tetara and Saru. They¡¯re lingering at the back of the crowd, watching everyone who sets foot on the platform.

    I jerk back in Zyneth¡¯s hands. ¡°Danger!¡± I sign. Luckily Zyneth is standing at an angle where Noli can see. ¡°Hurry, help, need to hide¡ª¡±

    She doesn¡¯t ask questions. ¡°Rezira! Get Kanin hidden¡ªquickly!¡±

    Zyneth cups a hand over me a moment later, and my world is reduced to a few thin shafts of light that trickle through his fingers.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Zyneth asks.

    ¡°Noli says it¡¯s someone from Peakshadow,¡± I hear Rezira murmur back.

    ¡°Not allies, I take it.¡±

    That¡¯s one way to put it. At least Noli should be safe. They¡¯re only after me. But did they catch a glimpse before Zyneth hid me? Are they heading this way right now? I have no way to know or ask from in here.

    ¡°Which ones?¡± Zyneth asks.

    There¡¯s a pause.

    ¡°Those two,¡± Rezira says. ¡°The orc and human. Why? What trouble have they caused?¡±

    None. I¡¯m the trouble. They probably think they¡¯re keeping the world safe¡ªand I guess, in a way, they are.

    But I need to keep Noli safe. And if I want to help get her back to her body, we can¡¯t let these two stand in our way.

    ¡°Here.¡± It¡¯s Attiru¡¯s voice. ¡°I have the tokens, enough for all five of us. We got lucky: They don¡¯t link to cities as small as Bluevine very often, but there happens to be a slot in a half hour, and another in¡­ Hey, what¡¯s going on?¡±

    The others fill them in with a hurried explanation and soft tones. I can hear the frown in their voice. ¡°I recognize them. They¡¯re two of the survivors from Peakshadow. Their friends were killed by the¡­ well, you know.¡±

    ¡°What do they want with Noli, then?¡± Rezira asks. I can hear the protectiveness in the growl of her tone.

    ¡°It seems,¡± Zyneth says, ¡°they¡¯re after Kanin.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± Attiru asks.

    If Noli replies, I don¡¯t know, because the silence in our group only continues to stretch.

    She should tell them. There¡¯s no point in hiding what I¡ªwhat the predator¡ªdid. If she wants me to do the spells to get her back in her original body, then I¡¯m going to end up summoning it again. There¡¯s no way around that.

    But we continue to wait, a few tense words exchanged, as time seems to stretch impossibly long. I don¡¯t hear Tetara or Saru¡¯s voices. No one comes to confront us.

    Then, miraculously, Attiru says, ¡°It¡¯s time.¡±

    ¡°You ready?¡± Rezira asks, her tone soft and gentle. ¡°It¡¯ll be okay. I won¡¯t let anything happen to you this time.¡± She must be talking to Noli.

    ¡°We¡¯re about to go through,¡± Zyneth mumbles to me as well. ¡°The orc and human are still watching the square but haven¡¯t seemed to take interest in us. We should be beyond their notice in a moment.¡±

    Good. Although now that it seems we¡¯re about to give Tetara and Saru the slip, my worries turn to more immediate concerns.

    Will going through the telepad expose us to the predator? It¡¯s how Noli got stuck last time¡ªeven if it was Trenevalt¡¯s spell that stuck her there. Since telepads seem to operate off null arcana, the users briefly blipping through the Between before coming out the other side, and the predator is still lurking somewhere in that realm, it¡¯s possible our paths will cross again. Will we be there long enough for the predator to notice? Will the brevity of our visit even matter, given the apparent non-existence of time in that place between places?

    Not that we have any other options. With Rezira¡¯s spell on Noli¡¯s body timing out, and Trenevalt¡¯s spell on both of our souls about to expire, there¡¯s no other way we can get to Noli¡¯s body in time. At least I¡¯m not given much time to dwell on all this, as in the next moment, we¡¯re stepping onto the pedestal.

    I can¡¯t see much of the square from between Zyneth¡¯s fingers, but I can make out the carved markings of the circle beneath our feet. My soul flutters. It should be fine. Hundreds of people use this telepad every day. Noli¡¯s circumstances were a fluke. We¡¯ll both make it through.

    As the circle lights up blue, I take one last look around Harrowood, the city I¡¯d spent so much time and effort trying to get to¡ªall for naught. I can make out slivers of the crowd. The Merchant Guild¡¯s logo. The eyeball plants.

    Tetara. Looking right at us.

    Then the world flashes white.

 Chapter 40 - Faster Travel

    Blink and you miss it. Zyneth drops his hand, and like a magic trick everything around us has changed. The buildings are shorter, the stonework tan instead of red, even the direction and length of the shadows has changed.

    And I didn¡¯t catch any glimpse of Between. I guess that¡¯s how it¡¯s supposed to work, when no senile wizards are meddling with extra-dimensional magic.

    Rezira lets out a breath as she steps off the platform. ¡°There. See? It was fine.¡± I can¡¯t tell if she¡¯s talking to Noli or herself. ¡°Hurry up now.¡± She waves for Attiru and Zyneth to follow. ¡°Our home¡¯s this way.¡±

    ¡°Would you prefer the shoulder?¡± Zyneth asks me as we strike out into the town. ¡°I can keep carrying you this way as well, if you prefer.¡±

    I hesitate. No one here would recognize me, since we left Tetara and Saru back in Harrowood. Although I can¡¯t shake that last glimpse of Tetara from my mind. Was she looking at us because she saw me? Because she suspected something? Or did she just watch everyone who used the telepad?

    Impossible for me to know now. But with every step we take away from the town¡¯s center, they become less of a threat. Even if they did follow us through, they wouldn¡¯t know which way we¡¯d gone. More likely than not, I¡¯m just being paranoid¡ªthough I think given everything I¡¯ve gone through, it¡¯s somewhat justified.

    I gesture for Zyneth¡¯s shoulder, and he obliges with his characteristic half smile. It feels somewhat less demeaning to ride on his shoulder like a glorified parrot rather than be carried around like a toy dog in a purse.

    Somewhat.

    This town is smaller than Harrowood, and it isn¡¯t long until the buildings start to peter away. Unlike the walls surrounding Harrowood and Peakshadow, this city seems to gradually fade into the surrounding woods. Guess they don¡¯t have to worry about undead wildlife here.

    ¡°I suppose I don¡¯t need to go looking for a homunculi expert after all,¡± Attiru says. ¡°Since it sounds like we¡¯ll be able to manage all the spells ourselves.¡±

    True, but we still haven¡¯t communicated one crucial step of Noli¡¯s resurrection. I flag down Noli to get her attention, but she still doesn¡¯t speak up.

    ¡°If you need to get back to your own home, you¡¯re more than welcome to,¡± Rezira says. ¡°I appreciate everything you¡¯ve done for us so far, but I¡¯d understand if you have responsibilities to get back to.¡±

    Attiru shakes their head. ¡°My business is¡­ on hold, at the moment.¡± An image of the destroyed Atlas Emporium flashes through my mind, guilt dripping through my soul. ¡°Besides, I¡¯ve come this far. I¡¯d like to see things through to the end.¡±

    This isn¡¯t right. They don¡¯t deserve to face the predator again, after everything I¡¯ve already put them through.

    ¡°Noli,¡± I sign, snagging Rezira¡¯s attention as well. ¡°We need to warn about predator.¡±

    Rezira narrows her eyes. ¡°What? You need to warn us about what?¡±

    ¡°What are they saying?¡± Attiru asks, glancing back.

    I¡¯m worried about their reaction more than anyone else¡¯s. Maybe they should leave. They¡¯ve helped enough as it is. They should return home. Rest and heal up. Where it¡¯s safe.

    Noli wrings her limbs anxiously. What does she have to be worried about? Does she think they won¡¯t help if they know about the predator? Well¡­ Maybe that isn¡¯t such a farfetched thought. I wouldn¡¯t blame them.

    ¡°Noli,¡± I press. If she won¡¯t say it, I¡¯ll butcher my way through an explanation to Rezira, and hope she gets the gist.

    ¡°Okay,¡± Noli relents. ¡°But you guys can¡¯t blame Kanin, okay? You have to promise.¡±

    Oh. Of course she¡¯s not worried about herself; she¡¯s worried about how they¡¯ll treat me. Still trying to help, after everything. Despite the threat of everyone in this group turning against me, Noli¡¯s words fill me with a touching warmth.

    ¡°What did he do?¡± Rezira¡¯s voice is sharp.

    ¡°Nothing!¡± Noli signs. ¡°Well, that¡¯s not exactly true, but nothing intentional! Please, you have to promise first.¡±

    Rezira squints at me, and I¡¯m pretty sure I¡¯ve made it onto her shit list no matter what Noli says next. ¡°Fine. I won¡¯t blame him.¡± Why do I hear an unspoken ¡®But I won¡¯t forgive him either¡¯ in those words?

    Noli turns to Attiru and Zyneth next.

    ¡°Of course,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°Whatever the issue is, I¡¯m sure any harm caused was not deliberate on Kanin¡¯s part. Though, I do suspect I may already know what this is about.¡±

    I inwardly grimace. He might be right that it wasn¡¯t deliberate on my part, but it¡¯s hard to separate that knowledge from the memories of wishing harm on others, of delighting in the violence. The fact that I can feel both at once is eating me up. Can we just rip this bandaid off already?

    Attiru is the last to reply. They run a hand down their bandaged arm, looking at me, and I wonder if they also already know what¡¯s coming. ¡°Alright. Please enlighten us.¡±

    And Noli tells them. Not just about the predator¡ªwho killed Trenevalt, who followed us to Peakshadow¡ªbut how it¡¯s tied to me, how it was my actions that unknowingly summoned it, and that if I do these spells to get Noli back in her body, we would be summoning it again. Noli also tells them that it controlled me when it escaped in Peakshadow, but I don¡¯t think she really understands the extent. She doesn¡¯t know how we shared a consciousness. How, if we release it again, it might consume me, and I don¡¯t know if there¡¯s any guarantee I can escape its control a second time.

    Even if I could communicate those thoughts, though, I¡¯m not sure I want to put that all into words. In fact, it¡¯s probably best if I don¡¯t. It won¡¯t change what needs to be done.

    The group walks in silence for a few moments after Rezira finishes translating. She¡¯s the first one to speak again. ¡°So that hole torn through you.¡± She touches the patch on Noli¡¯s side, then nods to Attiru. ¡°Their arm. That all happened because he summoned this predator?¡±

    ¡°You promised not to blame him!¡± Noli frantically signs. ¡°He didn¡¯t know! Neither of us did.¡±

    Rezira blows air out her nose in a sigh. ¡°I know. You¡¯re right. And I don¡¯t blame him.¡± She looks at me again, and this time I¡¯m shaken to find pity in her eyes. Pity? That doesn¡¯t feel right. It¡¯s my fault.

    ¡°Thank you for telling me.¡± Attiru is rubbing their injured arm again. ¡°It¡¯s best to understand what I¡¯m getting myself into. I¡¯m certainly not interested in encountering that creature again.¡± Of course they¡¯re not, why would they? They should leave now, before I put them in danger again. ¡°However,¡± they continue, ¡°It seems to me it was defeated once before, so it can be defeated again.¡±If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

    ¡°Excellent point,¡± Zyneth agrees. ¡°Though I did not witness this creature myself, I heard the stories in its aftermath. It sounded as though a few well-placed blows was enough to dissipate it, though I expect that¡¯s not the full story. But if we enter this encounter fully prepared, I suspect we stand a good chance of besting it. Well, Kanin?¡± He gives me a sidelong look. ¡°What all can you tell us?¡±

    Baffled, I find everyone¡¯s watching me. Not with hate or disgust or even fear, but with expectation. Just¡­ curiosity. Even Attiru, still cradling their injured arm, and Noli, with her patched torso: They all just want to help.

    I don¡¯t understand. I¡¯m the cause of their injuries. I deserve their scorn, not their forgiveness. How can they be so compassionate? How are they all just¡­ so much better than me?

    ¡°Why help me?¡± I ask. ¡°I hurt you.¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t you, Kanin,¡± Noli signs. ¡°No matter what you¡¯ve convinced yourself of. And of course we want to help. Because we¡¯re in this together. Because we¡¯re friends.¡±

    Rezira snorts. ¡°My reason isn¡¯t nearly so altruistic. I just want to save my wife.¡±

    ¡°Noli¡¯s actions saved my life,¡± Attiru adds. ¡°So it seems fitting I should return the favor.¡±

    Zyneth chuckles. ¡°I¡¯d like to say Kanin saved me as well, but the actual circumstances were rather reversed.¡±

    Hah, fair enough.

    He glances at me out of the corner of his eye, as much as my position on his shoulder allows. ¡°Though, the way you threw yourself in front of a nest of bonefangs in an attempt to protect me, a complete stranger, speaks well of your character. I returned after my mission because I promised I would, but also because you¡¯ve piqued my interest. I find your circumstances fascinating, and I wish to see how it all plays out. If I can offer my assistance along the way, so much the better.¡± For some reason, I find his explanation the most comforting out of everyone¡¯s. The most real.

    ¡°So get over yourself,¡± Rezira adds. ¡°We aren¡¯t all trying to help you out of the goodness of our hearts.¡± Noli starts to interject. ¡°All of us except Noli. Now, are you going to tell us what you know about the predator or what?¡±

    Rezira¡¯s words dissipate the last of my surprise. I¡¯ve been so focused on trying to do what I¡¯d decided was best for Noli that I didn¡¯t stop for a second to think about what everyone else wanted. It¡¯s about time I changed that.

    ¡°The predator needs my magic,¡± I start to explain.

    As best I can, I tell them about the void limit, and how it feeds off my mana and inventory use. How, when it had possessed me, it targeted souls as a kind of energy source¡ªpossibly as a means to stay in the real world and delay its inevitable rebound Between. As I stumble my way through the explanation, Noli often jumps in to supply me with words I don¡¯t know. Haltingly, I even try to articulate the shared mind I¡¯d experienced. How I felt and thought and desired what it did. And still, miraculously, no one¡¯s gaze turns into a frown. No one looks at me with blame. Instead, I¡¯m met only with looks of sympathy.

    ¡°So it seems the greatest weakness we can exploit is time,¡± Zyneth ventures once I¡¯ve relayed everything I can think of. ¡°If we stop it from taking any souls, it will eventually slip Between once more.¡±

    He makes ¡°Keep it from killing anyone¡± sound so easy.

    ¡°With the three of us, that shouldn¡¯t be difficult,¡± Rezira says. She glances at Attiru. ¡°Maybe two of us.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll likely need my help,¡± they say. ¡°Forgive me for assuming, but as a healer, you¡¯re probably not as practiced in combat, right?¡±

    Rezira puffs up defiantly¡ªthen deflates just as quickly. ¡°Noli¡¯s the weapons expert.¡±

    I do a double take. Excuse me?

    ¡°Then it would be best for you to keep out of the predator¡¯s range,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°Although any backup you could provide to Attiru and I would be welcome.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± I interrupt. ¡°Not both you.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Zyneth asks.

    ¡°Need more magic after first spell,¡± I sign. There are three spells I¡¯ll need to activate in rapid succession to transfer Noli¡¯s soul back to her body, and the first spell will cause the Void stat to hit 100%. So I¡¯ll need Zyneth on standby to give me enough mana for the last two spells ASAP so I can get them off before the predator fully emerges.

    Hopefully.

    Zyneth nods as I explain all this. ¡°That will make things trickier.¡± And with him acting as support, it means we¡¯ll have lost our best fighter. Not to mention, it¡¯ll place him smack in the middle of the danger zone. We agreed the best way to defeat the predator is to make sure it won¡¯t have any access to more souls, but with me needing Noli and Zyneth in close proximity, we¡¯re already giving it an opportunity to take precisely what it wants.

    A faint smile pulls at Zyneth¡¯s lips. ¡°I suppose we¡¯ll just have to act quickly.¡±

    I¡¯ve never seen someone so eager to jump, unarmed, into a potentially fatal scenario before. This man¡¯s got a death wish or something.

    The group continues to discuss strategies and placements as we wind our way through the forested road, walking quickly, yet talking as casually as if they were going over plans for an upcoming dinner rather than a perilous battle with a shadow monster. But it kind of helps. Maybe Noli¡¯s optimism is rubbing off, but everyone talking about everything so confidently makes victory sound a little more real, the threat of confronting the predator again just a little less dreadful. With everyone here to help, maybe I really can do this.

    The afternoon is growing long as Rezira finally leads us off the main road and onto a faint, winding path. The trail takes us by several fields of unidentifiable crops¡ªsome unidentifiable due to their glowing lights or wiggling forms, others due simply to my lack of agricultural knowledge¡ªand the occasional house or cabin. Every once in a while, we pass by someone out working in the fields; their presence makes me nervous, but I¡¯m also reassured by how remote we now are. If the predator does escape our grasp, I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll be close enough to hurt anyone else out here before it loses its hold on reality.

    I mentally snort at that. If we lose, it¡¯ll only kill everyone I know on this planet. Hooray.

    Rezira grunts as we pass by another cabin, a couple of wrinkled and graying dwarves sitting out on their front porch watching us as we pass.

    ¡°Look at that,¡± one of the dwarves grumbles loudly. She strokes her beard. ¡°More riffraff moving in.¡±

    ¡°That damn urban expansion,¡± the other one agrees, equally loud. ¡°I told you we shouldn¡¯t have settled this close to Bluevine. Attracts all the wrong sorts.¡±

    ¡°There goes the neighborhood,¡± the woman says.

    Rezira mutters something about nosey neighbors. ¡°Hey, Elder Brookbanks!¡± she adds, much louder. ¡°It¡¯s just us, the Nettlebanes. We¡¯ve lived here for five years now.¡±

    The woman dwarf twists a finger in her ear. ¡°It¡¯s that orc again. The ugly one. I don¡¯t see her nice wife.¡±

    ¡°If she¡¯s been replaced with that sorry lot, I¡¯m moving out,¡± her husband says.

    I can practically see the steam rising off of Rezira. She opens her mouth to say something else, then snaps it shut again. She plasters a terrifying fake smile on and waves again as the dwarf couple and their house falls behind us.

    ¡°Well they seem charming,¡± Zyneth says.

    Rezira grinds her teeth. ¡°Fucking Brookbanks.¡±

    After another fifteen minutes of walking, we come upon a smaller path that branches off the main road, marked by a signpost that¡¯s been hand-painted with intricate, loopy letters. It reads Rezira the Healer, the i dotted with a tiny red heart, and is accompanied by a large arrow made out of flowers and vines which points down the path.

    ¡°What a delightful sign,¡± Zyneth says, laughter in his voice.

    Attiru also raises an amused eyebrow as Rezira clears her throat, shoulders hunched with embarrassment. ¡°It¡¯s for the townsfolk,¡± she says as she hurries past.

    It doesn¡¯t take a world-class detective to figure out which of the couple painted it.

    The path leads us to a small clearing, inside which is a single homey cottage. A picketed-off square of dirt marks the beginnings of a vegetable garden, and wildflowers are scattered like embers about the house. Blue light glows from the windows, spilling out into the surrounding forest.

    Rezira stops at the front door, casting a glance back at the rest of us. For a brief moment, I almost think I can make out nervousness flickering over her face. ¡°Well, here we are. Home sweet home.¡± Inserting a key into the lock, she pulls the door open, and more of the light pours out across the front steps. Rezira heads in first, followed by Attiru. Zyneth and I are last.

    It might have been a nice home at one point; there¡¯s a stove and simple kitchen, a bed and bookshelf, and spears and bows mounted decoratively to the walls. But everything has been shoved haphazardly to the side, a jar of beans spilled across the floor, plates fallen and left forgotten. An enormous spell circle has been drawn across the wooden floor, almost as big as the cottage itself, which is the source of the blue light I¡¯d seen shining through the windows. Carefully positioned in the middle of that circle is a table, piled with a nest of blankets and linens. And on that table, for the first time, I am greeted with a strange, yet familiar, form.

    Noli.

 Chapter 41 - Noli

    Gingerly, Rezira sets Noli down on her wife¡¯s body. It¡¯s surreal to try to make sense of what I¡¯m seeing. Noli¡ªthe Noli I know¡ªis sitting on the stomach of an elf woman, who is breathing slowly and quietly even as I watch.

    But it¡¯s unmistakable who that body belongs to. She¡¯s dressed in a whimsical green gown, sprinkled with a design of little yellow birds and tree branches. Her braided hair is as white as clouds, her skin a warm brown, and even like this, a gentle smile pulls at her lips.

    ¡°This is very strange!¡± Noli signs, looking down at herself. ¡°Have I always had such a big nose?¡±

    ¡°I think, perhaps, that¡¯s just the perspective.¡± Zyneth chuckles.

    Rezira isn¡¯t smiling. Her face is drawn as she turns to the rest of us. ¡°I¡¯ve kept her stable this long, but my magic won¡¯t last much longer. Maintaining this circle across such a distance was¡­ trying. Kanin.¡± She looks at me. ¡°The sooner we can do this, the better.¡±

    Sure. No pressure.

    Echo, help me make another spell list, I say. Sever Bond, Mana Stowage, Core Bond. I pause. Actually, stick Bond Trace to the beginning of that, too.

    [Affirmative,] Echo says. [Compiling requirement list.]

    [Bond Trace | 10 Mana: Available]

    [Mana Stowage | 50 Mana: Available]

    | Spell circle: Unavailable]

    | Target Arcanum: Not Specified]

    [Sever Bond | Mana: Specify Target]

    [Core Bond | 30 Mana: Available]

    | Target Foci: Not Specified]

    | Spell circle: Unavailable]

    | Null Arcanum: Substitution Available]

    Void Check:

    [Void: 90%]

    Okay. So we¡¯re looking at two spell circles and a whole lot of mana. Bond Trace isn¡¯t strictly necessary, but it will help me see what I¡¯m working with. It¡¯ll also mean that I¡¯ll summon the predator slightly earlier than I¡¯d prefer. But I need to get this right on the first go, so I have to stack as many odds in my favor as possible.

    I gesture for Attiru. ¡°Spell book please.¡±

    They rummage through their bag, then remove Vessel Construction. They bring it over to me, and I help direct them to the right pages.

    ¡°Two circles?¡± they ask. ¡°That might be tricky.¡±

    Rezira comes over to look too. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to layer these on top of my circle: It will break the lines. We might have to draw these separately and move Noli between them.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s okay,¡± I sign, pointing to the circle for Mana Stowage. ¡°This one for Noli.¡± I gesture for Attiru to flip to the second circle, for Core Bond. ¡°This one for¡­¡± Er. Also Noli. I gesture to her body instead, hoping they get the picture. ¡°One for each.¡±

    Rezira rubs her chin, frowning. ¡°That might work. We won¡¯t have room in here, though. And I¡¯m not sure our chalk will work outside.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t need chalk,¡± I sign. ¡°Just need lines.¡± The void is the key ingredient, but I¡¯ll need lines to trace, be that with chalk, string, or whatever else they can come up with.

    ¡°Let¡¯s just use the garden, dear,¡± Noli signs. ¡°The soil should be soft enough to trace these circles in. The peas will grow back.¡±

    ¡°Will that work?¡± Rezira asks me.

    It feels weird for them all to be deferring to me like this. Like they actually expect me to know what I¡¯m talking about. ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Then let¡¯s go.¡± Rezira shoulders her way back outside. ¡°Well, come on! We haven¡¯t got all evening.¡±

    Under Rezira¡¯s direction, her yard is slowly transformed into our battlefield. The garden picket is removed, Attiru and Zyneth set about smoothing the soil and tracing the circles, and Noli and I sit in the windowsill, watching it all unfold. Rezira keeps coming back to ask me clarifying questions, but I think she¡¯s really only coming over to check on Noli.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± she tells Noli as Zyneth and Attiru are checking the circles one last time. ¡°I¡¯ll be by your side the whole time.¡±

    Noli shakes her head. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me. When the predator comes, you should stay back here: out of its range, but close enough to heal anyone who needs it.¡±

    Rezira grimaces, clearly opposed to this idea, but she doesn¡¯t argue.If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    ¡°That should do it,¡± Zyneth says, heading over. ¡°All that¡¯s left is to move everyone into position.¡± Everyone largely being Noli and Noli¡¯s body. He nods to Attiru. ¡°Do you have a weapon?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± they say. ¡°Though I know some plant-based spells. I mostly use them for creating my maps, but I should be able to use them offensively as well.¡± They pause. ¡°Theoretically.¡±

    Zyneth unsheathes the two lightning blades I¡¯d seen him fight the nightbanes with. Now, however, they¡¯re not sparking with light and electricity; the knives are merely solid black, from hilt to blade. He flips them around and offers the handles to Attiru.

    ¡°They¡¯re enchanted daggers. I hope you won¡¯t have to use them, but if you activate your attunement, they¡¯ll do most of the work.¡±

    Attiru gingerly takes the blades, and I can¡¯t tell if it¡¯s the blades that are making them nervous, or Zyneth. ¡°Thank you. But don¡¯t you need something to protect yourself with?¡±

    ¡°As I will be focused on keeping Kanin supplied with the magic he needs to perform his spells, my hands will be preoccupied.¡± Zyneth quirks a smile. ¡°However, I¡¯m plenty capable without those blades regardless.¡± An image of him flash frying all those bonefangs pops into my head. Yeah, no kidding.

    Rezira looks around the group, her mouth pressed into a thin tight line. ¡°We all ready then?¡±

    Attiru nods, holding the daggers carefully, and steps back into the position we¡¯d decided on. Rezira scoops Noli up, taking her over to the first spell circle for Mana Stowage, and carefully places her on the ground at its center.

    ¡°You ready for this?¡± she asks.

    ¡°Of course!¡± Noli signs. ¡°Not that I haven¡¯t enjoyed this adventure as a clockwork toy. It¡¯s been very, er, enlightening. I¡¯ve seen the whole world from a completely different angle. Literally!¡±

    Rezira chuckles softly. ¡°Not everything has to be a learning experience, you know. Some things can just suck.¡±

    ¡°Well,¡± Noli signs. ¡°It sucked a little less with Kanin to keep me company.¡±

    Rezira reaches a finger out, and Noli touches it. ¡°This¡¯ll work.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡±

    Then Rezira stands and heads into the house, where the blue light flickers out. A moment later she reemerges with Noli¡¯s body. The faint smile she¡¯d worn when talking with Noli is gone. ¡°Quickly now,¡± she says, carrying Noli¡¯s body over to the second, much-larger circle and laying her at the center. ¡°Now that I¡¯m no longer keeping her body in stasis, I don¡¯t know how much time we¡¯ve got.¡±

    Zyneth holds out a hand for me. ¡°Ready?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± I have to be. I step into his hands, and he carries me over to the circles, setting me on the ground between them. He crouches nearby, hands hovering over me at the ready.

    Attiru is standing behind us, blades in hand. They squeeze Zyneth¡¯s daggers, and a sheen of vines sprout from between their fingers, twisting around the blades to elongate the weapons into two swords covered in a lattice of glinting, red thorns. Their face is determined, but there¡¯s a tremble in their bad arm. Rezira had patched up their injury with some magic, but it clearly isn¡¯t completely healed. Or maybe the tremble is from memories of the predator.

    Rezira takes up her position behind Attiru, blue light pooled into both her hands, hanging back but ready to jump into action as soon as she¡¯s needed.

    Zyneth is watching me, attentive and alert¡ªwaiting.

    And Noli. She waves encouragingly to me from her circle. ¡°It will be different this time. I promise.¡±

    You know, I believe her.

    I check my spell list one last time.

    [Bond Trace | 10 Mana: Available]

    [Mana Stowage | 50 Mana: Available]

    | Spell circle: Available]

    | Target Arcanum: Not Specified]

    [Sever Bond | Mana: Specify Target]

    [Core Bond | 30 Mana: Available]

    | Target Foci: Not Specified]

    | Spell circle: Available]

    | Null Arcanum: Substitution Available]

    Alright, Echo, here¡¯s what I¡¯m going to do, I say. I need to get targets for each of these spells associated in advance so I don¡¯t have to worry about specifying what I mean when I need to activate the spells in the moment. I want to target Noli¡¯s soul for Mana Stowage, her Core Bond spell for Sever Bond, and her body for the Core Bond spell.

    [Spells readied,] Echo confirms. [Required mana for Sever Bond spell: 95.]

    Mana Check on Zyneth, I say next.

    [Mana: 580]

    Fuck, more math. Okay, so if it¡¯ll be 95 for the Sever Bond, 10 for the Bond Trace, 50 for the Mana Stowage, and 30 for the Core Bond that¡¯s¡­

    [185,] Echo says.

    What the fuck. You could have been acting as my calculator this whole time?

    Echo does not deign to respond.

    Okay, so 185 mana total. And I¡¯m starting with 50, plus the bonus 10 Zyneth gave me. Which means Zyneth only needs to give me 125¡ªa fraction of his reserves. Okay. We should be good.

    I signal to the others. ¡°Ready.¡±

    They nod back.

    I point at Zyneth next. ¡°Don¡¯t stop your magic.¡± I¡¯ll need to get all these spells off as quickly as possible.

    ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± he says.

    Okay. Then there¡¯s nothing else to do but do it.

    I summon the Attuned void and layer it over Noli¡¯s spell circle first. The shadows move more quickly this time, like they¡¯re getting used to my direction¡ªor maybe I¡¯m getting used to them.

    I tense in anticipation of the pain that will come with hitting 100% Void. The last two times it made my glass crack and sent a phantom pain through me similar to a headache¡ªwhich is some real ¡°The Boy Who Lived¡± bullshit. But the pain is the least of my worries.

    Once I start the first spell, there will be no turning back. Things will move fast¡ªit¡¯ll all be over in under a minute, or it¡¯s all going to go to hell. Or possibly both.

    I¡¯m under no illusions. I can¡¯t imagine everyone that¡¯s about to face down the predator will make it through unscathed. I just want them all to make it out alive.

    Whatever gods there are in this world, if any of you are out there, now would be a great time to lend us some blessings.

    I give it a second, and when no divine intervention takes place, I activate Bond Trace.

    Noli¡¯s soul leaps into clarity before me. My glass cracks, and I wince beneath the stab of pain. Even Zyneth flinches as the void begins to leak from my vial, staining the air.

    ¡°Here we go,¡± Rezira says.

    If anyone else replies, I don¡¯t hear it, because in the next moment the predator¡¯s mind is crashing through me.

    I focus on Noli. The threads of magic winding through her, sewing her soul to her toy body.

    The predator grins, stretching into reality, eagerness and hunger and triumph pounding through me.

    But I can¡¯t think about that, I have to be quick. Mana Stowage is next. The spell takes 50 mana, and I¡¯m down to 40. Even as I watch the stat it creeps up to 41, 42, 43¡ªbut Zyneth isn¡¯t going fast enough. Instead of looking at me, his head¡¯s craned back at the predator, eyes wide. It¡¯s swirling like living ink into the air, growing larger every moment. I shoot a piece of signing glass at Zyneth¡¯s hand, pricking his finger. Faster. Faster!

    Zyneth starts, then mana floods through my stats. Finally! I hold my spell at the ready. 47, 48, 49¡ª

    ¡°Shit!¡± Rezira cries.

    A blood curdling scream splits the air, filled with hate and anguish, as Tetara barrels into the clearing. Her eyes are orange, her skin glowing with the tell-tale sign of being Enraged, and her ax is drawn.

    Saru steps up beside her, drawing her bow. ¡°I advise you all to stand down.¡± She knocks an arrow and draws, leveling her weapon at me. ¡°This kill is ours.¡±

 Chapter 42 - Justice

    I can¡¯t dodge. I can¡¯t flee. I can feel the predator¡¯s mind sweeping around the clearing, picking out all the delicious souls waiting here for its arrival¡ªand noticing me.

    Hate thrums through our bond.

    Mana Stowage! I cry.

    Everyone acts at once. Rezira crashes into Saru as her bow twangs¡ªthe arrow goes high, puncturing a hole through the predator¡¯s ink instead of my glass. The predator screams, its unearthly cries resonating aloud as well as in my head. Tetara rushes forward, and I catch Attiru moving as well, but then Zyneth ducks down to avoid a whip of void as the predator convulses in pain, and my vision is blocked.

    As all this is happening, my spell activates.

    The spell circle illuminates with the black glow of my magic, then shrinks to envelop Noli like a bubble, contracting until it surrounds her soul. The same spell that Trenevalt used to trap our souls Between¡ªthe same spell that started all this. Hopefully, it¡¯s what will keep Noli alive while I try to transplant her soul back into her body. Because the dangerous part comes next.

    But even as my spell takes hold, I feel a surge of power flood through the predator¡ªand away from me. With a final rush of glee, the predator leaps from Between, the crack in the world snaps shut, and the void spills out into reality.

    Zyneth grabs me with one hand and Noli with the other, diving to the side as the predator crashes to the ground. Its impact destroys the circle Noli had been in¡ªbut I only needed that one for Mana Stowage, so its purpose is complete. It¡¯s dangerously close to Noli¡¯s body, however. If it destroys that circle, it will all be over before it¡¯s begun. This is all happening too fast. It should have taken longer for it to pull itself into reality¡ªwe should have had more time!

    The predator rises up to its full height, its smoky shadows swirling at least seven feet in the air, tendrils of ink unfurling as it surveys its surroundings. It¡¯s bigger than before, I¡¯m sure of it. Triumph spills from its mind as it decides which soul to devour first.

    Echo, what¡¯s happening? I ask, panicked. Why is it stronger? What was that thing I felt right before it emerged?

    [The predator is utilizing your unused mana as a power source, both to retain its hold on reality, and to boost its powers while here,] Echo says.

    My mind races. That can¡¯t be right. I had just used Mana Stowage¡ªthat should have taken up all my mana. Check!

    [Mana: 0/50]

    [Mana: 1/50]

    [Mana: 0/50]

    Shit! It¡¯s absorbing all the mana Zyneth is giving me. At this rate, it¡¯s just going to drain everything from the both of us, getting stronger and stronger, while I¡¯m unable to do the spells needed to save Noli. What do we do?

    Before I have a chance to get his attention, Zyneth leaps to his feet and stumbles back as a spear of black crashes into the ground where we¡¯d just been. The predator rumbles with irritation at missing its prey, but equally delights in the fact that we¡¯re fleeing before it. It has unfinished business with me, and it wants the chase.

    But I¡¯m shaken. Had I been that distracted that I hadn¡¯t noticed it targeting me? Or had it hid its intention, knowing I can feel its thoughts?

    I don¡¯t know which option is worse, but I do know what we have to do next.

    The predator comes for us again, zagging through the air like a black bolt of lightning. Zyneth grits his teeth, dodging the attacks. I don¡¯t know if he¡¯s holding back from using his lightning paralysis attack because he¡¯s worried he¡¯ll hit us, but I do know he can¡¯t afford to waste a single point of mana at this point.

    ¡°Warn them,¡± I quickly sign to Noli. It makes perfect sense, really. I don¡¯t know why I hadn¡¯t thought of it before. If the predator feeds off my spells, if spending enough mana brings it into reality in the first place, then the same thing will keep it here. ¡°Predator taking my magic. Making it stronger. Others need to distract it. Quick!¡±

    On the bright side, it doesn¡¯t even seem to register Noli¡¯s body¡ªprobably because there¡¯s no soul in it. But we can¡¯t let it damage the circle by accident. If we¡¯re going to get Noli back into her body, then Rezira and Attiru are going to need to lure it away and distract it enough so it¡¯ll stop absorbing my mana.

    All while not getting killed by the predator or our uninvited guests.

    ¡°Okay,¡± Noli signs. ¡°But I don¡¯t think Rezira is in any position to translate right now!¡±

    The battle is in full swing. Rezira is grappling with Tetara, the orcs locked in hand-to-hand combat, but Rezira is giving ground. Despite her intimidating frame, she¡¯s a healer, not a fighter, and that difference in expertise is starting to show. Meanwhile, Attiru is trying to hold Saru at bay. The human¡¯s bow is on the ground, snapped in half, but she¡¯s drawn a dagger to replace it. Attiru is backing off, thorn blades raised, though they seem hesitant to engage.

    The predator is not.

    I feel a flicker of its intent right before it leaps, its attention locking on Noli and I. Noli, because she¡¯s an easy target. Me, because, well, it¡¯s just really pissed about me escaping its control last time.

    Zyneth ducks and rolls, and the predator tries to pivot as well, digging its claws into the earth as it slides to a stop in the midst of the others. The fighting breaks apart with startled cries as Saru, Rezira, and Attiru scatter. But Tetara holds her ground, the glow of her Enraged power flickering across her skin as she bellows with anger. Snatching up her ax, she throws the weapon into the void. It connects with such force that the ground splits beneath the weapon¡¯s head, sending a shockwave across the ground, and the predator splattering to every side like a squashed bug. It¡¯s far from defeated, however. Hatred and defiance burn through my mind as it coalesces and rears up, turning its focus on Tetara.

    Well, that¡¯s one way to make it distracted.

    ¡°No!¡± Saru cries, backing away even as Tetara dashes forward to re-engage. ¡°We can¡¯t fight it directly. We have to go for its heart!¡±

    Rezira races back over to us, eyes on Noli. ¡°What happened? Are you alright? Why isn¡¯t Kanin doing the spells?¡±

    Noli hurriedly translates for me, and Zyneth frowns, the light in his hands snuffing out. ¡°If that¡¯s true, I may not have enough magic for this.¡±

    I Check my mana: 3/50 and holding. It¡¯s either waiting for me to accumulate more, or it¡¯s not paying attention.

    ¡°Give me all at once,¡± I tell Zyneth, Rezira translating for me. ¡°Faster, so predator can¡¯t use it.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can,¡± Zyneth admits.

    ¡°You¡¯ll have to try,¡± Rezira says. ¡°In the meantime, I¡¯ll keep it distracted and make sure the fight stays away from Noli¡¯s body. Do what you have to do.¡± Before any of us can reply, she charges back toward the predator.

    ¡°Might as well try it now,¡± Zyneth says, glancing down at me. ¡°Even if it powers that thing up; we¡¯ll have to do it sooner or later.¡±

    And it¡¯s less likely to remember to absorb my mana now that it¡¯s focused on Tetara. Alright. I tap his hand in acknowledgement, then look at Noli.

    ¡°I¡¯m ready,¡± she signs.

    I tap on Zyneth¡¯s arm, hoping he understands: He does.

    Light bursts to life in his hands, crackling with electricity, zapping along each of Noli¡¯s metal joints. I feel a surge of magic bloom into me.

    [Mana: 30/50]If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    [Mana: 40/50]

    Even though it¡¯s rushing into me ten times as fast as before, every second feels like it¡¯s crawling by. The predator could notice at any moment, pull it all away, and then it¡¯ll be twice as powerful while we lose every inch of ground we¡¯ve made.

    It hits 50/50, then the bonus mana appears.

    [Bonus Mana: 5]

    [Bonus Mana: 10]

    [Bonus Mana: 15]

    I¡¯ll need for it to get up to 45 before I can activate my next spell. The worst part is knowing there¡¯s nothing I can do. I tense, waiting and watching as the numbers climb higher, anxiety gutting me further with every point the mana increases. Please don¡¯t let the predator notice. Please don¡¯t notice. Please don¡¯t notice.

    [Bonus Mana: 35]

    [Bonus Mana: 40]

    My soul lurches with anticipation and fear and desperation. And finally, maybe because I was feeling everything too loudly, the predator notices. Its mind turns toward me.

    [Bonus Mana: 45]

    Sever Bond!

    My mana evaporates like a breath of stolen air. Did the spell take? Did the predator absorb it? For one horrifying moment, I have no idea. Then, the lines around Noli¡¯s soul dissolve, the tether keeping her mind to that little toy body vanishing before my eyes. The copper octopus goes limp, crumpling lifelessly in Zyneth¡¯s hands, and suddenly the only thing holding Noli¡¯s soul in the realm of living is the tenuous black bubble of my Mana Stowage spell.

    The Predator roars with frustration, pulling away more of Zyneth¡¯s mana as it continues to funnel into me. I hurried tap at Zyneth¡¯s hand to get him to stop, but by then the predator¡¯s already absorbed another 20, 30 40 of his mana.

    Swelling with power, it unfurls dozens of tendrils of ink, stabbing them all my way. Tetara jumps in its path, swinging her ax through the black tentacles as a wave of orange magic amplifies her attack and severs most of its limbs. But several still make it through, cutting across her leather armor and stabbing through a shoulder. She screams in anger, and Saru cries out in desperate fear with her.

    Zyneth hesitates, taking a step in their direction. I know he wants to help¡ªthey don¡¯t deserve this¡ªbut if he uses up too much of his magic, Noli might be doomed.

    Then Rezira joins the fight, grabbing Tetara and wrenching her away from the predator. She clasps a hand over Tetara¡¯s shoulder, blue light bleeding between her fingers. Tetara smacks Rezira away with a snarl, her Enraged magic still flooding beneath her skin, and she flings herself at the predator once more, her ax and magic and vicious blur.

    I stab a piece of glass into Zyneth¡¯s hand and he jerks, looking down at me.

    We have to move¡ªfast! I need to re-tether Noli before anything happens to her body, or the circle is destroyed, or we¡¯re attacked, and my hold on the Mana Stowage spell slips. The sooner we can save Noli, the sooner we can help the others.

    Zyneth takes the hint. He rushes over to the circle containing Noli¡¯s body. The predator¡¯s back is to us, Rezira and the others fighting on its other side. Hopefully that will be enough of a distraction. As we pass by the first destroyed spell circle, I recall the Attuned void I¡¯d set there as part of the circle. I¡¯ll need to repurpose it for the second circle, so I envision it tracing the lines drawn in the dirt, filling in all the gaps.

    The predator snaps around me the moment my Attuned void starts to move. A thrill of shock passes between us, an undercurrent of something almost like fear. But it¡¯s just as quickly replaced by rage, and the predator spins away from Tetara, bolting after me instead.

    Zyneth pivots, trying to change course, but the predator is much larger now¡ªmuch faster. A whip of black strikes him in the side, and the world spins. I clamp down on Noli¡¯s soul, holding it with all my might as we crash into the dirt, flipping end over end. Zyneth nimbly springs back to his feet even before we¡¯ve stopped rolling, but the predator is still coming for us, shadows splitting into ten different spears to crash toward us from every different direction. Zyneth can¡¯t dodge them all. He twists me away, exposing himself to the brunt of the attack¡ª

    No!

    I summon everything I¡¯ve got. My Attuned glass, the pieces of broken homunculus, the spell book, the maps¡ªeverything. They appear in front of Zyneth, and I feel the predator¡¯s surprise. Its limbs swat the items aside, smacking the dead weight and half my Attuned glass out of reach. But it¡¯s enough to buy Zyneth some time, and he jerks away, dodging the void attacks.

    ¡°Damn,¡± he growls, teeth bared.

    Something curls over my vision, and I try to brush it away, but it only smears over my glass: blood. Zyneth¡¯s blood.

    He drops Noli¡¯s empty shell to grab a spike of black sticking out of his arm. I can feel his fingers trembling, and he grasps me tighter, as if he¡¯s worried he¡¯s about to drop me. Rezira! Where¡¯s Rezira, we need a healer.

    But the predator doesn¡¯t relent.

    Zyneth goes stumbling back, not nearly as agile as before. I bristle all my glass before us, slicing at the next ribbon of ink that snakes too close.

    [1 point of Slashing damage dealt.]

    So it can take damage. I Check its stats.

    [Name: N/A]

    [Species: N/A]

    [Class: N/A]

    [Level: N/A]

    [HP: DIV/0]

    [Mana: DIV/0]

    Great. How illuminating.

    But right now, I¡¯m willing to throw everything at the wall to see what sticks.

    Sever Bond with the predator!

    [Insufficient Mana.]

    Mana Check!

    [Mana required to sever bond: DIV/0]

    What does that even mean?!

    No time. The predator strikes again and I try to deflect the blow as Zyneth jumps back and to the side. He¡¯s circling around¡ªback toward Noli. It might work, if we can survive the retreat. The predator lashes out again, and once more I move to deflect, only catching the shift in its attention, the mental sneer, at the last moment.

    Noli!

    The void jags to the side, around my meager barrier of glass, and engulfs her soul. It wraps around the Stowage spell, and squeezes. I can feel my magic threatening to crumble.

    Panicked, I yank back with all my might. With every ounce of my will, every drop of mana I have to spare, I throw myself into the thought¡ªthe need¡ªto save her.

    A ball of black collides with the predator. Shadows grapple with shadows, wrestling for Noli¡¯s soul. The two pools of darkness merge, and for a moment every thought and feeling of the predator¡¯s is amplified. A tremor of surprise and uncertainty echoes from its mind as my Attuned void rejoins the rest. We¡¯re connected¡ªnot just through the tether in my soul, but through a shared source of magic. It can reach my mind, but I can also reach its.

    The moment of surprise evaporates as the predator surges forward, reaching for my consciousness. I can feel its intent. I know it¡¯s planning to overwhelm me again, like it did before.

    And it reads my thoughts at the same time¡ªthat I knew it would try this. That I¡¯d counted on it being distracted.

    With its focus diverted, I rip my Attuned void from its grasp, carrying Noli¡¯s soul with it. They both come flying back to me as the roar of the predator¡¯s thoughts collapse to background noise, space placed between our minds once more.

    But now I¡¯ve really pissed it off.

    Zyneth stumbles away as my Attuned void flies toward us. Still holding Noli¡¯s soul, I form it into a hand, pointing urgently at the last spell circle. Whips of the predator follow just seconds behind, snapping through the air, and I have to jerk my Attuned void away to pull Noli¡¯s soul out of its reach¡ªand prevent my void from reconnecting with the primary source.

    But they¡¯re not coming for Noli. They stab toward me and Zyneth, who¡¯s barely had a chance to react to my void hand, let alone dodge the predator¡¯s attack. This is all moving too fast. We can¡¯t run and fight and do Noli¡¯s spell all at once.

    Attiru leaps between us, slashing a blade through one of the void¡¯s tendrils. The severed ink evaporates into the air.

    ¡°Go!¡± they cry, raising their swords. The thorns double in length, creating a wicked, serrated edge to the blades as Attiru readies their weapons for a counterattack.

    Zyneth grits his teeth and runs. I¡¯m sure this is eating him up. He¡¯s the highest level here, but he¡¯s hamstringed while he needs to save his mana for me. All the more reason to finish Noli¡¯s spell as soon as we can. He can fight then¡ªand we¡¯ll need him to, as the predator is stronger now more than ever.

    The circle is only halfway across the clearing, so without anyone to stop us, Zyneth closes the gap in seconds. He falls to his knees, hard, and half-drops me in the dirt next to the circle.

    ¡°Here?¡± he asks. Blood is still streaming down the wound in his arm, and he winces as he tries to stem the flow with his free hand.

    My soul turns at the sight. I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll make it up to you. But you did great; this is right where I need to be. I send Noli¡¯s soul to float above her body, then spread the Attuned void around the circle. The far side is barely within my range, but it¡¯s enough.

    ¡°Stop this.¡± Saru steps up beside Zyneth, leveling a dagger at his neck. He goes still. ¡°I saw you with the glass heart in Harrowood, before. You¡¯re this creature¡¯s summoner, aren¡¯t you? The fight is over.¡±

    Shit. I glance around the yard: Attiru is still keeping the predator distracted. Tetara is fighting off Rezira. No one is coming to help us. But if I can heal Noli while Saru is preoccupied¡ª

    Core Bond! I call to activate the spell.

    [Insufficient mana,] Echo replies. [Mana: 0/50]

    Crap. Come on, Zyneth, hurry!

    His hand is only a few inches away, but it¡¯s hanging limply at his side. ¡°I¡¯m not a summoner, and that glass is not a summoning foci,¡± Zyneth says, staying perfectly. ¡°There¡¯s a soul in that vial, and if you kill him, you¡¯ll kill her, too.¡± He carefully inclines his head toward Noli.

    Saru narrows her eyes, her gaze darting over to Noli¡¯s body for a fraction of a second. ¡°What are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s complicated, and we don¡¯t have much time,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°But trust me when I say we are not your enemy. We want that shadow creature slain as much as you¡ªwe will join your fight if you let us go¡ªbut destroying the soul in this vial is not the way.¡±

    Saru glares at me, eyes burning with anger. ¡°You don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. You didn¡¯t watch it murder my team. My friends.¡± She flicks the point of her dagger toward me. ¡°I know that thing is connected.¡±

    The worst part is she¡¯s right. Killing me is the fastest way to destroy the predator. It would secure her revenge. She¡¯d get justice for her friends¡ªand I want that for her. I wish she could have that closure. But for Noli¡¯s sake, I can¡¯t let her do that. At least, not yet.

    Zyneth lets go of the wound in his arm, raising his hand toward Saru¡¯s blade. ¡°If you¡¯d just let me explain¡ª¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t move!¡± Saru brandishes the dagger.

    ¡°I¡¯m not.¡± Zyneth opens his bloody hand in surrender to show it¡¯s empty. ¡°I¡¯m not.¡±

    But what I notice, and Saru doesn¡¯t, her eyes drawn to his placating gesture, is that Zyneth¡¯s shifted the injured arm at his side to face toward me, and a yellow glow is sparking to life in his palm, bathing me in a comforting warm light.

    I wait for one excruciating heartbeat. Watching my mana stat, I wait a second. Then, finally, I cry Core Bond!

    And Echo says, [Activating.]

 Chapter 43 - Pocketses

    It¡¯s different from before. When I renewed our spells, magic channeled along the threads that sewed our souls to our bodies, strengthening the bond. But the moment I activate the Core Bond spell with Noli, the threads in her body seem to come to life.

    Strands of light reach up for Noli¡¯s soul, connecting with a thrum of magic that pulses through her like a network of nerves. Her soul sinks down into her chest, and the threads twist and whirl like an aurora. This doesn¡¯t look anything like the way Noli¡¯s soul had been attached to her toy vessel, the threads stabbing through her limbs at sharp angles, like something sewed haphazardly together. Now the magic seems more like streams, curving and organic, the light merging with her soul instead of stitched through it. I¡¯m not witnessing a soul being bound to something, I¡¯m witnessing her magic healing. Two broken parts mending into one.

    ¡°What did you do?¡± Saru demands, retreating a pace from the illuminated circle.

    Zyneth doesn¡¯t answer. He¡¯s a blur of movement, ducking around Saru¡¯s blade to slam a palm into the back of her elbow, sending her knife flying. Saru cries out, lurching back, and suddenly she¡¯s on the defensive. Even with one arm uselessly hanging from his side, he moves with practiced, precise moves. A blow catches her in the temple, and as she¡¯s stumbling away he hooks a foot behind her heel, sending her careening to the ground with terrifying efficiency. Jesus Christ. Who is this guy?

    But instead of dealing a final blow, Zyneth offers a hand up. ¡°Now. Are you ready to help defeat this monster, or will I need to ensure you¡¯re no longer a threat to my friend?¡±

    Bewildered, Saru glances from Zyneth¡¯s hand, to me, to Noli. Her eyes are still closed, but she takes in a sudden deep breath, as if waking up from a long sleep. Saru¡¯s eyes widen, and for a moment I see her not for her band¡¯s fearless leader, but for the uncertain, overwhelmed girl that she is, thrown into a situation no one ever could have prepared for. Christ, she¡¯s basically a kid. Probably eighteen, nineteen tops.

    ¡°You really were helping her?¡± Saru asks.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Zyneth doesn¡¯t wait for Saru to process this. He grabs her arm and yanks her back to her feet. ¡°But we¡¯ve no time to discuss now. Quick. Will you fight with us?¡±

    Saru looks back at the battle, where Attiru is retreating from the predator¡¯s attacks, and Rezira and Tetara are still locked in combat. Even as we watch, Rezira is flung back as the raging orc breaks free of a grapple and snatches up her ax once more.

    And just like that, kid-Saru is gone, replaced by her fearless leader mask. ¡°Tell your friend to back off,¡± she says, snatching up her dropped dagger. Zyneth lets her. ¡°The monster is the target of her Rage. She¡¯ll focus on that if no one gets in her way.¡±

    Zyneth waits until Saru dashes past me before he follows, casting me a brief glance. ¡°Stay here,¡± he says, as if I have any way of getting anywhere else. ¡°We¡¯ll end this quickly.¡±

    I want to believe him. But with Zyneth no longer feeding me mana, I know¡ªand so the predator knows¡ªthis is the end game. It hasn¡¯t grown larger, but it¡¯s more present in my mind. Stronger than I¡¯ve ever felt it before. I take an instinctive step back, as if this will quiet the maelstrom of thoughts that tear through my mind. It can¡¯t control me from this distance, can it? I don¡¯t want to take the chance, retreating next to Noli¡¯s still sleeping body.

    Zyneth stops Rezira from reengaging with Tetara as Saru runs to her friend¡¯s side. Zyneth is speaking to her, though I can¡¯t hear what from this distance, and Saru throws her blade into the void as it continues to back Attiru against the wall of the cottage. The predator snarls and flinches as Saru¡¯s attack hits home. Tetara spins at the sound, Rezira seemingly forgotten, and charges back toward the predator, her Enraged state apparently only allowing her a single objective at a time.

    They¡¯re all fighting the predator¡ªtogether, now.

    Rezira gives Saru a perplexed look as she joins the fray, but casts a glowing blue spell over Zyneth as he joins them, lightning summoned to either hand. Attiru is clearly relieved by the backup, and Tetara¡ªwell, I doubt she¡¯s even aware of the alliance that¡¯s just formed, too intent on pulverizing the predator. Slowly, some vague shape of cohesion takes place. In that moment, I feel the predator¡¯s confidence waver.

    Even so, I¡¯m worried. Noli is still asleep, Attiru is trying to retreat, and despite Saru, Zyneth, and Tetara all launching attacks of their own, the creature is deflecting them with ease. It¡¯s got to be at least twice as powerful as it had been last time. If we can survive long enough to wear it down, get it to use up all its energy, then we should win¡ªassuming everyone can survive that long. But if it manages to snag just one of their souls, we¡¯ll be down a fighter, and it will be even stronger.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

    I realize my mistake even as these thoughts cross my mind¡ªbecause now the predator is reminded of this, too.

    Its confidence swells, quickly scanning its four assailants and picking out the easiest target. My soul lurches as I feel its plan crystalize. I have to warn them! But they¡¯re on the other side of the yard, which might as well be miles away, and there¡¯s nothing, nothing I can say or do except watch the scene unfold with mounting horror.

    Tetara jumps forward, slashing her ax at the predator, but it dismissively bats her attacks away. Its focus is on someone else.

    A dozen spears of black stab forward, converging on Attiru from every direction. They go to jump away, but their back smacks into the side of the cottage, and in that moment of surprise, six spears of black stab through them. They loose a blood-curdling scream, filled with pain and fear, as ink pins their arms and legs to the wall like a taxidermied bug. Their face fills with horror¡ªthe same look I¡¯d seen before when I¡¯d been hungrily glowering down at them through the predator¡¯s eyes.

    No! Not again.

    But this time Noli isn¡¯t here to throw pebbles at it. Tetara and Saru and Zyneth¡¯s desperate attacks are left ignored. No one here can distract it from its prey.

    Except me.

    I think, somehow, I knew it would come to this. Not always, but at least since when Echo first told me about the predator¡¯s nature, when I was lying broken in the streets of Harrowood, waiting to die. When she explained my link to the Between, I had realized what that meant. I was just never willing to face the idea, too petrified of having to face the predator.

    And I¡¯m still petrified. Maybe facing your fears never stops being terrifying. But now, in this moment, it¡¯s do or die, and I know what I have to do.

    I¡¯m too far for pebbles¡ªthe only thing I have to throw at the predator is my mind. So, for the first time, instead of trying to escape our mental bond, I grab the tether that ties us together and pull. The predator¡¯s mind snaps against me like a rubber band.

    Come on, you coward, I call, even as I tremble from fear and exhilaration. Acting is putting on a brave face, even when you don¡¯t mean it. Stepping into the role, even when it isn¡¯t who you are. You want to settle things? I¡¯m right here. No one to stop you.

    The predator rages against me. How dare I challenge it. How dare I not be shaking in fear.

    But for a moment it wavers. Maybe it senses I¡¯m trying to distract it from its prey. Its attention begins to shift back toward Attiru, pinned, exposed, ready for their soul to be plucked from their chest. I desperately yank on our link again, pouring all my contempt and disdain into the action. I mentally laugh at it. Why the hesitation? Is it afraid?

    The predator explodes with outrage. How dare. How dare I not know my place! It will make me know.

    The predator yanks violently back on our mental bond, and my mind collides with its, and I¡¯m cast back in that ocean of consciousness, drowning in the creature¡¯s thoughts. My confidence slips and I panic as the waves tear at me, trying to strip away my sense of self, dissolve my identity into its own. I know trying to fight it is futile. It¡¯s far more powerful and immense than me. But I don¡¯t want to lose myself. I don¡¯t want to die. I desperately try to hold on.

    It bolts across the yard, paying the others no heed. Tetara swipes at it as it blurs by, and her weapon draws streams of black ichor dripping from its side. I feel ripples of its pain, but the predator hardly notices. It¡¯s seething, indignant, and more than anything it wants to prove me wrong¡ªto prove how powerful it is.

    The others cry out as they realize where it¡¯s headed; no one can get here in time. But getting it away from everyone was exactly the idea. Even as I struggle to keep from drowning in its mind, I brace for impact.

    The shadows slam into me, crushing me into the ground and shattering my legs before sweeping me up in a wave of black.

    [12 points of Bludgeoning damage sustained.]

    The void squeezes around me, prying at the crack in my glass. It¡¯s trying to break in again¡ªand if it does, I¡¯ll be lost in its mind, just like last time. But now it¡¯s stronger than before. Smarter. It won¡¯t be caught by any more surprise attacks. Not when everyone is already hurt and tired. If it takes me again, I¡¯ll end up killing all of them.

    I¡¯m not going to let that happen.

    Echo, I call, reaching for her through the haze. Struggling to focus on my sense of self, my plan¡ªthe only thing I have left.

    The predator reads my thoughts with a sting of shock at the same moment it pries my glass apart, agony lancing through me.

    [5 points of Crushing damage sustained.]

    Too consumed by pain, I¡¯m hardly aware as void seeps through the crack. The predator¡¯s brief surprise turns to triumph. My plan doesn¡¯t matter: It¡¯s already won. So instead of letting go, it pours its void into my vial to snuff out every last ounce of my remaining willpower.

    Even as my consciousness is fading, suffocating beneath the weight of the predator¡¯s will, I make one last rally. One last reach for the ability I¡¯ve had since the start. Because I might not be able to subdue this creature, but I know one thing that can: the Between.

    And I can access it. Or at least, a small pocket of it.

    Echo. I don¡¯t know if she can even hear me anymore. I don¡¯t know at what point I¡¯ll lose my connection with her. If it¡¯s already too late. With the last shred of my willpower, I say, Add the predator to my inventory.

    Nothing happens.

    And with the last crumb of determination I had left now exhausted, my mind dissolves into the dark.

    The predator sneers, its glass anchor clutched in its grasp as it turns back to the others¡ªtoward its prey.

    Then, Echo says, [Affirmative.]

    It happens in an instant. The shadows around me vanish. The pressure is gone from my mind. I¡¯m hovering several feet above the ground, the predator¡¯s claws no longer holding me¡ªand then I¡¯m falling.

    I hardly have the time or presence of mind to take any of this in as the air whistles past me. The ground is rushing up fast.

    And then a hand reaches out to catch me. I land in her palm.

    The elf beams down at me, her face gaunt, but her smile unmistakable. Noli wearily sinks to the ground, placing me gently in her lap. She wipes a tear from one of her eyes, and then she signs, ¡°You did it. It¡¯s over. We won.¡±

 Chapter 44 - Over

    It¡¯s¡­ over?

    I can¡¯t believe it. It can¡¯t be that easy, can it?

    Echo, Void Check.

    [Void: 100%] Echo says.

    I bristle. Is it still here? Is it still summoned?

    But I don¡¯t feel anything else in my mind. Its presence is gone. And the lingering effects of my Bond Trace spell are still in effect. I can see a thin black thread tied to my soul, vanishing into nothing as it leads away.

    Inventory Check.

    [Inventory Space: DIV/0. Contents: Void.]

    So it really is in there. And if my Void stat is already at 100%, then that means it can¡¯t get out, right? Or it already would be. Looks like putting it in there broke my inventory, but that¡¯s a small price to pay for keeping the predator trapped.

    Trapped¡ªnot killed.

    I¡¯ll take it. I might have to deal with the consequences of this one day, but for now, it¡¯s enough.

    ¡°Noli!¡± Rezira sprints over, falling to her knees to envelop her wife in a bone-crushing hug.

    ¡°Careful.¡± Noli pulls back with a laugh, gesturing to me. ¡°We can¡¯t squish our hero.¡±

    Hero. That¡¯s all I¡¯d ever wanted to be on stage, but being called one here, in earnest, makes me feel strange. Uncomfortable, and yet¡­ a little proud.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Saru demands, spinning about the clearing as if she expects the predator to leap out at any moment. ¡°Where did the beast go?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s gone,¡± Noli signs, and then Rezira repeats the message aloud. I¡¯m only now realizing Noli is deaf. I guess that explains why she knew how to sign in the first place. Noli looks down at me, questioningly. ¡°It is gone, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    All of my legs destroyed, and signing glass out of reach, I can only roll against her palm, tapping it once for, ¡°Yes.¡± I hope so, anyway.

    ¡°Well that¡¯s a relief.¡± Zyneth sits down nearby with a wince. The dagger of black in his shoulder is gone, the wound only partially healed from Rezira¡¯s magic. ¡°I suspect I will be needing some medical attention.¡±

    Noli gasps. It¡¯s still so strange to see these gestures coming from a person instead of a toy. ¡°Rezira, can you¡ª¡±

    ¡°In a minute,¡± she grunts, looking around the yard. Her gaze falling on Attiru, slumped against the house.

    A fresh wave of panic swells through me, and I give them a Health Check.

    [HP: 37/100]

    Bleeding, but alive, eyes squeezed shut in pain. Rezira pushes herself to her feet. ¡°I don¡¯t have much mana left, so I¡¯m going to tend to them next. The rest of you will have to wait to get patched up later.¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± Zyneth says as Rezira leaves to help Attiru. With his good hand, he reaches out for me. ¡°Here. Found something of yours.¡±

    I can feel what it is even before he opens his hand¡ªmy signing glass. Not all of it, but enough to talk.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± I sign.

    With Rezira gone and no one left to translate, Noli gives him a thumbs up on my account. He smiles, which comes off as more of a grimace. ¡°Of course. But perhaps we can save general chit chat for later. There is much to discuss after we¡¯ve had a moment to recover. For now¡ª¡± He turns to Saru. ¡°Can you calm your friend? The threat is gone.¡±

    Saru eyes Zyneth warily. Then Tetara roars, still swinging her ax blindly, spinning in wild circles as she looks for the predator, and Saru¡¯s shoulders slump. She sheaths her blade. ¡°Yes, I can calm her. But after, I expect answers.¡±

    ¡°We will answer any questions you may have.¡± Zyneth looks at me, raising an eyebrow. ¡°Right?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Even if I don¡¯t really like it. I¡¯m not sure Tetara and Saru will be as understanding as the others. But I suppose if they try anything, I have allies who will protect me.

    No. I look up at Noli. Not allies¡ªfriends.

    <hr>

    It takes several hours to get settled. The yard is left in shambles¡ªI have doubts that Noli and Rezira¡¯s garden is salvageable¡ªand everyone is left bruised and bloodied. Noli wearily sits in one of their chairs, content to rest and cheer her wife on as Rezira takes care of the worst of the wounds. After everyone is taken care of, Attiru and Rezira rest while Zyneth¡ªand, after some hesitation, Saru¡ªbegin to reassemble the dilapidated cottage, dragging the kitchen table back inside for everyone to crowd around.

    Tetara has calmed, but still eyes us all with grave suspicion. She and Saru retreat to the far end of the cottage, as much as the tiny space allows, while Rezira puts some water on the stove and prepares some tea. And then Noli begins to explain everything. Her wife translates, with Noli occasionally deferring to me for explanations, but she seems to have a good handle of things. I¡¯m perfectly content to rest and let her do the talking. By the time she¡¯s finished, night has set in, darkness crowding the windows, but inside, everything is bright and warm.

    Saru shakes her head. ¡°I still don¡¯t understand how the monster¡ªthis predator¡ªwas defeated.

    All eyes turn toward me.

    ¡°Not¡­ defeated,¡± I sign, Noli helping me through the word. ¡°It¡¯s gone. Stuck.¡± Hopefully forever, but I don¡¯t have Noli-levels of optimism there. I Check my Void stat again: still 100%. Like a ticking bomb whose timer got paused at 00:01. ¡°Place like Between. Can¡¯t get out without my magic.¡± I hope, anyway. But it hasn¡¯t reared its head yet.Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    Tetara, who¡¯s been glaring at me this whole time, finally stirs. ¡°Then now is our opportunity to ensure it stays gone for good. You¡¯re its tether to this world, right?¡±

    A week ago, I would have agreed with her. And it still might be our only guarantee at banishing the predator permanently. But the thing is¡­ now that I¡¯ve fought for all this, for Noli, for myself, now that I have people who care about me¡­ I don¡¯t think I¡¯m ready to give up just yet. And I can do more good for Tetara and Saru alive than dead.

    Noli smiles sadly. ¡°Killing him won¡¯t bring your friends back. That wouldn¡¯t be justice. More death is not the answer here.¡±

    ¡°I want to help,¡± I add. ¡°Help make things¡­ easier.¡±

    ¡°How?¡± Tetara demands. ¡°What can you do?¡±

    I don¡¯t have an answer for that. Maybe there¡¯s nothing I can do. Maybe this is something all three of us will just have to live with, a weight to be carried for the rest of our lives. ¡°I don¡¯t know. But I want to¡­ To give my help. If you need some day. I owe you¡­¡±

    I gesture for Noli, at a loss for words.

    ¡°A debt?¡± she suggests. ¡°A favor?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± I sign, repeating the words. ¡°Whatever you ask. I will offer help.¡±

    Tetara snorts. ¡°Thanks. If we ever need something that can be solved by a sentient bottle of ink, we¡¯ll be sure to come knocking.¡±

    I¡¯m flooded with embarrassment¡ªI can¡¯t really blame her for the skepticism. There¡¯s not a lot I can do right now anyway. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Wish I could do more.¡±

    Saru, at least, seems to have a modicum of pity in her eyes. She puts a hand on Tetara¡¯s arm, and the orc bristles for a moment, looking down at the human, before deflating. ¡°Regardless of what you can offer, your compassion is appreciated.¡± Saru sighs, running a hand through her locks. ¡°This isn¡¯t the conclusion I wanted.¡±

    ¡°I doubt it was the conclusion anyone desired,¡± Zyneth says. He¡¯s been mostly silent throughout the conversation, watching and listening to everything carefully. It¡¯s difficult to tell what goes on in that head of his. ¡°Life is rarely so clear cut.¡±

    ¡°Although it would have gone a lot smoother without your interference,¡± Rezira says, folding her arms as she glares at Saru and Tetara. ¡°How did you find us anyway?¡±

    ¡°Your group wasn¡¯t exactly being subtle,¡± Saru says. ¡°We saw you go through the telepad and followed, asking if anyone saw which way you went along the way. It wasn¡¯t hard, especially given the signs leading right to your front door.¡±

    ¡°Your neighbors seemed especially eager to help us when they found out we had a bone to pick with you,¡± Tetara adds. ¡°That dwarf couple.¡±

    Rezira growls. ¡°Fucking Brookbanks.¡±

    Noli chuckles, patting her wife¡¯s hand. ¡°I¡¯m sure they just thought they were helping.¡±

    Somehow, I doubt it.

    Rezira deflates at her wife¡¯s touch. ¡°Well, it¡¯s over now, anyway. Noli is safe. The wizard that did this to her is dead. I¡¯m ready to move on from this chapter of our lives.¡±

    ¡°I suppose I¡¯m given some resolution, too,¡± Attiru says. ¡°It¡¯s a relief to know that no one else has to go through what happened in Peakshadow. And now, with Noli home, I think it¡¯s time I returned to mine as well.¡± They grimace. ¡°I have some rebuilding to do before I¡¯m ready to open shop again.¡±

    ¡°Oh!¡± Noli presses her hands to her cheeks in a gesture that¡¯s uncannily similar to the expressions she¡¯d make as a toy. ¡°Your poor shop! Rezira and I can help you fix that up.¡±

    Rezira raises an eyebrow. ¡°We can, huh?¡±

    ¡°Of course!¡± Noli signs. ¡°It¡¯s the least we can do.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s make sure you¡¯re rested, first,¡± Rezira says. ¡°Then we can worry about taking on any new construction projects.¡±

    Tetara lets out a heavy sigh. ¡°We should be leaving as well.¡± She looks at Saru, who nods. ¡°We need to think about all this.¡±

    ¡°And visit Chatil and Lark¡¯s families,¡± Saru agrees.

    Chatil and Lark. The names of the dracid and felis. My soul feels tight as I etch them into my memory. I owe their families a visit too, someday.

    ¡°No!¡± Noli cries. ¡°Stay the night. It¡¯s already late. You can rest here.¡±

    Saru looks around the crowded cottage with extreme skepticism. Tetara locks eyes with Rezira.

    ¡°No, I think we should be going,¡± Tetara says.

    Rezira folds her arms. ¡°Yeah, they should definitely head out.¡±

    Noli frowns as Saru and Tetara gather their things, making a hasty retreat with an awkward farewell. I do feel bad for them¡ªwhat they faced. How they never found the justice they sought. But I¡¯m pretty sure Noli is the only one sad to see them go.

    The atmosphere seems to relax after the door clicks shut behind them.

    ¡°You two will stay at least?¡± Noli asks Attiru and Zyneth.

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m in no shape to be leaving right now,¡± Attiru says with a pained chuckle. They rub at their arm, just beneath a newly forming scar where the predator had stabbed them. Rezira said she¡¯d be able to continue healing it in the morning, after she¡¯d rested and recovered some of her mana, but the scars would never completely heal. I guess even magic can only go so far. ¡°I would have asked to stay if you hadn¡¯t offered.¡±

    ¡°Just for the night, perhaps,¡± Zyneth also agrees. ¡°But after this detour, I have my own mission I need to return to. I will leave in the next day or two, once everything has settled.¡±

    For some reason, I¡¯m disappointed. The words we were able to exchange were limited at best, but his company is growing on me. Besides, it¡¯s not fair that I have to spill all my guts while he gets to keep secrets.

    ¡°Where you go?¡± I ask.

    A smile flickers across his mouth. ¡°Here and there. Wherever my trail leads. Why, do you want to come with?¡±

    The suggestion isn¡¯t unappealing. Though without a personal translator, communication might be somewhat hampered.

    ¡°No,¡± I reluctantly sign. ¡°I stay here. With Noli.¡± I pause, turning to Noli and Rezira. ¡°If that okay?¡±

    ¡°Of course!¡± Noli exclaims. ¡°We¡¯d love to have you. For as long as you need.¡±

    ¡°Well, maybe not forever,¡± Rezira adds. ¡°I didn¡¯t sign up for a roommate. But as long as you need to¡­ well. Whatever you need to do next.¡±

    What does come next? I¡¯d been so focused on Noli that I hadn¡¯t really been planning anything ahead beyond that.

    ¡°Your body,¡± Zyneth ventures. ¡°Like Noli¡¯s, did it get left behind somewhere, too?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± I sign without thinking. Well. I guess that¡¯s technically true. It got left in another world. With a broken neck. ¡°But¡­ might be hard to find. Need to think, first.¡±

    Honestly, I hadn¡¯t had time to give it much thought before now. There¡¯s so much I still need to parse. The predator to learn about. If there¡¯s any way I can get rid of it for good, or make sure its entrapment is permanent.

    And in the near-term, there¡¯s this glass body to deal with. Can I do magic now, without threatening to summon the predator? I¡¯ll have to hope so if I want to renew the spell that keeps me from getting sucked back Between and then booted on to the afterlife. I guess that¡¯s something I¡¯ll need to figure out in the next two days. But in the long term¡­

    Is there any way to get my real body back?

    Now there¡¯s a thought.

    ¡°My, isn¡¯t she cute?¡± Noli picks up the clockwork toy, smiling fondly as she taps one of its brass tentacles.

    Rezira raises her brows. ¡°Not the word I would use to describe it. We are getting rid of that thing, aren¡¯t we?¡±

    ¡°Never!¡± Noli clutches it to her chest. ¡°It¡¯s a keepsake! We can¡¯t just throw it away.¡±

    ¡°That toy was a prison to your mind for nearly a month,¡± Rezira says.

    ¡°You make it sound so terrible,¡± Noli signs.

    ¡°It was terrible.¡±

    ¡°I think I¡¯ll put it on the bookshelf.¡±

    ¡°Noli, please.¡±

    In response, Noli stands up, swaying. She leans against the table for a moment as she regains her balance, then takes the brass toy over to the bookshelf¡ªone of the few remaining pieces of furniture that seems to have survived the room¡¯s deconstruction. She pushes some bookends around to make room, then slots the little slumped octopus in place. She turns around with a smile.

    ¡°There. Now every time I look at it, I¡¯ll always be reminded of our journey together.¡±

    Rezira sighs and shakes her head, beginning to collect all the empty cups around the table. I¡¯m not particularly keen on being reminded of our journey together, either. Given everything I went through¡ªall of the pain and horror and fear¡ªwell, I¡¯m not going to say it was worth it. But of everywhere I could be right now, of everyone I could be with, I think I¡¯m okay with where I ended up.

 Chapter 45 - My Turn

    ¡°Are you ready?¡±

    A breeze lazily stirs leaves through the yard, sun warm on my glass, as I pick my way around the circle traced into the dirt. I mean, I¡¯m no pro, but it looks solid to me.

    Probably helps that I got someone with hands to draw it.

    ¡°Ready,¡± I sign. I step into the circle, carefully picking my way over the lines to make sure I don¡¯t disrupt anything. I call my Attuned void over, layering it on top of the circle¡¯s pattern.

    Noli and Rezira watch from a careful distance with excitement and concern (respectively) plastered on their faces. Zyneth kneels nearby, hand outstretched as he finishes funneling the last bit of Bonus Mana into me.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think it will light all the beads,¡± he says as the glow of his magic goes out, gesturing to the charmed bracelet in the grass nearby. ¡°But it should at least get you further than what you can do on your own.¡±

    No kidding. With only 50 mana myself, I only have enough to keep the spell going day to day. Man, I need to start leveling up.

    ¡°Okay,¡± I sign, Rezira translating for me. ¡°Here I go.¡±

    I activate Core Bond, instinctively tensing up, waiting for reality to break¡ªfor the predator to emerge¡ªbut all that happens is the spell circle lighting up from my magic. With all of Zyneth¡¯s bonus mana, the spell lasts nearly a minute, filling me with cozy warm light.

    [Spell complete,] Echo reports as the light fades.

    Whew. The sun is still high. The air is still clear and unbroken. Out of habit, I do a Void Check.

    [Void: 100%]

    Inventory Check.

    [Inventory Space: DIV/0. Contents: Void.]

    Nothing¡¯s changed in the past two days. I guess that¡¯s a good thing. Maybe it really is just stuck in there for good.

    ¡°Did it work?¡± Noli asks as she and Rezira approach the circle.

    I Check the spell: [524 Mana].

    ¡°Yes!¡± I sign. ¡°Now I have five hundred and two¡­ Fuck.¡± I halt, trying to remember the numbers.

    Noli gasps. ¡°Who taught you that?¡± Her head whips over to Rezira. ¡°You!¡±

    Rezira raises her hands with a shrug. ¡°The man deserves some swear words.¡±If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    Noli frowns. ¡°It¡¯s just so unnecessary.¡±

    Unnecessary my ass. I decide not to sign that.

    ¡°Well I¡¯m glad it worked,¡± Zyneth says, examining my bracelet. It¡¯s about half lit up. ¡°Five hundred? That sounds like¡­ A week and half, correct?¡±

    I confirm with Echo. ¡°Yes. It should last¡­ ten days.¡±

    ¡°Excellent,¡± he says. ¡°That should last at least until I return.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re leaving now?¡± I ask.

    Zyneth glances at the two women. ¡°I¡¯d rather not overstay my welcome. Besides, I¡¯ve other matters to attend to. But I would enjoy visiting the present company in another week or so, should I be welcome.¡±

    ¡°Of course!¡± Noli signs. ¡°You¡¯re always welcome.¡±

    Zyneth smiles, pushing himself to his feet. ¡°And your hospitality will always be appreciated.¡±

    Noli and Rezira stand as well. Noli offers me a hand, and I take it. She lifts me up, then takes the beaded bracelet from Zyneth and sets it on my glass like some kind of glowing tiara. She giggles.

    If you don¡¯t want me to swear, Noli, this isn¡¯t the way.

    We head back inside as Zyneth gathers his things. Attiru had left that morning, and Rezira intends to join them in the next week to help rebuild their shop. Part of me wants to go and help, too. I¡¯m responsible for the destruction, after all. But with this body, even with the ability to use spells again, I¡¯d probably just be in the way.

    But I don¡¯t intend for that to always be the case. I owe Attiru¡ªI owe all of these people¡ªmore than I can say. It¡¯s time to get my hands on some more glass.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Noli signs to Zyneth, setting me down on the table. ¡°You¡¯ve been a great help.¡±

    ¡°Please, no thanks are necessary. At most all I ever did was recharge Kanin¡¯s magic.¡± He smiles at me, and I¡¯m filled with a fluttering warmth. ¡°But this has all been quite exciting. I¡¯m glad I could help.¡±

    Zyneth swings his pack over his good shoulder, still favoring his injured arm. After spending every last drop of her magic on Attiru, Rezira hadn¡¯t been able to do more for Zyneth, though he assured us he had the coin to seek out a healer in the next town he visits. Which town he means is anyone¡¯s guess.

    ¡°Good luck,¡± I sign as he stops in the door.

    Zyneth raises a hand in farewell. ¡°To you as well. We¡¯ll be seeing each other again soon, I¡¯m sure.¡± He bows his head to Noli and Rezira, then takes his leave.

    This time, I¡¯m not so sad to see him go. I believe him when he says he¡¯ll be back. And for the first time in a while, I don¡¯t feel like I¡¯m filled with liquid anxiety. I know I¡¯ll be okay. I¡¯ve got plans, I¡¯ve got things to do, but my life is no longer hinging on their success¡ªand neither is Noli¡¯s. I can breathe again.

    Well, you know, I could if I had lungs.

    Noli stands in the doorframe, watching Zyneth depart, before finally turning away and shutting the door behind her. Her eyes are smiling even when her mouth isn¡¯t.

    ¡°Well! What do we do now?¡± she asks.

    ¡°Fix up the house,¡± Rezira suggests. ¡°Replant the garden. Start dinner.¡±

    Noli laughs, gliding over to the bookcase. She brushes her hand over the little toy octopus that sits there. Shockingly, Rezira hasn¡¯t thrown it out yet.

    ¡°No, I mean, what¡¯s next?¡± She looks at me. ¡°We still hardly learned a thing about where the predator came from. Why it was able to latch onto your soul. How that¡¯s all tied to Between and the void and, well, everything else.¡±

    All questions I still want answered. But now that I¡¯ve had time to sort through my thoughts, I¡¯ve decided that isn¡¯t the top of my priority list. As long as the predator stays where it is, I¡¯m perfectly happy to not go poking the bear.

    First step is building up this body. I can¡¯t do much as a glorified bottle of ink. I need legs. I need hands. I need to be able to get places, and read things, and learn more about how I ended up switching worlds.

    I look at Noli¡ªthe real Noli, whose form still hardly seems familiar in flesh and blood. Seeing her standing next to that little relic, now dull and lifeless, gives me hope. It took everything we had, but in the end, she got her real body back.

    Next, it¡¯s my turn.

 Maps and Art

    Gearing up for Ch 1 of Loose Kanin next week, I thought I''d give you some supplemental material in lieu of a chapter. So here you go!

    I''ve never actually been a huge map person; I skip right over them in the books I read. But I know it helps a lot of readers better visualize where things are taking place in a story, so I tried to whip something up for you guys. I hope you appreciate my amateur efforts at map making lol.

    Here''s a map of the world which I am tentatively calling Lusio. Note that this map is absolutely NOT set in stone. Anything stands to change at my creative whims. Mwahahaha!

    Some of these names should look familiar, and some are new. Most the ones in the top left were in book 1, several more of these places will be relevant in book 2, and even more won''t show up until later books. There''s a lot of blank spaces still where I have a general idea of cities and countries but haven''t picked names yet lol. Names are hard.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    Below is pretty much all the relevant locations for Book 1. This is a bad rendition of the Valenia North map Kanin found in Attiru''s Atlas Emporium. Obviously, that map didn''t have Trenevalt''s Cabin on it. I added that for context.

    This is also why Zyneth was in the area. Headed back from the Black Spire, Peakshadow was the first town on his way back to civilization. I''m going to add this map into Ch 19 for future readers. Hopefully it will be useful.

    That''s pretty much all I''ve got for you today. Let me know if you guys want to do, say, a Q&A session, or if you are interested in reading the blurb for book 2 before I start posting Loose Kanin next week. I haven''t shared it yet as I know a lot of readers consider that to be spoilers.

    As always, thanks for reading!

 Book 1 Recap

    After dying on set of his debut Supernatural TV show ripoff, Kanin ends up Between, a space between dimensions. There he meets Noli, an elf, who¡¯s also gotten stuck between worlds. As a magic spell pulls them back into reality, a predator in the dark attacks Kanin, stabbing him through his soul.

    The horror of Between quickly fades as Kanin and Noli fall back into reality¡ªbut not into their original bodies. Kanin ends up in a homunculus core shaped like a small glass flask, while Noli falls into the body of a toy clockwork octopus. The two have accidentally been caught in a wizard¡¯s spell intended to power a magical automaton designed to do his yard work.

    Kanin learns how to maneuver the world as a tiny glass flask, leveling up and taking a Wizard class to help him perform spells and gain mastery over his fragile body. Before he can figure out how to communicate with his summoner, however, the predator from Between strikes, killing Kanin¡¯s only hope of returning home.

    Noli and Kanin are forced to flee, searching for help before the spell keeping them stuck to their temporary bodies runs out and they¡¯re thrown back Between, where they¡¯ll face permanent death¡ªif the predator doesn¡¯t consume them first. After many days on the road, and a failed attempt to get help, they make it to the nearest village, where they attempt once more to flag down assistance. Noli transcribes a ¡°cheat sheet¡± for Kanin to use to communicate, while she writes a letter explaining their situation to send to her wife. But just as they¡¯re ready to break down the language barrier, the predator returns, and this time Kanin understands a horrible truth: it¡¯s summoned by his own unwitting actions.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.

    After the predator possesses Kanin, killing two travelers and crippling Noli in the process, Kanin flees the village, as much to find help elsewhere as to protect everyone from himself. With Noli unable to walk, Kanin is her only hope of finding help before their spells expire.

    While on the road, Kanin survives the elements and battles undead creatures¡ªand also befriends a devilish rogue named Zyneth. Zyneth takes Kanin to the nearest city, where he hopes to find the help he¡¯s looking for. However the friends of the two slain travelers also catch up with Kanin, intent on avenging the deaths of their comrades. His only means of communication destroyed, left injured and alone, his spell timer approaches the end. Just as Kanin has given up, however, Noli finds him with the help of people they¡¯d met along the way.

    With renewed hope, they once more begin to search for a wizard who can free them. Simultaneously, Kanin discovers he¡¯s capable of extending the timer on their spells himself¡ªbut it would require tapping into the predator¡¯s void powers to do so. With time running out, Kanin performs the spell to extend their lives just one more day, although the cost means the next spell he casts will summon the murderous predator from Between once more.

    Finally, Noli¡¯s wife catches up to them, and helps usher everyone back toward her home¡ªand Noli¡¯s comatose body. Kanin reluctantly agrees to perform the spell that can bind Noli¡¯s soul to her body, but doing so summons the predator. Zyneth gears up to fight off the predator as Kanin sews Noli¡¯s soul back into her body, but not before the vengeful travelers find them. After a three-way battle, Kanin finally resolves the fight by confronting the predator head-on and sealing it within his inventory.

    With the predator gone¡ªat least, for now¡ªand Noli¡¯s soul returned to her body, Kanin sets his sights on achieving the same.

 Chapter 46 - Or Maybe Bob Ross

    Call me Michaelangelo.

    I¡¯m a right Frida Kahlo. A fucking Leonardo da Vinci¡ªand let¡¯s just throw the rest of the Ninja Turtles in while we¡¯re at it, because no one in the history of art has seen anything like this. Not on Earth, anyway.

    I finish Sculpting a piece of glass, breaking the rod into three sections in the air before me. Like puppets on invisible strings, the glass levitates at my beck and call. I line them up with the rest of the construct: Good. They¡¯re all the right size.

    Chain, I think, activating the spell.

    [Activated,] Echo replies, the mental voice accompanying a visual overlay of the mana I lose from casting the spell.

    The three pieces of glass snap together like magic, which, I suppose, it is. I Chain the string of glass to the main body as well. When my magic is active, it glows with an eerie black light. As I complete the spell, however, the color fades away, and now the glass pieces remain attached to each other despite having no apparent connective tissue. I take a step back to admire my work.

    Spread across the kitchen table like a body at a morgue, the construct is incomplete, but starting to look human. It¡¯s got arms, legs, hands, and now, thanks to my latest addition, some toes. All made of glass, of course. If I could work with other materials, I would.

    The head remains a bit of an enigma. Currently a large chunk of glass is just sitting next to me on the table, waiting to be Sculpted, but I haven¡¯t decided on a shape yet. Since my soul is in my vial, I figure that should go in the chest. But what should the head look like? Once I Sculpted it into a stagnant face, like an ice statue, but Rezira was very adamant about not keeping any creepy decapitated doll heads in her house. And to be fair, it did fall pretty squarely in Uncanny Valley. More to the point, though, looking out of a wobbly bumpy surface like that was pretty disorienting. Maybe something simple, like an orb, would be best for now. I don¡¯t need a mouth, ears, or eyes, anyway, so basic is probably better.

    I cast Sculpt, deciding to play with the shape of the head once more. Maybe this time I¡¯ll figure something out.

    [Activated,] Echo says. Then, [EXP threshold reached. Level up!]

    [Name: Kanin]

    [Species: N/A]

    [Class: Wizard]

    [Level: 9]

    [HP: 10/10]

    [Temp HP: 325]

    [Mana: 56/56]

    [Void: 100%]

    [Role: Homunculus]

    About damn time! I¡¯ve only been Attuning, Sculpting, and Chaining glass 24/7 for the last month. I¡¯ll take that tiny boost in mana reserves, too, thank you very much. Still no increases to base HP, looks like. Underwhelming. But I guess I shouldn¡¯t be surprised. Without the body to give me a boost in temporary hit points, I¡¯m still just a little glass vial that can die via misplaced boot.

    But not forever, hopefully. If I¡¯m going to learn a way to get my real body back, step one is to become more mobile. And for that, this glass shell will have to do.

    It¡¯s kind of ironic, really. When I first got shunted into this world, I was doing everything in my power to stop from getting stuffed into a glass homunculus body. Now, I¡¯m spending every waking hour of the day trying to make one. Funny how that happens.

    The cottage door swings open and Noli steps inside. ¡°Oh!¡± the elf signs with a delighted flourish. ¡°He¡¯s got feet now! That¡¯s adorable.¡±

    I set down the piece of glass I was working with. Adorable is not really what I¡¯m going for. ¡°And manly,¡± I sign back. By now my signing glass is more than just floating clusters of toothpick-sized shards; I¡¯ve got fully articulated hands at my disposal. It doesn¡¯t have great grip for picking stuff up, but it¡¯s a far cry from what I was working with just four weeks ago.

    Rezira snorts. She pauses chopping up the vegetables for dinner in order to face us and sign, though she simultaneously speaks aloud for my benefit. ¡°It¡¯s glass. Unless you¡¯re going for anatomical accuracy, it¡¯s not going to be manly.¡±

    ¡°I could do that,¡± I threaten. Don¡¯t mock me, it¡¯ll only make me more determined.

    Rezira grimaces. ¡°Oh please, no. It¡¯s bad enough we¡¯ve sacrificed our kitchen table to this freaky glass marionette. That¡¯s the last thing I need to look at while I¡¯m cooking.¡±

    ¡°Your fault,¡± I sign, glancing around the cramped living space. ¡°Should have made the room bigger.¡±

    ¡°Oh, excuse me,¡± Rezira says. ¡°I didn¡¯t plan on housing a snarky pint-sized freeloader when I built this place for my wife.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s enough, you two,¡± Noli signs, smiling gently at our banter. She sets a dead rabbit she was carrying on the counter, gives Rezira a quick kiss, and then goes to hang up her bow and quiver. ¡°Need help with dinner?¡±

    ¡°No, no.¡± Rezira waves her off. ¡°I¡¯ve got this.¡± She turns back to her chopping board as Noli wanders over to me, standing above the kitchen-table-turned-assembly-line.

    ¡°You¡¯re almost done,¡± she observes. Noli picks up the hand of the glass body, rolling its wrist and articulating its fingers. In a weird disembodied way, I can feel everything she¡¯s doing¡ªevery bit of that body is glass I first Attuned, after all. It¡¯s how I¡¯ll control it once it¡¯s finished. I suppose I could even have it march around by itself, but that sort of defeats the purpose.

    ¡°Do you know what you¡¯ll do once it¡¯s done?¡± she asks.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    Isn¡¯t that the million-dollar question. ¡°I need to learn more,¡± I sign. ¡°About the void. The predator. Between.¡± Not to mention magic in general, and this entire world. I don¡¯t even know what I don¡¯t know.

    Noli nods. ¡°That makes sense. The predator¡­ is it still¡­?¡±

    ¡°No sign of it coming back,¡± I sign. It¡¯s been a month now. Hopefully that means it¡¯s permanent. But I should be prepared in case it¡¯s not.

    However, that¡¯s not my top priority. ¡°Also, I want to get my body back. Like you.¡±

    A flicker of something flits over Noli¡¯s face. A grimace? Noli doesn¡¯t grimace. ¡°I definitely understand wanting to be in a normal body again,¡± Noli signs. ¡°But¡­ er¡­ Well, it¡¯s been a few months, hasn¡¯t it? And when we first met, you told me the reason you ended up Between was because you¡¯d died.¡±

    Ah. Right. She¡¯s not wrong, but she¡¯s also lacking a crucial piece of information: my body didn¡¯t die in this world. I had to pass Between to get here, and that place seems to exist outside of space and time¡ªmaybe it¡¯s not a stretch to hope for a Narnia type situation. Maybe I can get back to Earth right when I left it. If I can just reach my body within a few seconds or minutes of the accident, if I can use magic to heal it up¡­ maybe I still have a way to reclaim some sense of normalcy.

    Maybe there¡¯s a way to go back to being me again.

    Which brings me to a conversation I¡¯ve been wanting to have for a while, but lacked the vocabulary to really dig into. I still don¡¯t have all the words I want, but I suppose now is as good a time as any.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t die on Lusio,¡± I sign. I¡¯d only learned the name of this planet a few days ago.

    Noli tips her head. ¡°You didn¡¯t die?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± I tell her. ¡°I did die. But not here. Not in this world.¡±

    Noli stares at me for a moment. ¡°I¡¯m sorry?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not from Lusio,¡± I sign. ¡°I¡¯m not from this world.¡±

    Noli blinks. Then she turns around and tugs on Rezira¡¯s elbow. ¡°Dear?¡± she signs as Rezira turns to look. ¡°I think you better be part of this conversation.¡±

    <hr>

    ¡°A human?¡± Rezira repeats after I¡¯ve explained everything I can. ¡°I always pegged you for a halfling.¡±

    I don¡¯t know if I should be offended or flattered. ¡°You believe me?¡±

    The women exchange a look.

    ¡°Different planes of existence are well known,¡± Rezira says. ¡°But they¡¯re pretty much just arcana sources. They¡¯re not worlds¡ªthey¡¯re not full of people, and you certainly can¡¯t live there. There¡¯s stories of the Old People world-walking, bringing technologies and cultures and languages back from other places¡ªbut those are just stories. Any truth to them crumbled away with the Ruins thousands of years ago.¡±

    ¡°But of course we believe you,¡± Noli adds. ¡°I don¡¯t know why you would make such a thing up. And it explains quite a few things, like why you can¡¯t write in the common script.¡±

    ¡°Or why you don¡¯t recognize any cities or countries,¡± Rezira says.

    ¡°Not to mention, how you were able to understand my signs when I was just a little toy,¡± Noli agrees with a chuckle. ¡°Rezira could barely even understand me like that. But you said that¡¯s because you have a¡­ what was it¡­ an echo in your head, translating these things for you?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± I sign. ¡°She tells me information about the world. Magic. Levels. Experience. You don¡¯t hear her, too?¡±

    Rezira shakes her head. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of anything like that.¡±

    Well that confirms what I¡¯ve suspected from the start. If it was that easy, I would have been able to write in English and their Echos would have translated it for them. But the question is, why am I the only one with an Echo? Why can I see stats and numbers like all of this is some kind of video game when no one else seems to be aware of them? It has to be linked to the fact that I¡¯m not from this world. But I¡¯m stumped on the why.

    ¡°But if your world really doesn¡¯t have magic,¡± Noli asks, ¡°how are you so good at it?¡±

    Rezira nods along. ¡°That¡¯s why I thought you must have been a halfling. They¡¯ve got a natural inclination for the arcane. But really? Human?¡± She laughs. ¡°They¡¯re like the least magical people out there.¡±

    Maybe that¡¯s why no one on Earth can do magic. Or¡­ maybe they could? I mean, I¡¯d always chalked that kind of stuff up to superstition, but given what I know now¡­

    ¡°Echo,¡± I sign again. ¡°She helped me learn.¡±

    Rezira grunts. ¡°Handy.¡±

    Noli shakes her head. ¡°What does all this have to do with your body? You don¡¯t think¡­ I mean¡­ you¡¯re not planning on leaving?¡±

    My insides twist unpleasantly. ¡°My body isn¡¯t here. I want to get it back.¡±

    Noli and Rezira exchange another look. I hate it when they do that. It¡¯s like they can convey a whole conversation in just a glance, and I¡¯m the one left wondering what they¡¯ve just said behind my back.

    ¡°Like I said, traveling to other worlds is practically unheard of,¡± Rezira says. ¡°It¡¯s myth. Stories. Where would you even start?¡±

    ¡°I came through the Between,¡± I sign. ¡°I must be able to go back that way.¡±

    ¡°Maybe,¡± Noli signs, hesitant. ¡°If it is possible, I¡¯ve never heard of anyone achieving such a thing.¡±

    But Trenevalt did. He pulled Noli and I from Between. And I have access to the Between as well¡ªeven if that tiny pocket of null space is currently occupied by a murderous shadow monster that wants to control my mind and eat every soul within reach.

    Details.

    ¡°What about this?¡± I ask. I mentally reach for a jar tucked away behind the bookshelf, placed out of the way¡ªand out of sight¡ªintentionally. Most times I can forget it¡¯s there. But anytime I¡¯m within range, just like with my glass, I can feel it, like an extension of my body.

    I call my Attuned void from the jar, and the ink-like shadows swirl up onto the table and settle around me. Even just holding their form in my mind like this makes me feel slimy. They might no longer belong to the predator¡ªthey might have been crucial in saving Noli¡¯s life¡ªbut accessing them still summons too many bad memories.

    Unfortunately, it¡¯s also the only lead I¡¯ve got.

    ¡°Void is related to Between,¡± I sign. ¡°And also powering my homunculus spell.¡± I tap my glass, inside which my hollow form also seems to be full of the stuff. Ever since I trapped the predator in my inventory, the ink level in my vial hasn¡¯t decreased. ¡°If I learn where it comes from, how to use it, maybe I can find a way back.¡±

    Noli frowns, her brows pinched in concern. ¡°I don¡¯t like this. You just said you know practically nothing about magic. And now you want to play with something none of us understand? Try to reinvent space-rending magic lost millennia ago? Assuming it ever existed at all.¡± She shakes her head. ¡°Why not leave well enough alone? You¡¯re nearly done with your body.¡± She gestures to the lifeless glass shell. ¡°You could just live here in peace. Move on. Make this second chance at life whatever you wish.¡±

    Move on? Easy to say for someone who got their body back. Who can sleep and eat and smile. Who doesn¡¯t have to worry about the smallest accident shattering them to pieces. Who doesn¡¯t have to relive the memories of killing people and consuming their souls.

    Anger boils up inside me. I jab a hand at the glass shell on the table. ¡°This isn¡¯t my body! It¡¯s not me. Just temporary. A tool.¡±

    Even Rezira looks concerned now. ¡°You know that¡¯s not what she meant. But if you really died, then your real body is probably long gone by now. Noli¡¯s right¡ªyou¡¯ve got a second chance, which is more than most. This body might not be ideal, but¡ª¡±

    ¡°Ideal?¡± I interrupt, clumsily and angrily repeating her sign. That¡¯s the understatement of a century. ¡°You have no idea what it¡¯s like.¡±

    Noli smiles, small and sad. ¡°Maybe not Rezira, but I do. I might be the only one who does.¡±

    My glass falters. Of course she does. But some selfish part of myself only feels a sting of jealousy at her words. She knows what it¡¯s like¡ªbut for her, it ended a month ago.

    ¡°Then you understand why I can¡¯t stay like this,¡± I sign.

    Noli presses her mouth in an unhappy line. Instead of responding, she holds a hand out to me. My frustration deflates as I touch my glass to her finger. She doesn¡¯t have to say anything. Whatever I decide, she¡¯s here to help. She always is.

    A knock comes at the front door, and a line of runes above the entrance light up in response. Noli and Rezira glance its way as the door opens, and a friendly form steps inside.

    ¡°I think I¡¯ve found it,¡± Zyneth says, taking in the three of us as he flashes a smile. ¡°The perfect shape for the head. I got the idea in¡­¡± He trails off, belatedly registering the room¡¯s tense mood. He glances from Noli, to me, to the void I have hovering nearby. ¡°I feel as though I¡¯m interrupting something,¡± he remarks, awkwardly shutting the door behind him. ¡°Pray tell. What did I miss?¡±

 Chapter 47 - Ankles

    Rezira refills Zyneth¡¯s cup of tea as he sits back in his chair, eyebrows raised, blinking repeatedly after I finish my story. Finally, he takes a sip of the tea, then sets the mug down.

    ¡°Well all that certainly explains your financial illiteracy,¡± he says.

    Not exactly the response to ¡®I¡¯m a dead alien from another planet¡¯ I was expecting. And what does he mean, illiterate? ¡°I know how to use money.¡±

    As usual, Rezira translates for Zyneth any time Noli or I sign.

    ¡°But no concept of value,¡± Zyneth replies. ¡°I noticed when we were in Harrowood. And the last few times I¡¯ve brought back glass for your project. You never commented on the cost.¡±

    Should I have? I¡¯m suddenly playing back all the interactions we¡¯ve had around money in a new light. ¡°Was it expensive?¡±

    Rezira gives me a flat look. ¡°He paid for all the materials to fix Attiru¡¯s shop.¡±

    ¡°Yes, he¡¯s quite rich,¡± Noli adds with a laugh.

    Zyneth grimaces. ¡°I¡¯d assumed you didn¡¯t say anything because you were just being polite.¡±

    Rezira barks out a laugh. ¡°Well I wasn¡¯t terribly interested in scaring off our mysterious, yet affluent, benefactor.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± I awkwardly shuffle my glass. I don¡¯t have two pennies to my name¡ªor whatever goes for pennies in this world. I haven¡¯t really been paying attention. I¡¯d offer to pay him back, but the prospect of finding a job here seems about as unlikely as it is unattractive. ¡°Sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to¡­ use your kindness.¡±

    ¡°Take advantage,¡± Noli supplies, slowing the signs down for me. I¡¯m getting pretty fluent with the basics, but Noli still slips me some more complex words and concepts a few times a day.

    ¡°I don¡¯t particularly see the point of having money if it can¡¯t be used to help others,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°But that¡¯s enough about me. I must say, I thought I was done being surprised by you. You¡¯re really set on trying to find a way home to retrieve your body?¡±

    ¡°I am.¡±

    Noli glances away when I say this, and Rezira just frowns.

    Zyneth, however, scratches thoughtfully at his chin. ¡°Binding your soul back to your body would be tricky enough as it is without the fact that it¡¯s on another world. I suppose the best place to start looking into the issue would be at the Athenaeum of Miasmere.¡±

    Noli looks at him in surprise. ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not serious about helping him?¡± Rezira adds. ¡°I expected you to see the folly in this idea.¡±

    ¡°Kanin is his own person,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°He¡¯s fully capable of making decisions for himself. I¡¯m merely offering insight on the best path forward.¡±

    Rezira shakes her head. ¡°It¡¯s reckless.¡±

    ¡°If suggesting a trip to the library is reckless,¡± Zyneth says, ¡°then I shudder to think what alternatives you would suggest.¡±

    His support fills me with gratitude. Noli and Rezira had me starting to question myself, but it¡¯s nice to know Zyneth has my back.

    ¡°Where is it?¡± I ask. ¡°The library.¡±

    ¡°A few days¡¯ travel, by way of telepads,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°The Athenaeum boasts Valenia¡¯s largest scholastic collection, so it should be no surprise it¡¯s in the capital.¡± He pauses for a moment. ¡°Which is Miasmere,¡± he adds. ¡°Sorry, I forget you aren¡¯t familiar with geography here. Retroactively, so much of our interactions make more sense now.¡±

    That¡¯s not bad. I could draw up a circle, refresh my spell, and be ready to go by this afternoon. ¡°When can we leave? Will you come with?¡±

    ¡°Hold up, now,¡± Rezira says.

    ¡°Zyneth is likely too busy for such a venture,¡± Noli adds, looking at him. ¡°You always have so many jobs to return to.¡±

    Zyneth¡¯s mouth pulls tight for a moment, but then he waves it off. ¡°I can take time away. It shouldn¡¯t be a problem.¡± He turns to me. ¡°However, you may be getting ahead of yourself. If you want to peruse a library with any efficiency, you¡¯ll need a form more suited to the job.¡±

    We all look down at my creation. Practically complete, save the head. He¡¯s right, though. If I want to carry around books and flip through pages¡ªnot to mention draw less attention and avoid getting crushed by any misplaced tomes¡ªthis body is the answer.

    ¡°It¡¯s almost done,¡± I sign. And it¡¯s about time I tested it out.

    ¡°Are you waiting on anything?¡± Zyneth asks. ¡°You could control it now if you wanted to, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± I just wanted to finish all of it, first. It would be harder to get used to walking around on two legs again, only to change the design and throw myself off balance once more.

    Or maybe that¡¯s just what I¡¯ve been telling myself.

    ¡°You have an idea for the head?¡± I ask. He¡¯d been saying something about that when he first came in.

    ¡°Oh yes! I¡¯d nearly forgotten.¡± Zyneth grabs his pack, then roots around for something inside it. ¡°It¡¯s not glass, but the shape got me thinking. A current issue of yours is seeing out all angles at once, correct?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± I¡¯ve gotten used to it somewhat, but too much motion on different sides gets dizzying.

    ¡°Well what about having different parts of your vision you could turn on and off,¡± Zyneth suggests. He pulls a carved wooden decoration out of his bag. It¡¯s shaped like a pyramid.

    ¡°You want his head to be a paperweight?¡± Rezira asks, skeptical.

    I¡¯m also not really getting it. ¡°I can¡¯t turn parts of my vision in a piece of glass on or off. The whole piece sees, or doesn¡¯t.¡± Add in the vision from my core vial¡ªwhich I can¡¯t ever turn off¡ªand it all can get a bit overwhelming. The last time I dealt with too many sources of sight at once, it just about broke my mind.

    Zyneth shakes his head. ¡°If you created the shape from four separate pieces of glass that you then Chain together, you could activate your sight in just one side at a time. Or two if you like.¡± He flips the pyramid upside down, tapping each of the four triangle-shaped sides. ¡°Maybe just start with one in the front. Or two, if you wanted to treat each side like an eye. Might give you better depth perception¡ªhonestly, I don¡¯t really understand how your vision works.¡±

    That makes two of us.

    ¡°And then you could cover up your core,¡± he continues. ¡°Hide it beneath a cloth or something¡ªthat might help stop you from seeing things from multiple angles at once.¡±

    It¡¯s an interesting idea. And there¡¯s no reason not to give it a shot, I suppose. ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s try.¡±

    I summon the hunk of glass that¡¯s slated to be the head and activate a Sculpt.

    If I keep it as a single piece, then I¡¯ll be seeing out of all sides at once, just like I currently do with my core. To try what Zyneth is suggesting, I¡¯ll need to break it into separate pieces. I set to work on that, segmenting the glass into five different chunks. Then, I start to replicate the shape of Zyneth¡¯s inverted pyramid. One square piece, four triangles. I hold them together to make sure they all line up properly, then activate a Chain. The pieces snap together, snuggly secured in the form of a prism, yet still five distinct planes of glass.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

    That¡¯s the easy part.

    Echo, I want to activate vision on the front piece of glass, I say.

    [Affirmative,] Echo says. [Mana cost: 0. Activated.]

    Like flipping on a TV, a second vision source appears abruptly in my mind. I¡¯m looking at myself: a three-inch glass vial full of black ink. Four glass legs strapped to the sphere, with a pair of small glass hands hovering nearby. But I can also see the pane of glass that I¡¯m looking through: I¡¯m looking at myself, looking at myself, looking at myself¡­

    Ugh. I can already feel a headache coming on. I turn the pane of glass away, and my whole vision swivels with its movement. I tip to the side, dizzy, and nearly fall over before I catch myself. It¡¯s too much. I can¡¯t parse all the different things I¡¯m seeing at once.

    Turn it off, I tell Echo, wishing I had eyes I could squeeze shut.

    [Deactivating vision in Attuned glass.]

    Abruptly, the second source of sight vanishes.

    Whew. That was awful.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Noli signs, leaning forward. ¡°You almost fell!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m okay now,¡± I reply. ¡°Just too much at once. Not used to seeing twice.¡± Sensory overload.

    Noli nods with a grimace. ¡°I think I understand. I could hear when I was in that body.¡± She gestures toward the clockwork octopus toy still sitting on a bookshelf.

    ¡°What?¡± Rezira looks at her. ¡°You could?¡±

    I hadn¡¯t realized either. She¡¯d never said anything about that. How much had Noli been grinning and bearing everything for my benefit?

    Noli chews at a lip. ¡°It was uncomfortable. Confusing, at first. I started to get used to it a bit toward the end, but¡­ I couldn¡¯t really make sense of it. I didn¡¯t like it.¡±

    Rezira squeezes her shoulder. ¡°Sorry.¡±

    Noli smiles back at her, putting a hand over her wife¡¯s.

    ¡°Is it not an option, then?¡± Zyneth asks me. He looks disappointed. ¡°Blast. I thought I was onto something.¡±

    ¡°It might work,¡± I sign, considering the head. The sight through that piece of glass had actually been pretty clear, when it wasn¡¯t incredibly disorienting. At least it wasn¡¯t all warped like my current vision, as if everything I see is through a fish-eye lens. ¡°If I cover up my core, like you suggested.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t push yourself,¡± Noli signs. ¡°You¡¯ve already spent the whole day working on building your body¡ªyour construct¡ªup.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m okay,¡± I sign. Besides, I¡¯ve already waited long enough, and with the library waiting for me, I¡¯m ready to be on the move. ¡°I want to try.¡±

    ¡°Is there any way we can help?¡± Noli asks.

    I set the head back down on the table, then hoist myself up onto the body¡¯s chest. ¡°Yes. Do you have a cloth?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll get something,¡± Rezira grumbles, standing up to go rummage around in the kitchen.

    While Rezira works on that, I consider the chest area. I could create a cavity here for my core to fit into, like some kind of crystalline heart. But there¡¯s a part of me that feels claustrophobic about embedding myself in this glass form. What if I fall and get skewered by my own broken shards? What if I run out of mana and can¡¯t Sculpt my way out?

    ¡°I¡¯ll need a way to hold my core,¡± I sign. ¡°A way to keep it safe.¡±

    ¡°Hmm,¡± Noli considers, tapping her lips. ¡°Wait! I know.¡± She gets up and digs around a chest near her bed. A moment later, she returns with a necklace.

    She grins sheepishly, removing the piece of jewelry that hangs from the middle. ¡°You are shaped like a pendant with that little hook on your back. What if you wore it like a necklace? Er. Wore yourself?¡±

    ¡°The body has no neck,¡± Zyneth points out, eying the chain. ¡°How would he wear it?¡±

    Excuse me, I haven¡¯t even agreed to this idea yet.

    ¡°Good point,¡± Noli signs. She holds the necklace up to my glass construct, turning it this way and that. Then, she taps a spot on each shoulder. ¡°Could you put little hooks here? I could use that to tie them to either side.¡±

    Still not wild about this idea. But Noli seems so excited, so¡­ I guess I could give it a shot. I activate a Sculpt and start creating the hooks Noli suggested.

    ¡°Next will be to attach it to you, I suppose,¡± Noli signs. ¡°Do you mind, Kanin?¡±

    I wave her over, still focusing on my Sculpt.

    ¡°Alright then. Hold still.¡± Noli delicately latches the clasp around my hook, which suffice to say is an extremely weird sensation. ¡°There! All done. Now we just need to fix it to the body, once you¡¯re ready.¡±

    I finish the Sculpt as Rezira returns with a small drawstring bag. ¡°Would this work?¡±

    As uncomfortable as I am with the idea of getting stuffed into a bag, that¡¯s pretty much exactly what I was looking for. ¡°Yes, thank you. Noli, can you help again?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡± She holds out her hand, and I step into her palm. Noli holds the cloth sack with her other hand, looking between us with a grimace. Hah. Nothing like stuffing your friend into a cloth sack.

    Noli smiles apologetically, then gently slips me into the bag and cinches the top shut.

    My world goes dark.

    Panic wells up for a moment, all too reminded of Between and the predator. But I can still feel the rough texture of the fabric around me. And more than that, I can feel my glass. I force my nerves to calm.

    I¡¯d heard that shutting one sense off can make the other ones more attuned to your surroundings, and now I¡¯m experiencing that in a very disembodied sort of way. I can feel my glass construct on the table almost as if I¡¯m seeing it. And while I can no longer hear Noli speak¡ªwell, see, I guess¡ªit¡¯s still odd to hear the quiet shuffles of the others in the room. Rezira and Zyneth are remaining quiet¡ªI guess everyone¡¯s holding their breath to see what happens next.

    My world swivels, and then abruptly stops moving as I come to rest on a surface. From the outside, I can also feel something soft resting on my construct¡¯s chest.

    For a moment, I think of the homunculus shell in Trenevalt¡¯s cabin. That was what¡ªtwo months ago? It feels like worlds away. That small, fragile homunculus shell I had found so terrifying. The horrific idea of being bound to it. And here I am, replicating the same thing. But this one is bigger¡ªmore human looking. And I¡¯m doing it on my own terms.

    ¡°Okay,¡± Zyneth says, after a moment. ¡°The necklace is secure.¡±

    I reactivate my vision in one of the panes of the head piece, and the world lights up once more.

    It¡¯s way less disorienting this time. At least now I¡¯m not seeing double. Although actually, weirdly enough, only having vision that can see in one direction at a time feels a little restrictive now. Maybe I¡¯ve gotten more used to that omni-vision than I thought. But this way helps me feel a little more human.

    ¡°Kanin?¡± Zyneth ventures. They probably don¡¯t know if I can see yet. ¡°You alright?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± I sign with my signing glass. But wait¡ªnow I have actual hands I can do that with, don¡¯t I?

    I lift one arm. It feels like trying to control a wet noodle. The fingers flop uselessly until I focus on them, forming a fist. The glass tinkles quietly as the fingers close around each other. I try again, bobbing it to sign, ¡°Yes.¡±

    Noli lets out a relieved breath. ¡°Good! Can you sit up? Do you need help?¡±

    One thing at a time, jeeze.

    Which is about how I need to take it.

    I move a hand to either side and press them against the table, leveraging myself upright. And I¡¯m greeted with the bizarre image of a glass torso sitting up in front of me. Oops. I left the head on the table. Since I haven¡¯t Chained it to the torso yet, it¡¯s still just sitting there, watching the rest of me get situated. I summon it next, levitating the inverted pyramid to float above the neck. I can worry about Chaining it later, if I need to. Although with the current flexibility in how I can swivel and point it, maybe a Chain isn¡¯t necessary after all. I¡¯ll just have to remember to not leave it anywhere.

    I take a moment to gather myself as I look around, and find Noli, Zyneth, and Rezira staring back at me with expressions that range from awe to horror.

    Rezira is the first to break the ice. ¡°Well this is the weirdest fucking thing I¡¯ve ever seen.¡±

    Zyneth¡¯s eyes are dancing with amusement. ¡°This makes getting stabbed by the void monster entirely worth it.¡±

    ¡°How do you feel?¡± Noli asks. ¡°Be careful! Go slow.¡±

    No shit. I already feel like I¡¯m about to capsize. It¡¯s the strangest sensation. I have to concentrate on each piece of glass to get it to do what I need it to do. That¡¯s nothing new, but doing that for hundreds of connected pieces at once is a bit much. I¡¯m also levitating them, in a way, just like my signing glass, but their weight¡ªand the weight of all the pieces they¡¯re Chained to¡ªis keeping the body completely grounded. Maybe, if I was able to consciously hold every piece in my mind at once, I could make it float. For now, though, it¡¯s baby steps.

    ¡°Strange,¡± I sign, fumbling through the movements. I try to focus harder. Elbows, wrists, fingers. ¡°I feel heavy.¡±

    Rezira snorts. ¡°You managed to get even worse at signing.¡±

    Noli covers her mouth, behind which is an obvious smile. ¡°No, he¡¯s doing great! It¡¯s just a little stiff. And make sure to close your hand all the way there, otherwise that¡¯s, ah, a slightly different meaning¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah, this way means shit,¡± Rezira says. Then she helpfully repeats the sign so I can see the difference. What a bro.

    Noli slaps at her hands, dissolving the signs, and Rezira laughs.

    I bring my own hands back down to the table, curling my fingers around the lip and squeezing tightly. Slowly, I pull myself around to dangle my legs toward the floor. Toes, feet, legs, hips, knees¡­ Whoops! I catch myself just as an arm starts to go out. And arms. Don¡¯t forget to focus on arms.

    ¡°Careful!¡± Noli signs. ¡°Don¡¯t go too fast.¡±

    I¡¯ve been stuck at a crawl for two months now. Fast is a dream.

    I scoot forward a little more, trying to hold as many pieces of glass in my mind as I can. Still sitting, I press one foot against the floor. Then the other.

    ¡°Might want to give it a minute,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°Feel everything out. There¡¯s no rush.¡±

    Now I know what Neo must have felt like after escaping the Matrix. Nothing is moving quite how I expect it to¡ªevery limb threatens to keep giving out. But if I want any of this to change, if I want a shot at recovering my real body, then this is the first step on that road.

    I push myself to my feet.

    I¡¯m taller than Noli. Just as tall as Zyneth. A few inches shorter than Rezira. But I¡¯m meeting their gazes at eye level, and it feels absolutely amazing. It might not be my body, but I finally have a proper body. A humanoid body. I have two legs, two arms, a head¡ª

    The world tips. Noli¡¯s eyes go wide. Zyneth reaches out a hand. Rezira says, ¡°Oh, shit¡ª¡±

    Ankles, I realize as my legs collapse. I forgot about the ankles.

    And then I fall to the floor in a shattering heap of glass.

    [253 points of Fall Damage sustained,] Echo says.

 Chapter 48 - Not Exactly Licit

    It takes three days to fix everything. Luckily the cloth sack prevented any of the shards from spearing through my vial, but it¡¯s a terrible mess to clean up. I¡¯m still finding bits of broken glass swept between cracks in the floorboards when they pass within my range.

    It took me about a month to build the body the first time, but that was mostly due to all the time spent collecting and then Attuning enough glass to make up the body. Now that it¡¯s all Attuned already, I¡¯m only limited by how fast I can re-Sculpt everything given a pool of only 56 mana. Zyneth gives me a couple recharges, which helps. But reassembling each limb is still a meticulous process.

    ¡°Okay,¡± I finally sign, after checking the body over for the upteenth time. ¡°Ready to try again.¡±

    ¡°Maybe we should help this time,¡± Noli suggests. ¡°All that glass seems rather heavy, but Rezira could hold you upright.¡±

    Rezira and I look at each other.

    ¡°If she wants¡­¡±

    ¡°I guess if he needs it¡­¡±

    ¡°Or perhaps I could take an arm,¡± Zyneth suggests. ¡°And maybe Noli if you wanted to help with his other side. You could lean on us until you feel comfortable letting go.¡±

    A much better idea. And two less limbs to have to think about. ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s try that way.¡±

    Once more, I have Noli obscure my vial with the pouch so I can turn on the head¡¯s sense of sight. It¡¯s slightly less disorienting this time, now that I know what to expect, and I once more allow myself to be strung up like the necklace I apparently am.

    Okay. Round two.

    I cautiously sit up as before, swinging my legs over the side of the table. Zyneth and Noli stand to either side, and I awkwardly put an arm around each of their shoulders. They pull upward and I try to take some of the weight off of them, levitating the glass in each arm, but my attention quickly switches to my legs as I begin to put weight on my feet. This time, don¡¯t neglect the joints.

    ¡°Easy,¡± Zyneth murmurs, as I stand from the table.

    Whew, he¡¯s awfully close, isn¡¯t he? I mean, it¡¯s not like I didn¡¯t ride around on his shoulder for several days like a little glass parrot, but being in this more human body, holding onto him with more human limbs, it feels more intimate. An embarrassed warmth rises within me, which I pray isn¡¯t actually a warmth anyone else can feel.

    As I pause there, just trying to stand in one place, Noli grunts.

    I shake myself out of the intrusive thoughts. ¡°Sorry,¡± I say with my signing glass, given my hands are a bit preoccupied.

    Even trying to levitate as much of my glass as possible to offload the weight, I¡¯m pressing down on Zyneth and Noli, and glass is damn heavy. Still leaning on them (as little as I can manage), I take my first shaky step. The foot drags heavily across the floor. I set it down. Shift my weight. Now for the other one.

    With Zyneth and Noli¡¯s help, I make a slow lap around the room. So much for hitting the ground running. I must look like some kind of hospital patient trying to build up their muscles again.

    After about ten minutes of shuffling around the cottage, I can feel Noli starting to tremble. Someone who¡¯s actually building up her muscles again after her body had been in a magical coma for a month.

    ¡°That¡¯s enough,¡± I sign, gesturing back to the table. ¡°I¡¯m ready for a break.¡±

    Well, Noli is, but I¡¯d rather not call attention to it. The two help set me back down on the table, then step back with wide grins. They look happier about this than I do.

    ¡°Great job!¡± Noli wipes some sweat from her brow. ¡°No falls this time.¡±

    Thanks to them. I¡¯d stumbled once or twice, but they¡¯d always caught me. ¡°Still a lot to practice,¡± I sign.

    Rezira shakes her head. ¡°Stop using those dinky pieces of glass to talk. You need to practice with your body¡¯s hands, or you¡¯ll always sound like some kind of country bumpkin.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you guys live in the country?¡± I ask.

    Rezira replies with a rude gesture.

    Zyneth chuckles. ¡°I think it was good progress, at any rate. Keep it up and we might be able to head to Miasmere in another few weeks.¡±

    ¡°Weeks?¡± I can¡¯t wait that long. ¡°I have to get faster.¡±

    ¡°Not too fast,¡± Noli says. ¡°Another fall will only set you back again. Just try to take it slow.¡±

    Ugh, I hate being treated like I¡¯m, well, like I¡¯m made of glass. Okay, maybe their concern is valid. I just wish it wasn¡¯t so damn frustrating.

    ¡°The joints are difficult,¡± I muse. ¡°They don¡¯t move right.¡± If I could crack that problem, walking might be easier.

    ¡°No tendons or muscles to restrict the movement,¡± Rezira says. ¡°A little hard to simulate elastic ranges of motion when all you¡¯ve got to work with is glass.¡±

    She¡¯s right. ¡°Maybe I could add something?¡± Attach strips of leather along joints or something.

    ¡°There¡¯s no harm in trying,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°I¡¯ll keep an eye out for viable materials on my next trip into town. Which actually may be soon.¡±

    ¡°Again?¡± I ask, disappointed. He¡¯s left twice since I¡¯ve been at Noli and Rezira¡¯s place, each time gone for over a week.

    ¡°Sorry.¡± He grimaces. ¡°Another job came up. This one might take longer than the last¡ªa few weeks, perhaps. But when I get back, we could experiment with the pseudo-tendon material, as Rezira suggested.¡±

    Once again, no explanation of where he¡¯s going, or what the job entails. I¡¯d consider it sketchy as fuck if I haven¡¯t been getting to know the guy. He doesn¡¯t seem like a bad person. So why all the cloak and dagger?

    ¡°When do you leave?¡± I ask.

    ¡°Perhaps tomorrow, or the next day,¡± he says. ¡°I¡¯ve already spent five days here. Time to check back in.¡±

    ¡°Where?¡± I ask.

    Zyneth cocks an eyebrow. ¡°You¡¯ve a lot of questions, all of a sudden.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m curious what you do,¡± I sign. ¡°How you make so much money.¡±

    Noli laughs nervously. ¡°Kanin, that¡¯s rude. His employment is none of our business if he doesn¡¯t want to share.¡±

    Rezira tips her head. ¡°No, go on. I¡¯m rather curious myself.¡±

    Zyneth glances between us, clearly uncomfortable with the sudden confrontation. I almost feel a little bad at putting him on the spot¡ªbut my nosiness wins out.

    ¡°The less you all are involved, the better,¡± Zyneth finally relents. ¡°It¡¯s not exactly licit work.¡±

    Noli¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°You mean it¡¯s something illegal?¡±If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    ¡°A little late to try to keep from involving us, don¡¯t you think?¡± Rezira adds. ¡°You already spend all your time between jobs at our house.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°You¡¯re right. I should never have done that. If you¡¯d like for me to leave now¡ª¡±

    ¡°No!¡± Noli cries. ¡°Absolutely not. No one is getting kicked out. Right, Rezira?¡±

    The orc blows air out her nose. ¡°I mean, I don¡¯t know. Maybe we should hear a few more details about this illicit job before making any decisions. No offense, Zyneth.¡±

    ¡°That is completely fair,¡± he replies, shoulders uncharacteristically hunched. Compared to the typical nonchalant and confident Zyneth I¡¯m used to seeing, this version looks like a scolded schoolboy.

    Whoops. I opened a bit of a can of worms here, didn¡¯t I?

    Zyneth is still hesitating, but Noli waves a dismissive hand before he can answer.

    ¡°Whatever you need to say,¡± she signs, ¡°you can chew on it until tomorrow. You¡¯re staying the night regardless. Perhaps if it is something worth addressing, we can discuss how this might affect future visits then. But you¡¯re here now, and that isn¡¯t changing.¡±

    Zyneth nods, fidgeting with the cuff of a sleeve, but he doesn¡¯t appear mollified. ¡°I appreciate the hospitality. I¡¯ve some thinking to do on the matter myself. Rezira raises fair points about my presence here involving the rest of you. It might be best if I limit future visits, in frequency and duration.¡±

    ¡°But the trip to Miasmere,¡± I object. ¡°My research at the library.¡± And currently my only lead on discovering how I might get my body back.

    ¡°As I said, I will return,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°And you need time to get used to operating that new body, anyway.¡±

    But that¡¯ll be weeks! Biding my time is the last thing I need. I¡¯m sick to death of moving slow.

    Zyneth shakes his head before I can object. ¡°As Noli said, we can continue this discussion tomorrow¡ªwhen we¡¯ve all had time to think through our priorities.¡±

    I, for one, don¡¯t need to think too hard about mine.

    ¡°Well,¡± Rezira finally sighs as an uncomfortable silence threatens to settle over the room. ¡°I suppose I should get things ready for dinner.¡±

    ¡°Have we got any of that rabbit left?¡± Noli asks, seemingly eager to disperse the cloud that¡¯s still hanging in the air. She heads over to the wall, where her bow and arrows are mounted. ¡°I¡¯ve been meaning to go out hunting again.¡±

    Rezira waves her on. ¡°I¡¯ll never say no to fresh meat. We¡¯re also low on mugroot while you¡¯re at it.¡±

    ¡°Great.¡± Noli slings her quiver and bow over opposite shoulders. ¡°Be back in a few hours. And please, Kanin, go easy on this body, won¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°No promises,¡± I joke.

    She smiles, briefly, with worry in her eyes, then heads out.

    ¡°Actually,¡± I sign, after she¡¯s gone, ¡°I need help outside, too. I want to renew my spell.¡±

    Rezira¡¯s eyes brighten. ¡°Does this mean I get my dining room table back?¡± They¡¯d been sitting out front eating their meals on a pair of hand-made rocking chairs ever since I¡¯d commandeered the table for building my glass body. ¡°Gods¡¯ grace, I can¡¯t wait to use my table again.¡±

    ¡°Maybe,¡± I sign. ¡°I was feeling generous, but with all this attitude¡­¡±

    ¡°Careful,¡± Rezira says. ¡°Keep tempting fate and I¡¯ll just shove you off the table.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯ll be another three days to rebuild. Doesn¡¯t sound productive.¡±

    Rezira snorts, holding out an arm. ¡°You want help, or what?¡±

    With her and Zyneth¡¯s shoulders to lean on, we make our way outside. I call the Attuned void to follow after¡ªa crucial element to working my spell circles. We slowly head around to the back of the cottage, and I marvel at the sensation of soil and grass underfoot. It¡¯s so different experiencing the world through this body as opposed to a teacup-sized orb of glass. I¡¯d nearly forgotten what walking feels like. The simple pleasure of soft ground under your feet.

    ¡°Here?¡± Rezira asks. There¡¯s a clearing where the grass has been dug away to reveal a patch of dusty earth. I can still see the impressions of the last circle I¡¯d drawn a few days ago, though the features are weathered from yesterday¡¯s afternoon rain. Why Rezira had to ask for clarification is obvious, however.

    The circle is barely three feet across, sized for a vessel the size of a pint, not a person. I¡¯ll need to redraw it if I don¡¯t want to deal with the hassle of unclasping my core from the necklace and then putting it back on again.

    ¡°Here is fine,¡± I sign, and they lower me to my knees in front of the circle.

    ¡°Anything else?¡± Rezira asks.

    I just focus on staying upright. ¡°No. I¡¯ve got this. Thank you.¡±

    ¡°Let me know when you want to come back in,¡± Rezira says, then waves as she heads off.

    ¡°Anything I could help with?¡± Zyneth asks, lingering nearby.

    ¡°No,¡± I sign. Without Rezira to translate for him, I try to keep my words simple. Zyneth¡¯s picked up some sign language as well, but without Noli to sit down and practice with him every day, like she does with me, his vocab is a lot more basic. Then again, I¡¯m only two months into learning the language myself¡ªthough I¡¯m pretty damn proud of how far I¡¯ve come in that time, if I¡¯m being honest.

    ¡°Thanks for your help,¡± I sign, sending my extra glass to scrub out the circle. I¡¯ll need it at least twice the size. Echo, bring up a diagram of the Core Bond spell circle, I tell her.

    [Affirmative.]

    I¡¯ve recreated it enough times now that I¡¯m starting to memorize the pattern, but I¡¯m still too nervous to try the spell without a reference. I don¡¯t want to risk missing anything¡ªI don¡¯t want to risk messing a spell up, like Trenevalt did.

    Zyneth sits down next to me, legs tucked up toward his chest and arms draped over his knees. ¡°Mind if I watch? I¡¯ve some time to kill.¡±

    It¡¯s strange. Part of me feels a little hurt by him¡ªthat he¡¯s still keeping things from me. That he¡¯s leaving again so soon. But, paradoxically, I¡¯m glad he¡¯s here, and his presence at my side fills me with comfort.

    ¡°Of course.¡± I finish flattening out the dirt, then begin to sketch out the outermost circle. ¡°Could you lend your magic?¡±

    Zyneth squints at the signs. ¡°You want to know if I could boost your spell?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± If he doesn¡¯t mind. Given my low mana reserves, I can only go about one day before a refresh. Not a problem, as my passive mana generation is up to 1 point every five minutes now, so I can save up enough mana for a daily spell renewal in a few hours. But it¡¯s definitely anxiety inducing to just be one missed-spell away from an untimely death. Not to mention, the mana cost keeps me from working on my glass body. With Zyneth to help, his entire mana pool boosts the spell¡¯s duration to about ten times what I can manage.

    ¡°I can lend some,¡± he says. ¡°Not all, unfortunately. It would be wise for me to not drain myself today when I plan on leaving tomorrow. Never know when you might need a spell or two.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s fair.¡± I work on the second major circle next, prescribed just inside the first.

    ¡°Sorry,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°Didn¡¯t catch that one.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± I sign instead.

    Zyneth is quiet as I continue adding components to the circle. The ten-pointed star. The correct cross hatches and semicircles.

    ¡°Is it terribly different?¡± he asks. ¡°The world you come from.¡±

    I finish my first pass at the circle, and consult the diagram Echo¡¯s manifested in my vision. ¡°Yes.¡± Where to even start?

    ¡°Were you a wizard there?¡±

    I sign laughter. ¡°No. No magic.¡±

    ¡°You couldn¡¯t do magic?¡±

    ¡°There isn¡¯t any.¡±

    Zyneth rocks back, eyebrows raised. ¡°No magic in the whole world? I¡­ I can¡¯t even imagine. How strange.¡±

    ¡°Not as strange as here,¡± I counter.

    But Zyneth shakes his head; he doesn¡¯t know those signs. ¡°Do you miss it?¡± he asks.

    I hesitate. I mean¡­ of course I miss home. That should go without saying. There¡¯s my career, and everyone I¡¯ve ever known, and¡­ well, my body, obviously. Yet I still pause before signing, ¡°Yes.¡±

    Somewhat bothered by the question, and still not entirely sure why, I turn my focus back on the circle. Double and triple checks aren¡¯t turning up any mistakes. I send my Attuned void to overlay the circle, the shadows pouring into the diagram like ink.

    ¡°Help up?¡± I ask, gesturing to the circle.

    Zyneth stands, taking my hands, then braces himself with a grunt as I pull myself to my feet. I sway, and he catches me. I stand there for a moment, leaning on him.

    ¡°Ready?¡± he asks after a moment.

    No time to think about him. I focus on the feet. The ankles. The legs and knees. Gradually, I push off of Zyneth, holding myself upright but not letting go. Okay. I think I got this. ¡°Yes.¡±

    He steps forward, gingerly picking his way across the circle, as nimble as a dancer. I¡¯m just doing my best to not screw up the lines. At the center, he hesitates.

    ¡°Should I step out?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Probably. I mean, who the hell knows what would happen if an already living person was in the middle of this spell¡ªI¡¯m certainly not willing to find out.

    ¡°Alright. I¡¯m going to let go.¡±

    Ankles, don¡¯t forget the ankles. Slowly, Zyneth releases my hand, and I¡¯m left standing on my own. The ground seems so far away from up here.

    Zyneth backs out of the circle, but remains just outside the outer ring. He holds up both hands, a yellow glow forming in each palm. ¡°Ready when you are.¡±

    Activate Core Bond Renewal, I tell Echo. And my circle jumps to life.

    In contrast to Zyneth¡¯s yellow, my magic illuminates the circle, managing to glow in some surreal hue of black that nearly hurts to look at. A familiar warmth floods through in my soul. I bring up a display of the spell¡¯s mana as I feel my own pool depleting:

    [Core Bond: 78 mana]

    Zyneth¡¯s magic joins the spell as well.

    [Core Bond: 89 mana]

    I let it continue until Zyneth lowers his hands, cutting off his magic supply; it¡¯s only a few seconds after that the rest of my mana is depleted as well.

    [Mana: 0/56. Core Bond: 543]

    [Mana depleted. Spell complete.]

    The light fades, and I¡¯m still standing. That¡¯s over a minute without anyone supporting me.

    ¡°Well done,¡± Zyneth says, stepping back into the circle to offer an arm. ¡°You¡¯re already far more steady on your feet.¡±

    Which might be an accomplishment if I only intended to be walking three weeks from now. But that¡¯s not good enough¡ªnot if I want to leave with Zyneth tomorrow.

    Ambitious? Maybe. But I have a plan.

    I call the void up to my hand as we pick our way back out of the circle. I picture the ink layering over my fingers, and the shadows oblige, forming an onyx glove over my glass. The image is all too familiar, and summons memories I spent the last month and a half trying to box away. I suppress a shudder, but close my hand into a fist, feeling out the sensation. I don¡¯t love it, but just like this glass body, it''s a means to an end.

    Time to get to work.

 Chapter 49 - Shadow and Glass (Reprise)

    I insist on staying outside that night. Sitting around and watching them all eat delicious food¡ªwhich probably smells and tastes fantastic¡ªwhen I can¡¯t do any of that just rubs salt in the wound. I¡¯d rather be out here with my own thoughts. Not to mention, magic.

    Rezira was on the right track when she suggested adding something elastic to my glass limbs to simulate tendons. I¡¯m not convinced leather is the answer, though. I won¡¯t be able to sense them until they¡¯re pulled all the way taut, and that sounds like a recipe for accidental limb breakage. No, I need to have more precise control than that.

    I¡¯ll start with the hands first. Thanks to practicing signs, I¡¯ve gotten best at simulating finger movements anyway.

    Splaying my hand before me, I summon a mental picture of what I want. False tendons bracing the back of each joint. Restricting the motion to just what a normal, human hand could do.

    The void reacts immediately, splitting into dozens of tiny pieces to secure itself to each digit. It only uses a portion of the whole Attuned void volume, which is great considering I¡¯m going to need a shit-ton more for all my other joints. But even then, I don¡¯t think it will be enough.

    Once the void is settled, I flex my fingers. The void is helping to guide my motions, just as I intended. Of course it is¡ªit can only do what I intend. But even after using it a dozen different times to renew my Core Bond spell, a part of me still regards it with deep suspicion, as if it will develop a mind of its own at any moment.

    For now, however, it¡¯s working. I compare it to the hand that I didn¡¯t add void to: even its basic movements look more artificial. Puppeted. I must be doing something right.

    Holding it up against the starry sky, the shadows sink into the joints, vanishing beneath the moonlight. Shadow and glass. Maybe it would be pretty if it weren¡¯t so alien¡ªif it didn¡¯t fill me with such a deep instinct of wrongness.

    Lowering my hand, I recall the void and have it rejoin the baseball sized blob of ink-like magic floating beside me. Now for the real test.

    I start with my ankles and knees: those are the most crucial points, I think. Shadows peel away from the main volume, wicking toward each joint as I picture the forms they should take. Hips next. Back. Feet, probably, something along the bottom¡­

    I suddenly wish I had an anatomy book to help, but I¡¯ll have to make do as is. My limited supply of void runs out before I can add any to my arms or hands, but I don¡¯t need those to walk.

    I stretch a leg out, flexing it. The movement feels stiff, a little too restrictive, so I pause to rearrange the void until it feels¡­ well, normal isn¡¯t the right word, but at least a little more familiar.

    After a few more minutes of tweaking, it¡¯s as good as I can get it from the ground. Time to try it out.

    Bracing an arm against the side of the cottage, I slowly pull my legs beneath me. I push myself up to one knee, then pause. Tense. Don¡¯t hesitate now, this is the easy part¡ª

    In one move I push myself to my feet. And I feel¡­ stable, actually. I¡¯m hardly leaning against the cabin. Gingerly, with a tink of glass on wood, I take my hand away. No one holding me. No table to sit back against. Just me, standing on two legs, all on my own.

    Like I had before I¡¯d been sucked into this world.

    Okay, well, not just like I¡¯d been. I¡¯m a little less fleshy now I guess. Significantly less attractive. But just this much feels amazing.

    Choosing to heed Noli¡¯s advice about not taking things too fast (sometimes she might be onto something) I start by bending my knees. The movement feels pretty good, so I pick up one foot, then the other. My balance is actually fantastic. Too fantastic. I wasn¡¯t this good with just the glass. It has to be the void, trying to fulfill my intent. Not just the order to act as tendons, but each subconscious order as well, like ¡°stay balanced, keep me on my feet.¡± A sort of auto-stabilizer. Begrudgingly, I have to admit that¡¯s pretty useful. I still don¡¯t completely trust it. But I guess even if a hint of the predator lives on in the void, it would still have some incentive to keep me alive. Afterall, without me, it loses its only means to enter the physical realm.

    What a comforting thought.

    Shaking off memories of the predator, I return my focus to walking. And even before I take the first step, this time I know: I¡¯ve got this.

    The grass brushes across the arch of my foot as I take a step. The ground is cool and soft against the humid, warm night¡ªthe kind of rejuvenating cold that makes you want to rebel against the summer heat. The kind of crispness that makes you want to run. I take another step.

    Giddiness tickles through me. It¡¯s almost effortless. I¡¯m not just walking, I¡¯m strolling. I push myself a little faster. There¡¯s no fear. No uncertainty. I can do this. I can walk! I break into a jog, then a run. Wind is blowing through my glass. I want to laugh. It¡¯s incredible. I feel so free! Finally, finally¡ª

    My foot catches on a branch. Panic lurches through me as I crash forward, and I only have a moment to throw my arms out in front of me, desperate to protect my core. The void leaps to my hands, cushioning the fall¡ª

    Then I hit, my right knee striking first, closely followed by both hands. I feel and hear something crack as I skid forward. Several somethings.

    [41 points of Fall Damage sustained.]

    Pain spikes up my right leg and arm. I fall onto my side, and wince with the sting of another crack.

    [7 points of Fall Damage sustained.]

    My right leg is on the ground two feet away. A chip of glass is next to my hip. A crack has spiraled up my left arm, but it¡¯s still intact.

    Shit.

    ¡°Well that¡¯s significantly less damage than before,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°I thought I was about to go fetch a broom.¡±

    I whip my head in his direction. He¡¯s reclining casually against the back of the cottage, watching.

    ¡°How long?¡± I ask, then quickly stop signing as I can feel the cracks spreading through my broken arm like dozens of tiny hot needles. I activate a Sculpt and begin to repair it.

    ¡°Just in time for the show,¡± he says. ¡°You improved remarkably fast. I suppose that¡¯s related to you not shattering into a thousand pieces?¡±

    I glance at the void, sitting idly nearby. I hadn¡¯t even consciously told it to break my fall. And it hadn¡¯t, entirely, but I guess a pint of malleable shadows can only do so much.

    I finish repairing my arm, then levitate my leg over and line it up with the stump beneath my hip. It¡¯s strange to look at. Such a seemingly dire injury should hurt more than this. And don¡¯t get me wrong, it does hurt, but the pain is no different from the cracks I¡¯d had in my arm, or the small chip of glass missing at my hip. Like the size of the injury is irrelevant.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    ¡°You going to help?¡± I ask him as I start Sculpting my leg back in place.

    ¡°Seems like you¡¯ve got it handled.¡± But he pushes off the cottage to stroll my way. I¡¯m done with my leg and working on the hip when Zyneth stops nearby, crouching down beside me. He watches in silence as I finish fixing myself up. I Check my health just to make sure I didn¡¯t miss anything.

    [HP: 8/10]

    [Bonus HP: 312/312]

    Good. The last couple bits of HP should heal up naturally in the next few minutes, and it looks like I didn¡¯t miss any chipped pieces, either. I glance at Zyneth and find him staring back.

    He sighs. ¡°Kanin. What are you doing?¡±

    ¡°Fixing my body.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± he says. ¡°That¡¯s not what I mean.¡±

    I call the void over and begin painstakingly reforming the tendons I¡¯d lost when it cushioned my fall. ¡°Learning how to walk?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not what I mean either,¡± Zyneth says.

    I start with the feet, working up. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what¡ª¡±

    ¡°This,¡± Zyneth says, gesturing to the void. ¡°What are you doing? You wouldn¡¯t even let the stuff touch you a week ago. Now you¡¯re incorporating it into your body?¡±

    ¡°Temporary body,¡± I stress with a tinge of defensiveness. ¡°It¡¯s just to help strengthen the joints.¡± Just a means to an end.

    He shakes his head. ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t get most of that.¡±

    ¡°It helps me walk,¡± I sign, slowing down the movements. This must be what Noli felt like trying to teach me signs when we first met. Okay, she probably still does.

    ¡°But why?¡± he asks. ¡°You don¡¯t need to push yourself like this¡ªcompromise your values just to get a little faster.¡±

    I stiffen. I¡¯m not compromising shit. I¡¯m trying to get over my fears, not let them hold me back. There¡¯s nothing wrong with that.

    ¡°I need to move faster,¡± I sign instead. ¡°You¡¯re leaving tomorrow. I¡¯m coming with.¡±

    Zyneth blinks. ¡°Tomorrow? You won¡¯t be ready by then.¡±

    I finish layering all the void back among my joints. Placing a hand on my knee, I push myself to my feet. ¡°I am.¡±

    Zyneth frowns with worry, standing as well. ¡°Maybe you can expedite learning to walk. I watched you run across this clearing before falling on your face.¡±

    ¡°Hey¡ª¡±

    He holds up a hand. ¡°You¡¯re a quick learner and you¡¯re creative, I¡¯ll give you that. You keep coming up with solutions to things I never would have even considered. But once you come up with a plan, you rush into it. You don¡¯t plan two steps ahead of where you set your feet down. Physically, maybe you¡¯re ready to walk out of here tomorrow. But mentally, I worry you¡¯re not ready for the road ahead.¡±

    Pardon me while I roll my nonexistent eyes. ¡°Before, you said I¡¯m free to make my own choices. Even if they are bad.¡± Which this isn¡¯t, obviously.

    ¡°You are,¡± he says, though with clear reluctance in his tone. ¡°But this is different.¡±

    ¡°How?¡± I demand.

    Zyneth glances away. ¡°Well. For one, I hadn¡¯t planned on you accompanying me just yet. I have¡­ business which I had intended to resolve alone.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± So that¡¯s what this was about. He¡¯s not worried about me being able to accompany him¡ªhe just doesn¡¯t want me there at all. ¡°Is it dangerous?¡±

    He tips his head. ¡°Not physically.¡±

    ¡°Then why can¡¯t I come?¡±

    Zyneth taps at his lip in thought, still avoiding looking at me. Then again, I guess there¡¯s really no eye contact for him to make. Staring at a floating glass pyramid probably isn¡¯t the same.

    ¡°Come,¡± Zyneth finally says, holding out a hand. ¡°Walk with me. I¡¯ll tell you what I can, and then you can decide if you want to follow.¡±

    I don¡¯t take his hand, but I do follow.

    We step through the moonlit glade, Zyneth¡¯s gaze turned contemplatively to the stars¡ªGod, he¡¯s so dramatic¡ªwhile I carefully watch my feet.

    ¡°The short of it is that I have become involved with a dangerous network of people who do not have others¡¯ best interests at heart,¡± Zyneth says, absently fiddling with the sheath of one of his knives. ¡°They largely deal with selling artifacts retrieved from the Ruins on the black-market. It¡¯s an extremely lucrative business. The more items that are sold, however, the more the revenue stream threatens to dry up. To keep the supply flowing, they needed someone of a particular set of skills to risk venturing into such dangerous lands to retrieve these objects. In my naivete, seeking adventure, I originally entered their ranks of my own volition.¡± With a grimace, he looks back at me. ¡°I have since had regrets, and have done my best to disentangle myself from their endeavors.¡±

    ¡°How did you get out?¡± I ask.

    Zyneth laughs, but there¡¯s no mirth in his tone. ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡±

    He rolls up a sleeve of his shirt, and I¡¯m just now realizing I¡¯ve never seen him in short sleeves or a vest¡ªand that¡¯s because of what¡¯s etched over his skin.

    There¡¯s three spiraling marks tattooed into his arm, each a different style of a gold snake appearing to eat its own tail. The first tattoo is whole, while the second tattoo only has an outline of a snake, as if the drawing has yet to be filled in. The third tattoo is partially complete, the head and half of the body filled with the gold coloring: it¡¯s also glowing with a subtle light.

    ¡°Spent too many years digging myself into this trench,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°Turns out it¡¯s twice as hard to climb back out.¡±

    I reach out to touch one, then hesitate. ¡°What are they?¡±

    ¡°Debt,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°Not of the monetary variety. They won¡¯t eat themselves away until I¡¯ve paid back the original balance two fold. The enchantments start burning when they have new jobs for me, and they don¡¯t go out until I accept one. Sometimes it¡¯s days between jobs¡ªsometimes months¡ªsometimes, I¡¯ll have two lit up at once. Those are the best scenarios. When more than one granter has use of me, sometimes they can be pitted against each other. I cleared two more debts that way.¡±

    Why do I feel like cleared isn¡¯t just a benign metaphor for cash exchange? And how exactly is he paying off these debts?

    A particular set of skills, he¡¯d said. An image of Zyneth fighting off the nightbanes flashes through my mind, throwing daggers into skulls and electrocuting his assailants.

    A chill goes through me. ¡°Zyneth¡­ have you hurt anyone?¡±

    Zyneth¡¯s gaze trails up from my hands to my face, looking straight at me for the first time since this conversation began. His expression is blank. ¡°Yes.¡±

    A shiver goes through me. ¡°Have you killed¡­?¡±

    With that same dead expression, he says, ¡°Do you really want to know the answer?¡±

    For a moment my mind stutters to a halt¡ªand that¡¯s all the break in concentration it takes for me to miss a step. My knee buckles even as I realize my mistake. I try to stop my fall, mentally reclaiming my grip on the glass, but I¡¯m already overbalanced, tipping forward¡ª

    Zyneth pivots and catches me across my chest, his shoulder jamming into my shoulder while he grabs the one opposite. I stumble another foot forward as Zyneth braces, and we come to a halt.

    ¡°Good,¡± I sign, waving him off. ¡°I¡¯m good.¡±

    Carefully, he lets go. I roll the shoulder he¡¯d slammed into, but it doesn¡¯t appear broken. That was smart. If he¡¯d just grabbed an arm it probably would have snapped off.

    But I guess he knows his way around the weak points in bodies, doesn¡¯t he?

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t come,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°I suspect your opinion of me would change.¡±

    That¡¯s probably true. I¡¯m still trying to wrap my head around the fact that he¡¯s killed someone¡ªmaybe multiple someones.

    Then again, so have I.

    I shove the burgeoning nausea aside.

    ¡°Were you protecting yourself?¡± I ask.

    Zyneth rolls his sleeve back down, hiding the tattoos away. ¡°In most cases. If you ask, I will tell you the details.¡±

    I¡¯m not sure I want the details. ¡°Why?¡±

    The facade finally cracks. Zyneth looks away, pain scrunching his features. ¡°Because I¡¯m trying not to be that person anymore. The whole reason I¡¯m now paying back debts instead of garnering more is to get out of that world. I want to be better¡ªhonest. To tip the scales back by helping people instead of hurting.¡±

    I tilt my head. ¡°Like me?¡± Am I just a weight on his scale of morality? Is that why he¡¯s stuck around this long? Why he even decided to help in the first place?

    ¡°No,¡± Zyneth says quickly. ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant.¡±

    It sure seems like it. Zyneth must realize this too, because he sighs. ¡°It might have started that way. But at some point I realized it doesn¡¯t really count if I treat it as a transaction. A wrong and a right don¡¯t cancel each other out. I need to mean it. To want to help for the sake of helping. Noli¡ªshe¡¯s a good person. I see how she interacts with everyone, and it makes me want to be better. Which is why I said I¡¯m trying¡ªI¡¯m not there yet. But I¡¯m trying.¡±

    His words sting. Noli¡¯s actions have given me similar thoughts. I know I probably will never be as selfless as she is, but she gives me a North Star, at least. And just being around her makes me want to be better. How can I fault Zyneth for feeling the same?

    ¡°I¡¯m coming with you,¡± I sign. His background is¡­ surprising, but it still doesn¡¯t change what I need to do.

    His eyebrows pinch, skeptical. ¡°Even given what you¡¯ve learned? I can attempt to keep my work separate, but there is still a good chance that if you travel with me, you will get caught in the web as well. It will be dangerous.¡±

    Can¡¯t be more dangerous than towing a murder void around with you everywhere. ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter,¡± I sign. ¡°I still need to learn a way to get my body back.¡± Then I add, ¡°If you want to help people, you can start with me.¡±

    Zyneth¡¯s mouth quirks with the hint of a smile. ¡°A bit self-serving, don¡¯t you think?¡±

    I never claimed I wasn¡¯t selfish. ¡°Sounds familiar.¡±

    That gets a quiet laugh out of him. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll agree to this. Tomorrow we¡¯ll leave for Miasmere.¡±

    Warmth fills my chest, relief and hope trickling out from behind the anxiety that he¡¯d say no. Finally. Finally I¡¯m making progress.

    ¡°But first,¡± Zyneth says, amusement returning to his eyes as his gaze dances over my body. ¡°We need to find you some pants.¡±

 Chapter 50 - Not Exactly Pants

    It turns out a glass body is not particularly designed for people clothes. Noli lends me a pair of her slacks first, but since my body is held together with a series of Chain spells instead of muscles and ball-and-socket joints, there isn¡¯t really a waist to cinch the belt around. Zyneth also offers me a shirt, but it hangs loose about my thin glass limbs, making me look like some kind of emaciated crane¡ªand that¡¯s when it¡¯s not trying to slide right off my body. Turns out lack of friction¡ªor a neck¡ªdoesn¡¯t help.

    Eventually, Rezira gives a grumbling sigh at all our attempts. ¡°You all aren''t going about this right. We need to be working with the body he has, not the body he should have." Gee, thanks for the reminder. "Here, let me try.¡± She produces a moth-eaten cloak from the back of their wardrobe and gives it a good shake¡ªsending all lung-owning parties in the room into a coughing fit. Heh. Suckers.

    Rezira pats off the dust. ¡°It''s a little old.¡± A little?! ¡°But it should do for now.¡±

    She drapes the cloak around me, hooking the ends around the knobs of glass I''d formed on my shoulders for the necklace chain to fix to. She uses a pin and a bit of twine to tie the cloth in place.

    ¡°Alright. See if that stays,¡± she says.

    I carefully lift my arms. The cloth pulls a little at my shoulders, but at least it¡¯s not sliding off. I feel a little more clothed now, even though it''s really only covering my arms and back. I mean, I¡¯m not really naked, considering there¡¯s nothing to cover up. But damn, it¡¯s sure good to feel like an actual member of society again.

    I pivot in a circle, flapping the cloak dramatically around me just to see how it holds¡ªand, okay, maybe because I like the flair. ¡°What do you think?¡±

    Noli claps her hands. ¡°It¡¯s perfect!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not exactly pants,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°But it¡¯s a good idea.¡±

    Rezira steps back, hands on her hips. She gives me a stiff nod. ¡°It suits you.¡±

    Noli beams. ¡°Look at you! Look at how far you¡¯ve come.¡±

    ¡°Not far enough,¡± I sign, and her smile falters. The look stings me with regret.

    ¡°Sorry,¡± she signs before I have a chance to say the same. ¡°You¡¯re right. But I¡¯m proud of you anyway.¡±

    Rezira breaths a heavy sigh out her nose. ¡°So you¡¯re really heading out then?¡±

    ¡°We should be on the road in the next hour,¡± Zyneth says, glancing at the window. Mid-morning light fills the cottage with an orange warmth. ¡°I¡¯d prefer to make it to Bluevine by late afternoon, so we may find somewhere to stay in Miasmere before nightfall.¡±

    ¡°Makes sense,¡± Rezira says. ¡°You need any supplies? Here. Let me pack you something.¡±

    ¡°Oh, that won¡¯t be necessary,¡± Zyneth objects.

    Rezira engulfs his hand and a good portion of his arm in an iron grasp and pulls him away. ¡°I insist.¡±

    Noli chuckles as Zyneth is forcefully steered toward the supplies Rezira has meticulously laid out and is now beginning to explain, packing them away one by one. Noli turns back to me. Her smile doesn¡¯t reach her eyes.

    ¡°Is it selfish of me?¡± Noli signs. ¡°I¡¯m sad to see you go.¡±

    My soul aches with her words. ¡°I¡¯ll come back.¡± I don''t know how long it will take, but I''m certain I''ll see her again.

    ¡°You better,¡± she signs teasingly. Then she looks down at her hands, fidgeting. ¡°But¡­ if you do find a way home, I¡¯ll understand if you take it. I want to apologize for the other day. You were right. It¡¯s not my place to ask you to stay. What you¡¯re experiencing, how you¡¯re living right now, I can tell how hard it is on you. You deserve your real body. The one that makes you happy. And I¡¯m sure you are eager to get home.¡± She laughs sadly at that. ¡°You know, the whole time we were journeying together, I kept thinking of Rezira, and how worried she must be, and how I couldn¡¯t wait to get home to see her. But I never stopped to think about how you were probably feeling the same. I¡¯m sure there¡¯s loved ones you¡¯re eager to reunite with as well.¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡±

    There¡¯s not.

    It¡¯s like a slap to the face. What do I have? An estranged dad, a handful of ex-boyfriends, some work buddies, but¡­

    No one. There¡¯s no one waiting for me.

    The realization sits hollow in my soul.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Noli signs with a comforting smile. ¡°I understand. And I hope you find a way back to them soon.¡± She takes my hands and gives them a gentle squeeze. She lets go just as quick. ¡°Here. Even if you are coming back, I wanted to give you something to remember me by.¡± Noli turns away, fetching something from between the bookshelf and the bed. She returns with a leather satchel. There¡¯s a simple design burned into the surface: a small vial of ink.

    I sign laughter. ¡°Please tell me that¡¯s not me.¡±

    Noli grins. ¡°I wasn¡¯t finished yet. I didn¡¯t expect you to head out so soon. But I knew you¡¯d be needing this eventually, so¡­¡±

    She flips the top open, revealing my two spell books nestled inside. ¡°You¡¯ll have to carry these yourself, now.¡± She also points out where Trenevalt¡¯s beaded bracelet¡ªhalf the beads lit¡ªhangs from one of the clasps like a charm. There¡¯s a thin sleeve on the back as well, where she¡¯s stored a slate and some chalk. ¡°For speaking with Zyneth. He¡¯s getting better, but his signs aren¡¯t as good as yours, yet. I know you¡¯re still learning to write, but I thought it might come in handy.¡±The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°Thank you.¡± I¡¯m truly touched. Even if she didn¡¯t want me to go, she¡¯s been planning for it all along. I hold out my hands, and she passes me the bag.

    I stagger forward, dropping it to the floor.

    ¡°Oh! Are you alright?¡± Noli asks.

    I try to hoist the bag up, but I can¡¯t even lift it. My arms aren¡¯t strong enough.

    One trend I¡¯ve figured out through trial and error (mostly error) is that I can levitate my Attuned glass at will: However, at most, they can only carry something equal to half their own weight before it becomes too heavy and they¡¯re no longer able to float.

    The cloak isn¡¯t an issue, given the whole body¡¯s worth of glass supporting it. But it looks like the satchel exceeds my arms¡¯ limit.

    I could laugh. Two books. Two books! This is pathetic.

    Crouching down to floor level, I loop the strap over a shoulder and stand back up. This time, the force of my body, instead of just my arms, is enough to lift it. Problem solved.

    The stupidest problem solved.

    ¡°I¡¯ve got it,¡± I tell Noli, who¡¯s still fretting over me. ¡°I just have¡­ ah¡­ differences with this body I still need to learn.¡±

    ¡°Nuance?¡± she suggests.

    I copy the sign. ¡°Nuances to learn.¡± Lots and lots of ¡®em.

    ¡°I know you¡¯ll figure it out,¡± she signs. Noli¡¯s gaze traces over my body and sticks on my legs. ¡°Those shadows¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± I¡¯m surprised she can even make it out. In the daylight, the void nestled into each joint is almost indistinguishable from shadows if you didn¡¯t know any better. Of course, Noli does, and she has sharp eyes to boot. I hadn¡¯t explicitly told her and Rezira how I mastered walking overnight, but it was only a matter of time until she noticed. ¡°The null magic.¡±

    Noli¡¯s lips press together. ¡°That¡¯s what¡¯s helping you walk?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± I wearily brace myself for the scolding.

    ¡°I¡¯m glad,¡± Noli says, looking back up at me with a smile. ¡°I¡¯m glad to see you embracing it instead of shunning it. It¡¯s not evil, you understand? It¡¯s just another type of magic.¡±

    ¡°You said that before.¡± Back when I had to use it to save her. And maybe¡­ maybe now I¡¯m in more of a mindset to hear it. I¡¯m not sure I¡¯m completely trusting yet, but it does just seem to be inert magic. Granted, magic the predator had been wielding. But now it answers to me, and if I¡¯m stuck with this black goo, I might as well make use of it.

    ¡°And you¡¯re right,¡± I sign. ¡°You usually are.¡±

    She chuckles. ¡°All this old age makes me wise.¡±

    Wait. How old is she? She doesn¡¯t look a day over twenty, but I guess she is an elf. They live forever, right? I¡¯d just never really given it any thought before.

    Echo? I ask.

    [Age: 46]

    What the shit.

    Noli steps back, looking me up and down, then gives an appreciative nod. ¡°Good luck on your adventures, Kanin the wizard.¡±

    That rings even stranger than Noli¡¯s age. How has this become my life?

    ¡°Thank you,¡± I sign to Noli as Zyneth heads back over with his pack newly stocked with all of Rezira¡¯s supplies. ¡°For¡­ for everything.¡±

    Noli rubs at her eyes. ¡°If you have a chance, come back here before you go?¡±

    I nod¡ªwow. It feels great to be able to nod again. ¡°Of course.¡± After all, there¡¯s no hurry. My first priority is to figure out a way to retrieve my body. Going home is a separate, more confusing issue. Maybe they¡¯ll be one and the same, or maybe I¡¯ll find a way to be able to magic my body here.

    The thought gives me pause. Is that what I want? To live as a human here instead of back on Earth? To leave everyone I¡¯ve ever known, every place I¡¯ve ever seen, my career, behind? I don¡¯t know if I have an answer to that.

    But I don¡¯t need to, yet. I¡¯ll have plenty of time to sort through these thoughts after I find a solution to the body dilemma.

    Plenty of time.

    ¡°Well,¡± Zyneth says, pulling me out of my uncertainty. ¡°Is there anything else you need to grab before we leave?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± I sign, resting a hand against the satchel Noli made for me. Besides the beads and books, I don¡¯t really own anything. Just the glass and void that makes up my body¡ªand since I don¡¯t need to eat or sleep, there¡¯s no food or bedrolls to pack. ¡°I think I¡¯m ready.¡±

    ¡°What are those?¡± Rezira abruptly cuts in, pointing at me.

    I glance to my side. ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Those!¡± She reaches out and tugs on my signing glass, which I¡¯d been using to talk in place of the hands actually attached to my body. Unlike the pieces that are connected to my arms, each section of each finger long and round, Chained together to mimic human hands, my signing glass is dozens and dozens of smaller fragments, all clustered together to make a hand shape. More like sand and pebbles than skin and bones.

    I wiggle my signing glass. ¡°Back-up hands.¡±

    Rezira snorts. ¡°You need to practice signing with the ones on your body. Two disembodied hands floating next to you is just weird.¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t weird when I was small,¡± I object.

    ¡°Yes it was,¡± Rezira says.

    I look helplessly at Noli and Zyneth.

    ¡°It was a little abnormal,¡± Noli says. ¡°But, everything about our experience was abnormal!¡±

    ¡°I found it quite bizarre when I first encountered it,¡± Zyneth says, as blunt as ever. ¡°And I must agree with Rezira, it is definitely an unusual sight even now. Your form will already draw quite a bit of attention in the city.¡±

    Slightly offended, I tuck my signing glass away in the folds of my cloak. Out of sight, but there¡¯s no way I¡¯m getting rid of them¡ªnot after everything we¡¯ve been through. ¡°There. Happy?¡±

    ¡°Ecstatic,¡± Rezira deadpans.

    ¡°Just be careful out there,¡± Noli signs. ¡°Listen to Zyneth. He¡¯s more familiar with our world than you.¡±

    What am I, a child?

    ¡°And you take care of him,¡± Noli adds, this time to Zyneth. ¡°I¡¯d tell you to make sure he doesn¡¯t break, but he does that a lot, so just make sure he can still be put back together again.¡±

    ¡°I will do my best to prevent dire breakages,¡± Zyneth says with a chuckle.

    ¡°Oh!¡± Noli throws her arms around me, pulling me into a hug. She still feels so frail, even weeks after her recovery. But the hug is gentle and warm, and fills me with unexpected emotions I can¡¯t quite identify. If I had human anatomy, I think I¡¯d be getting choked up. How long has it been since anyone¡¯s hugged me? It was at least before I left Earth. Long, long before.

    She pulls back. ¡°I¡¯m bad at goodbyes. Stay safe out there. Don¡¯t doubt yourself. You¡¯re stronger than you think.¡±

    I decide not to point out how this seems to be in direct conflict with her previous fretting. ¡°We¡¯ll be fine. You take care, too.¡±

    Rezira wraps an arm around Noli as they follow us to the door. The sun is filtering through the trees, bright and cheerful as we step away from the cabin, the women hanging back in the doorframe. For once I regret not having my omni-vision, wishing I could watch them even as I focus carefully on maneuvering the path before me. When we reach the end of the glade I stop to look back. Noli waves, and I return the gesture. My soul feels tight, despite it hanging loosely over my chest. A wave of uncertainty washes over me. For a moment I want nothing more than to turn back, back to these friends and this simple, comforting life. Back toward stability and familiarity.

    ¡°Kanin?¡± Zyneth asks. I look back to find him waiting for me.

    The doubt passes. I flex my hand into a fist, the glass clinking against each other. No. When I come back here, it¡¯ll be in my own body.

    I step after Zyneth, striking out into the woods, as we leave the cabin behind.

 Chapter 51 - On Sleeping Arrangements

    It feels great to be walking through a town while being, you know, person-sized. And also just walking on two legs in general. Regaining a sliver of my humanity is nice. It¡¯s not totally the same, though. My bare feet clink against the road, which had been mildly annoying while walking through the forest and dirt roads that led to Bluevine, but now that I¡¯m on cobblestone, I feel like I¡¯m walking on eggshells.

    Well. Glass.

    Trying not to think about how one wrong step might cause me to break off a foot, fall, and shatter into a thousand pieces, I focus instead on the small city we¡¯re walking through. I hadn¡¯t been paying much attention when we first passed through town, somewhat preoccupied with my and Noli¡¯s mortality, but now I have an opportunity to soak up the sights.

    The first thing I notice is a lack of humans. Plenty of dwarves, elves, and orcs around, and a scattering of other species I¡¯ve seen from time to time as well, such as the cat-like felis and grey-skinned damphyr. No scaly dracid, however, or cambions, like Zyneth. Even so, he doesn¡¯t draw many looks. In fact, people are glancing toward me more often than my companion.

    ¡°Are homunculi rare?¡± I ask Zyneth. He frowns at my signs. I heave a mental sigh and get out the slate and chalk. Noli was still working with me on their alphabet, but that¡¯s only half the battle. Since everything gets translated to English in my brain, I¡¯m not just learning to write their alphabet, but I have to learn every word in their language from scratch, too. It¡¯s been slow going. Signs have come to me way faster¡ªmaybe it¡¯s an acting thing. I don¡¯t know. Long story short, I try to avoid writing when I can.

    I awkwardly scribble out the word for ¡°homunculi¡± and manage to get the rest of my point across.

    ¡°Ah,¡± he says once I¡¯ve finished. ¡°No, they¡¯re not particularly rare¡ªalthough they¡¯re most often leased to the wealthy or owned by businesses, so it¡¯s not surprising there wouldn¡¯t be many in a town as small as this.¡±

    The words owned and leased stir a discomfort in my soul. Rationally, I know other homunculi are artificial automatons: this world¡¯s version of robots. They¡¯re not people¡ªthey¡¯re not like me. But it¡¯s hard to shake that disquiet.

    ¡°Of course,¡± Zyneth adds, ¡°that¡¯s unlikely why they¡¯re looking at you. A homunculus made of glass is nearly unheard of. For obvious practical reasons.¡±

    Yeah, you wouldn¡¯t want your delivery monkey to have its arms break off trying to pick up a heavy package.

    ¡°Just stay close to me and no one will bother you,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°They probably assume¡­¡± He trails off, probably thinking better of completing that thought.

    But I can read between the lines: everyone probably assumes I¡¯m his servant. Great.

    We make it to the town¡¯s square, where the telepad to other cities is located. For a moment I have a visceral reaction to seeing that stone pedestal; the last time I¡¯d used one I¡¯d been running for my life. Simultaneously, I¡¯d been frightened of being caught Between and forced to confront the predator. I try to push the feeling away. There¡¯s nothing to be afraid of. The predator is still trapped in my inventory, after all. Nothing is waiting for me Between. Even so, my soul aches at the memory, and I touch my core.

    Zyneth checks the schedule with a teller.

    ¡°There won¡¯t be another Miasmere alignment until tomorrow morning,¡± the dwarf tells him. ¡°But you can secure a pass now if you like.¡±

    ¡°Please,¡± Zyneth says.

    The dwarf sets down a flat, golf-ball sized stone with a strange rune carved into it. ¡°Five silvers.¡± He looks at me.

    ¡°Ah.¡± Zyneth pulls out a pouch and produces a string of ten coins from within it. He sets the whole string down. ¡°We¡¯ll be needing two, actually.¡±

    The dwarf¡¯s gaze sweeps around Zyneth, as if expecting someone else to be there, and it takes until that moment for it to finally hit me¡ªthe teller had been expecting me to pay. And he¡¯d probably been expecting me to hold onto that token, too. Because I¡¯m the manservant.

    Zyneth should have skimped him and just paid for one.

    Still, the dwarf doesn¡¯t object as he swipes the coins off the table and puts a second token down in their place.

    ¡°A pleasure,¡± Zyneth says, taking one and passing the other to me.

    ¡°Is this a ticket?¡± I ask as we head away. Last time we¡¯d used the telepad, I hadn¡¯t really been paying attention to the specifics of how it worked.

    Again, however, Zyneth shakes his head at my signs. This is quickly getting old. Instead I wiggle the stone token we got and sign, ¡°What is?¡±

    ¡°It allows passage between linked telepads,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°Though I assume you already surmised that.¡±

    ¡°Why two?¡± I sign.

    That much at least he understands. ¡°The telepad requires one token for every living being that passes through. Nonliving matter can be transported easily enough, which is why he¡¯d originally given me one. Typically, homunculi and other spelled servants can accompany their caster without issue. There¡¯s a possibility you could pass through without requiring a token as well, but given you have a soul, I believed it was best not to risk it. We purchased extra tokens for you and Noli last time as well.¡±

    Not risking it sounds great to me. And the idea that something on this planet recognizes me as a living person¡ªeven if that something is only a teleportation spell¡ªis kind of comforting. Kind of.

    ¡°I suppose we might as well find an inn,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°Shame. We could have stayed with Noli and Rezira another night, if we¡¯d known the next alignment with Miasmere wasn¡¯t until tomorrow. Well, I suppose there¡¯s nothing for it. Come, we should be able to find a reputable place near here, the ones closest to a telepad square are often the most expensive yet most comfortable¡­¡±

    But I¡¯d stopped in my tracks. A person is standing at the side of the road, watching me. At least, I assume they¡¯re watching me. They¡¯re a head shorter, and appear to be made of stone, with lines of red like cracks in volcanic rock threaded over their skin. A large black marble sits where their eyes should be, and a hole through their chest burns with the flickering light of a fire.

    I don¡¯t need to ask for a Check to know this is a homunculus.

    It turns and begins to walk away.

    ¡°Wait!¡± I close the gap and grab their wrist, and they stop. I¡¯m not even sure why I do it. If I had a heart right now it¡¯d be beating out of my chest. My soul feels tight. Anxiety is crawling through me like static. What am I doing? It¡¯s not rational. But I have to know¡ªThis tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    [Spell: Homunculus]

    [Type: Stone and Fire]

    [Level: 10]

    [Attack: 20]

    [HP: 100/100]

    [Mana: 0/0]

    No name. No Class or Species or Role. A fear I hadn¡¯t realized I¡¯d had uncoils inside of me.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± a woman snaps. I look down to notice her: a halfling standing by the homunculus¡¯s side. ¡°Let go of it!¡±

    I release the homunculus, snapping my hand away as if burned. The creature continues to stand there passively as if nothing had happened at all. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I sign. What was I thinking? ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    The halfling stares at me like I¡¯ve grown a second head¡ªor maybe just like my head is made of glass. ¡°Stay back.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean¡­¡± I stop when I notice her watching my hands. Not to read, but with an expression somewhere between confusion and fear.

    ¡°My apologies,¡± Zyneth says, slipping in front of me. ¡°I did not mean to disrupt your shopping.¡±

    I finally notice the basket of books in the homunculus¡¯s hand¡ªthe one I hadn¡¯t grabbed. It all clicks: the halfling was out shopping, and her homunculus was doing the heavy lifting.

    ¡°Watch your construct,¡± the halfling snaps. ¡°It tried to attack us!¡±

    ¡°A simple misunderstanding, I assure you,¡± Zyneth says.

    ¡°Its hands are twitching¡ªdo you see that?¡± she says, continuing to glare at me. ¡°It¡¯s malfunctioning. You shouldn¡¯t take it out in public when it¡¯s like this! Irresponsible.¡± She narrowed her eyes. ¡°What type is that anyway? How garish.¡±

    Zyneth bows his head in apology. ¡°Again, I sincerely apologize. We will leave you be. Come,¡± he says to me, nudging me back. ¡°Let¡¯s be off.¡±

    I let Zyneth guide me away, too overwhelmed to think of a response. I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯m offended or relieved or¡ªor damn it all, I¡¯m just confused with myself. I know other homunculi are just spells. I know I¡¯m the exception. So why did seeing one shock me like that? Why did I feel so¡­ bothered? I don¡¯t even know what that was.

    Zyneth doesn¡¯t say anything as he hurries me away. I can¡¯t tell if he¡¯s blushing beneath the blood-red tone of his skin, but I can tell he¡¯s a little flustered. Embarrassed, maybe? Is he embarrassed by me?

    My offense boils away. Of course he is. I just made a complete scene. The halfling isn¡¯t to blame for treating me like a servant¡ªno more than that teller had been. They didn¡¯t have any reason to think I was anything other than a mindless construct brought to life with Zyneth¡¯s magic. Stupid. That was stupid of me.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I sign again. ¡°I don¡¯t know why I did that.¡±

    He waves off my apology. ¡°No, no, don¡¯t. I imagine this all must be¡­ somewhat overwhelming. I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t prepare you better for what to expect.¡±

    I thought of what the halfling said. ¡°Does no one recognize signs? Is it that uncommon?¡±

    ¡°Somewhat,¡± Zyneth admits. ¡°It¡¯s most common in Valenia South. The primary inhabitants there speak exclusively through Sign Language. Though even if most people don¡¯t speak it themselves, they should be able to recognize it for what it is.¡±

    ¡°She thought I was broken.¡±

    Zyneth frowns. ¡°Yes, well. I can¡¯t entirely blame her. Seeing a person sign is quite different from seeing a homunculus sign. Homunculi cannot communicate. They have no soul or mind of their own. Tell me, if a direwolf were to start barking at you, would your first thought be that it was speaking a language?¡±

    They have direwolves here?

    Some half-forgotten instinct makes me raise my hand to my head¡ªto rub my temple or bury my face in my hands, I¡¯m not sure. The moment the glass in my hands tinks against my head, I realize what I¡¯m doing and stop. I¡¯m tired of not being seen as human. Even just being recognized as alive would be a step up. ¡°I wish I could just talk to them.¡± I look down at the slate I¡¯m still carrying. ¡°Or write better.¡±

    Zyneth gives me a sympathetic look. ¡°I can¡¯t imagine the frustration. But you know, there may be a¡­¡± He pauses.

    ¡°What?¡± I ask. ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to get your hopes up,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°I don¡¯t mean to offend, but sometimes I suspect you¡¯ve angered a god or two. This solution could go either way, and you have cosmically bad luck.¡±

    Tell me about it. ¡°What is it?¡± I ask anyway.

    ¡°There¡¯s translators,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°They work with most spoken and signed languages. I¡¯m not precisely sure how the magic functions, but I believe it operates on intent. I¡¯m not certain it would work with your native language, considering it doesn¡¯t exist here, but it might be worth a shot.¡±

    I suddenly recall Noli mentioning a translator when we¡¯d just left Trenevalt¡¯s cabin. That was nearly two months ago, but it feels like two years. ¡°That would be amazing!¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± Zyneth adds, ¡°your first language would only be one of two potential barriers that might prevent it from functioning for you.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I ask. The translator not recognizing English sounds like a big enough blocker on its own, but I still have to try.

    Zyneth makes a gesture that encompasses all of me. ¡°It is the same issue with regards to the teleportation token. We purchased a token for you because it was best to be safe. You do have a soul, after all. However, when we worked together to defeat the predator, the interaction between our magic was somewhat different, if you recall.¡±

    He¡¯s right. Rezira had tried using her school of magic¡ªhealing magic¡ªon me, and it hadn¡¯t done a thing. Meanwhile, Zyneth¡¯s artificer magic had worked to top off my mana tanks. And that was because healing magic is intended to be cast on living things, while artificer magic is used on inanimate objects.

    Which means that, at least according to their magic system, I fall into the latter category.

    ¡°The translator only works on living things?¡± I ask.

    ¡°There¡¯s never been an opportunity to use it on anything else,¡± Zyneth replies. ¡°Which is why I am uncertain if this would work or not. I don¡¯t know that it has ever been tried.¡±

    Well, I¡¯m just a walking ¡°First!¡± factory, aren¡¯t I? But I don¡¯t see the harm in giving it a shot. ¡°Where can we find one?¡±

    ¡°Miasmere,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°I know of at least one shop we could stop by. We could take a look around here as well, but they¡¯re rather expensive, so I doubt anyone in a remote town such as this would be selling any.¡±

    The mention of price makes me uncomfortable. I really appreciate Zyneth paying for everything, and he already confessed to being well off, so it probably isn¡¯t a financial strain for him, but it still makes me uncomfortable. I don¡¯t like feeling indebted, even if I know he wouldn¡¯t see it that way.

    ¡°How much?¡± I ask.

    ¡°A few hundred¡­¡± He must have figured out why I¡¯m asking, because he stops himself. ¡°Please don¡¯t concern yourself with the cost. Besides, we won¡¯t be paying for anything if it doesn¡¯t work, anyway.¡±

    And by we he means him, because I won¡¯t be paying for anything regardless.

    Damn. Should I get a job in this world? I mean, I still intend to go home, but how long is that going to take?

    And Zyneth isn¡¯t the only one I owe. Attiru¡¯s map shop was destroyed because of me. I should help them. And then there¡¯s Tetara and Saru, the two survivors of the predator¡¯s attack, though I know money won¡¯t bring back their dead friends.

    I suppress a shudder at the memory, and touch a hand to my core once more.

    Zyneth grabs us an inn near the central square, and I¡¯m greeted with a weird sense of deja vu as we¡¯re directed to our room. He¡¯d bought us a room last time, too¡ªalthough now there¡¯s not the looming sense of doom hanging over my shoulders as we¡¯re shown inside.

    Zyneth stops dead in the doorframe.

    ¡°What?¡± I ask, trying to peek around.

    ¡°Ah, er, I am still getting used to them identifying you as a homunculus as well,¡± Zyneth says, his shoulders hunching up with¡­ embarrassment? ¡°I had just assumed¡­ Well, it was my fault, really, for not specifying.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Impatient, I push past him into the room and look around.

    I don¡¯t get it. It¡¯s a normal room. Like the one I¡¯d stayed at in Harrowood, there¡¯s a desk, a trunk, a window, and a bed.

    One bed.

    Oh.

    Zyneth clears his throat uncomfortably. ¡°I¡¯ll go back and ask for a different room. One with two beds this time.¡±

    Right¡ªof course the innkeep wouldn¡¯t book a bed for the automaton. I would be irritated if I wasn¡¯t starting to get used to this treatment. But hey, I guess if it saved Zyneth a few coins, I¡¯m not complaining.

    ¡°No,¡± I sign. ¡°It¡¯s okay. One will work.¡±

    Zyneth¡¯s eyebrows shoot up. ¡°Ah, well, I mean¡­ I¡¯m not sure if¡ªthe bed is rather small¡ªit seems that would be¡­ impractical.¡± He glances away, flustered.

    I stare at him in confusion. What? Why¡¯s he acting so embarrassed? And is that a blush I see? What did I say? It¡¯s just a bed. We don¡¯t need two, if¡­

    It hits me like a ton of bricks.

    Oh fuck! ¡°No, no, I meant, I don¡¯t need a bed!¡± I hurriedly add, haphazardly scribbling on the slate to try to get the point across. ¡°I don¡¯t sleep. I¡¯ll just, I can wait outside, or¡ª¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Zyneth says, his shoulders sagging in relief. ¡°Yes, of course, that makes more sense.¡± He passes a hand over his face, then looks at me, regaining his composure. ¡°Right. Well, I think I will go¡­ find dinner. Then jump out a window, perhaps.¡±

    I am seriously considering doing the same.

    ¡°Well, please make yourself comfortable,¡± Zyneth says, hastily backing out of the room. ¡°I will be down in the pub. Feel free to¡­¡± Even he seems to realize he¡¯s rambling. ¡°...do things. I¡¯ll return within the hour.¡± He closes the door, his footsteps beating a hasty retreat down the hall.

    I stand there for a moment, waiting for the mortification to finally kill me. When that doesn¡¯t happen, I slump against the door, gaze returning to the stupid lone bed.

    ¡°Fuck,¡± I sign at the empty room.

 Chapter 52 - Super Mysterious Operation

    I spend the night sitting on the chair, pushed over against the door and as far away from Zyneth¡¯s bed as I can manage. Watching Zyneth sleep would be creepy (ignoring the fact I did that while in ink-bottle form the first night we met, but ink-bottle Kanin was wary and gets a pass), so I spend the time practicing writing and playing with the small handful of spells I have at my disposal.

    Now that I don¡¯t have the Void stat to worry about¡ªstill sitting at 100%, as usual¡ªI can experiment with my spells at will. For instance, I¡¯ve found that if I feed just a tiny bit of mana into the Lightbeam spell, it merely creates a small beam of light, as the name implies, instead of a deadly laser. Which is probably how the spell is intended to be used in the first place. I use some of my signing glass to create the Lightbeam, which I point into a corner by the door so as not to wake Zyneth, then use some more glass to see if I can block and dim the light. Maybe reflect it back on itself. I create a sort of mini disco-ball shape after a minute of fiddling around, and after another minute of playing with this, trying to make it smaller, dimmer, and more controlled, I¡¯m greeted with a familiar voice.

    [New Spell obtained,] Echo says. [Glow, Level 1: Create a small ball of illumination. Mana cost: Adjustable. 1 mana per minute at the dimmest setting.]

    Nice, with 56 mana at my disposal, I can keep this spell going for almost an hour. The light glowing from my cluster of glass is softer, dim, and more uniform than the previous scattering of light. It¡¯s not focused in one direction, like Lightbeam, but this one is a lot more mana-efficient.

    I don¡¯t unlock any other spells or skills the rest of the night. I¡¯m not exactly sure how the whole process works, but it seems like there¡¯s three ways I can learn them. The first is innate knowledge that I have to dig out of Echo. The Attune, Sculpt, and Chain spells all came from me asking the right questions and prompting Echo in the right ways to get her to reveal what spells I could already do by default. The second is through my Arcane Intuition skill. This lets me automatically learn new spells that I read from a spell book, if I study and read them long enough, but just because I know a spell doesn¡¯t mean I have the supplies, mana, or other prerequisites to use it. (In fact, I¡¯ve already read both my spell books cover to cover a few times now, and ¡°learned¡± every spell I could, though many can¡¯t even be activated by my type of magic, and the rest are all concerned with forging homunculus cores, which I have exactly 0 interest in.) And finally, it seems, just playing around with my magic, practicing a new application repeatedly enough, can unlock the occasional ability, like this new Glow spell.

    Too bad the last option is complete trial and error, and more often than not all I turn up is error.

    Like writing, for instance. I spend a good two hours trying to scratch out the alphabet and some simple words Noli has taught me, but despite having a supposed Foreign Language skill (up to level 4 now, I might add,) I¡¯m absolutely lousy with written words. That translator thing better work.

    I spend the last couple hours before dawn examining my void joints and fixing up my glass. Bits of the glass on my feet have chipped away from stubbed toes and kicked pebbles. Forget clothes, I could really use some shoes. I don¡¯t have any more glass to pull from my inventory¡ªlet alone an inventory I can access anymore¡ªso I make do by Sculpting some glass away from different parts of my body to patch up the sections on my feet. While I¡¯m at it, I also redistribute some of the glass from my torso, which I don¡¯t really use anyway, to my legs, which are supporting most of my weight and taking the majority of the load. I feel a little bottom heavy as a result, but it helps with balance and, you know, not ending up with more broken legs. I¡¯ll have to grab some more glass from somewhere tomorrow.

    Zyneth finally wakes up with the dawn, and I pay careful attention to the wall as he gets dressed and ready for the day. We check out of the room and I accompany him to the pub, where I get to twiddle my thumbs as he eats breakfast. I would typically try to hide my jealousy when it comes to meal time, although, given Zyneth¡¯s grimace as he picks through a sludgy bowl of the inn¡¯s gruel, for once I¡¯m perfectly happy not to partake.

    ¡°Got your token?¡± he asks when we finally make our way back to the telepad.

    I hold up the small carved stone.

    ¡°Good. You understand how this works?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Step on the pad when it¡¯s our turn. It¡¯s not exactly rocket science.

    ¡°Right.¡± He steals a worried glance at me. I guess the lack of eyes makes it hard to tell that I¡¯m still looking at him.

    ¡°What?¡± I ask. ¡°Is something wrong?¡±

    He hesitates. ¡°I¡¯m concerned for your wellbeing.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± I ask. ¡°This isn¡¯t new.¡± I¡¯ve used a telepad with him before. I¡¯d been worried about the predator then, when it was still Between, but now that it¡¯s trapped in my inventory, I should have even less to worry about.

    ¡°Your mental wellbeing,¡± Zyneth amends. ¡°I¡¯ve no doubt you¡¯ll make it through without mishap, however I understand how these sorts of events can¡­ resurface dark memories.¡±

    Literally dark, in this case. But he¡¯s worrying over nothing. ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± I assure him. ¡°I¡¯m excited.¡± Looking forward to it, even. It finally feels like I¡¯m making steps in the right direction. Like I¡¯m making progress. ¡°Will we go to the library first?¡±

    ¡°In Miasmere? No,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°Actually, that¡¯s something I wanted to talk to you about. Originally, I¡¯d hoped we would arrive yesterday, and I would have had time this morning to show you to the library before I needed to attend to my errands.¡± There¡¯s a strange weight in that last word, and he fleetingly rubs a hand over his arm, where the tattoo is likely still burning beneath his sleeve. ¡°However, with the compressed schedule, I¡¯ll need to go there directly. I would prefer if you didn¡¯t come with, but the alternative is to leave you unattended in Miasmere, which I find equally disagreeable.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not a child,¡± I sign. ¡°I can be left alone without¡ª¡± okay, maybe falling apart wouldn¡¯t be the best word choice there. ¡°¡ªwithout getting into any trouble.¡±

    Zyneth squints at my signs, seeming to miss some of them, but able to gather enough to appear unimpressed regardless. ¡°If you got lost, where would you go?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d ask for help,¡± I say, switching back to simpler signs for Zyneth¡¯s benefit.

    ¡°And if they don¡¯t know signs?¡± he asks.

    Oh yeah. Welp. ¡°No time to get that translator first?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Zyneth sighs. ¡°But you¡¯re right. This should be your choice. If you¡¯d rather brave Miasmere on your own, I¡¯d advise you to stick close to the telepad and wait for me there once we cross over. I can come retrieve you after my business is complete.¡±

    I hesitate. At least I¡¯m being given the choice. But I hate to admit he¡¯s right: this isn¡¯t visiting a city in a different state, this is a whole different planet I¡¯m dealing with. I can¡¯t communicate with most of them, and now that I¡¯m not a glass bottle that can hide in alleyways, I¡¯m going to be far more conspicuous.

    I shake my head. ¡°No. You¡¯re right. I¡¯ll come with you.¡± I¡¯m deathly curious about these suspicious jobs he¡¯s doing, anyway.

    ¡°Good,¡± Zyneth says with a breath of relief. But his forehead is still pinched with worry. ¡°However, you¡¯re not to say¡ªor sign¡ªa word if you accompany me. Don¡¯t react to anything anyone says. Don¡¯t touch anything. As far as they know, you really are a homunculus construct and nothing more. Understand?¡±

    I see we¡¯re back to treating me like a child. ¡°I can behave.¡±

    He looks at me skeptically.

    ¡°What? I can!¡± I insist. ¡°You won¡¯t even know I¡¯m there.¡±

    ¡°Alright,¡± he says, though he still doesn¡¯t appear convinced. ¡°Just¡­ please be careful. And I realize the hypocrisy in saying this to a glass homunculus with a knack for causing scenes, but please try not to draw any attention to yourself.¡±Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

    ¡°I don¡¯t do it on purpose,¡± I sign.

    ¡°I know.¡± We step out into the square where merchants and travelers have gathered to wait for their time slot at the telepad. ¡°That¡¯s what worries me.¡±

    <hr>

    We appear in Miasmere and the roar of the city hits me all at once. White marbled stone rises in spires all around us, shouts and the clatter of city life ricocheting from every direction. The marketplace is colorful and crowded, though a dominant motif of blue and gold highlights the white backdrop like a bright sky day.

    There are more people here¡ªdifferent kinds, I mean. Zyneth¡¯s cambion species seemed to be fairly rare in the towns I¡¯d previously visited, with only him and Attiru as examples of his species I¡¯d seen until now. But the familiar red forms fill the crowds of Miasmere, along with several new species I¡¯ve never seen before. Echo identifies one terrifying group of people, with a human upper-half growing out of a horse-sized spider''s body, as arachnoids. On the less creepy side of the spectrum are nereids, gilled people who shimmer with an opalescent impression of scales, and dryads, whose skin appear wooden and whose hair cascades with vines and flowers.

    There are other less-common species I recognize from Harrowood and Bluevine, but I guess even with telepads some groups of people tend to be more regional. I wonder how long this world has used these telepads for casual travel and trade.

    Zyneth steps off the telepad without looking back, and I follow him. I¡¯m not thrilled with playing the part of Manservant, but my curiosity outweighs my indignance. Even with the conversation about his past he and I¡¯d had a few nights prior, I can tell there¡¯s still plenty he¡¯s not disclosing. Is it nosy of me to go fishing for more clues? I mean, yeah, absolutely. But that¡¯s hardly enough to dissuade me.

    I gawk at the city as we weave through its streets; it¡¯s obviously several times bigger than Harrowood. Not just from the density of the crowds and diverse species, but the height of the buildings around us, and how I can catch glimpses of more of the city¡¯s towers even in the distance. Not medieval type towers I¡¯d expect to see on a castle, but great, spiraling, artistic spires: a testament to prosperity and wealth more than conquest.

    But as we weave through the streets, our surroundings begin to shift. Something I can¡¯t quite put my finger on. The shops and crowds don¡¯t seem too different. It¡¯s not that the streets have become grimy or dark. But there¡¯s a tension in the air that I hadn¡¯t noticed back in the telepad square. Now the glances that come my way aren¡¯t filled with curiosity, but suspicion.

    I resist the urge to ask Zyneth about it. He asked me not to draw attention to myself, and signing to Zyneth while I¡¯m supposed to just be a dumb robot would probably achieve that. I can keep my hands still for an hour. How hard could it be?

    Finally we stop outside a ramshackle shopfront not far from the docks. I can¡¯t see the ocean, but I can hear the distant roar of waves and shrill cries of seabirds, and I¡¯d like to think the sticky streets are from saltwater rather than less desirable fluids. For the first time since entering Miasmere, Zyneth turns and looks at me. There¡¯s a hint of anxiety in his eyes, which surprises me. He opens his mouth to say something, then perhaps thinks better of it, instead signing a hasty and barely intelligible, ¡°Ready?¡±

    I¡¯m starting to understand Rezira¡¯s frustration with my early attempts at signing. ¡°Yes.¡±

    Without another word, he knocks three times¡ªwith a stutter in the middle; some kind of code?¡ªthen lets himself in.

    Our super mysterious operation takes us into the front room of what appears to be a bait and tackle shop. Fishing gear is crammed into the front window and along mismatched shelves. There¡¯s harpoons, buckets of bait, lines, lures, and plenty of strange devices I¡¯ve never seen before. Even the objects I can identify are altered in peculiar ways, with runes or spell circles carved into the surface of many.

    The back counter is empty, so I wander over to a wall to get a closer look at the array of items. Wasn¡¯t exactly expecting my first venture into the shady underground of magical society to take me to a fishing hut. A framed picture, yellowing and askew, is jammed between two shelves in one of the few empty slots of the wall. The picture features a small group of people, mostly nereids, standing in front of an exotic metal ship that looks like it swam right out of the movie Atlantis. There¡¯s a hand-scribbled note on the bottom, which Echo is miraculously capable of translating to ¡°2<sup>nd</sup> Emrox Expedition.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± I sign to Zyneth, seeing as we¡¯re still alone, and he¡¯s agitatedly fiddling with the sleeve of his shirt. Being here clearly bothers him, so a distraction could do him good.

    Zyneth glances at the picture. ¡°One of Gillow¡¯s early missions, I suspect. Probably when they were going on jobs instead of assigning them.¡±

    A figure emerges from the back room as he¡¯s speaking. ¡°Ah, the glory days.¡±

    They¡¯re a nereid, skin covered in a shimmer of purple-grey scales, blue fins fanning at their neck. Their lips peel back to reveal a pointed-tooth smile, and their eyelids blink sideways as they take the both of us in.

    I do the same with a quick Check.

    [Name: Gillow]

    [Species: Nereid]

    [Class: Aquatic Mechanic]

    [Level: 39]

    [HP: 115/115]

    [Mana: 840/840]

    ¡°Why, if it isn¡¯t the aristocrat!¡± they say, sneering at Zyneth. ¡°Taken to talking to yourself now, hm? I see all the pressure¡¯s finally gotten to you. Dig the new servant. Is that a present from Mother?¡±

    Their words are laced with venom. There¡¯s a mocking emphasis placed on aristocrat, and I detect something derisive in Mother as well. Zyneth glowers, but does not acknowledge either of the taunts.

    ¡°You have a new job for me?¡± he asks, stepping away from the wall. I try to casually follow after him, but Gillow¡¯s eyes still briefly flick over me when I move.

    ¡°What, no small talk?¡± they say, leaning on the counter as they casually drum their webbed fingers against the wood. Each claw sticks slightly in the surface before it¡¯s pulled away. Gillow¡¯s a whole head shorter than Zyneth, but somehow that only makes them seem more dangerous, like a snake coiled and ready to strike. ¡°I could regale you about those voyages to Emrox. I still have the sub, you know. They were quite lucrative jobs, but people stopped signing up when only one in ten ships ever made it back.¡±

    Zyneth rolls up his shirt sleeve until the lowest most tattoo is showing. It¡¯s still faintly glowing. ¡°If you have nothing to offer, then we can consider your summons fulfilled, and I¡¯ll be taking my leave.¡±

    Gillow sighs. ¡°Always were a stick in the mud. Alright.¡± They flick a finger toward Zyneth, and the tattoo leaps from his arm. Now hovering in the air between them, the snake unravels into its individual lines, then reforms into a new shape: a scroll.

    ¡°Three jobs,¡± Gillow says, words appearing on the glowing, transparent scroll as they speak, as if written by an invisible quill. ¡°First, a retrieval assignment. A relic in Mount Carmine. Might be to your elemental disposition, eh?¡±

    Zyneth frowns as he taps on the spell, scrolling through the words written there too quickly for me to read over his shoulder.

    ¡°No?¡± Gillow says, though Zyneth hasn¡¯t given any indication he¡¯s uninterested that I can tell. ¡°The second one is intel. One of my personnel went missing three weeks ago. They were working on a job at the Athenaeum. Find where they¡¯ve ended up and who put them there.¡±

    Not bring them back alive, I notice. I shiver at the implication, and once again Gillow glances toward me. I freeze. I¡¯m not supposed to react to anything.

    Their eyes return to the scroll. ¡°Last, an escort mission. You¡¯d be serving as a guard for a client who is traveling to Wengon. I know relic retrieval is your typical M.O., but frankly I put out the job call now because we need more guards for this last one. The client¡ª¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll take the second one,¡± Zyneth interrupts. ¡°Intel. I need to stay in town for a while. That job will suffice.¡±

    Gillow raises an eyebrow. ¡°Intel it is.¡± The spell snaps back in on itself, spiraling into the shape of a snake once more and settling back on Zyneth¡¯s arm. The snake¡¯s mouth snaps open and closed as it circles around itself, replacing one a sliver of gold with black ink instead: perhaps the amount of his debt which will be erased once the job is complete. He still has half the snake to go.

    ¡°As for the details,¡± Gillow starts, but Zyneth stops them again.

    ¡°Perhaps we should discuss that somewhere more private,¡± he says.

    Gillow laughs. ¡°Private? It¡¯s only the two of us.¡± They look at me, and unease creeps through my glass. I try my best to remain perfectly still. ¡°Unless you¡¯re worried your pretty little minion over here is listening in. It¡¯s not really from your mum, is it?¡±

    It¡¯s a struggle not to squirm under their sharp gaze. Their eyes seem to burrow into me. Do they know? When Zyneth told me to play dumb, I wasn¡¯t entirely sure why he wanted to keep my circumstances a secret from these people. But right now I feel like I¡¯m staring down a shark, and I think I¡¯m starting to catch a hint of why Zyneth was so nervous with the idea of me tagging along.

    ¡°No,¡± he says shortly. ¡°I am merely concerned with remaining covert.¡±

    Gillow snorts. ¡°Ain¡¯t no way to remain covert with a homunculus like that following you around.¡± But they return their gaze to Zyneth. I relax¡ªjust a fraction. ¡°Are you ready or not?¡±

    Zyneth clearly doesn¡¯t want to be having this conversation in front of me, but it¡¯s also clear he can¡¯t push it any further without casting more attention¡ªand suspicion¡ªonto me. He sighs. ¡°Let¡¯s get on with it.¡±

    Gillow laces their fingers together. ¡°Excellent. The missing individual is Ossina, one of my runners. She¡¯s a nereid, blue-toned, scar on her left jaw. Disappeared while investigating rumors of a Glade relic thought to be kept beneath the Athenaeum. Either Yedzaquib has her, or a rival organization. She had a run-in with the Eels a few days before she vanished. I¡¯m looking for answers within a week.¡±

    ¡°A week is hardly time to perform thorough reconnaissance,¡± Zyneth objects.

    ¡°It¡¯s plenty of time,¡± Gillow says. ¡°You¡¯re looking for a missing thug, not the Queen of Carmine. Besides.¡± They give Zyneth a wink. ¡°If you can¡¯t complete it, I¡¯ve plenty of other jobs in the queue. And you¡¯ll be chipping away at this debt for some time.¡±

    Zyneth looks like he¡¯s just eaten a gym sock. ¡°Is there anything else?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Gillow says, all smiles. ¡°If you don¡¯t need me to write it down, that¡¯s all I¡¯ve got. You two have a good day, now.¡±

    Shoulders tense, steps purposeful, Zyneth turns on his heels and heads back out the front door. I follow after, playing the dutiful servant, as a chill runs down my spine. I can¡¯t help it¡ªas I reach the door, I cast one glance back at Gillow.

    They¡¯re watching me. They smile and wave when they catch me looking, and I quickly step outside and close the door behind me.

    You two have a good day, they¡¯d said. Not just addressing Zyneth, but the both of us.

 Chapter 53 - Careless with Swords

    ¡°Translator first,¡± Zyneth decides before I can ask him what the hell all that was about. Rival gangs? Gillow¡¯s creepy obsession with Zyneth¡¯s mom? I know he¡¯s tied up in some shady shit, but this is just weird.

    ¡°Ideally we can find you something suitable before we visit the library,¡± he continues. ¡°Being able to speak for yourself instead of using me as your proxy would make interactions significantly easier.¡±

    ¡°Is it dangerous?¡± I ask. ¡°Revealing I can speak. Gillow¡ªthey¡ªwere suspicious.¡± I stumble over spelling Gillow¡¯s name before realizing Zyneth wouldn¡¯t understand the signs anyway, and settle for hoping he just gets the picture.

    ¡°Dangerous for you to talk?¡± he repeats, gleaning most of my intent. ¡°Perhaps. Truly I don¡¯t know how most of the world would react. Those that don¡¯t know much about homunculi might just assume you¡¯re some newer, more complex spell. Those who are more familiar with the magic might understand the implications. I expect many would be fascinated¡ªeven delighted. I don¡¯t believe most would wish you ill will. Outside of organizations like the one Gillow belongs to.¡±

    And you, I think, but deem it best to not voice that part aloud.

    ¡°Although,¡± Zyneth adds, ¡°if you¡¯re worried, we don¡¯t need to look for a translator.¡±

    ¡°No!¡± I hastily sign. ¡°I do want a¡­¡± I stop when I realize Zyneth is chuckling. ¡°You ass.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t believe Noli would approve of that language.¡±

    I show him another sign she wouldn¡¯t like.

    ¡°Come,¡± he says, laughing. ¡°The marketplace is not far.¡±

    Not far ends up being another hour¡¯s walk away, though in that time I¡¯m relieved to see the streets go back to¡­ normal. I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s the right word. But despite nothing really looking any different, the sense of unease I¡¯d felt around Gillow¡¯s shop dissolves back into the carefree, bustling atmosphere I¡¯ve come to expect.

    ¡°Boots,¡± I sign to Zyneth as he begins to peruse the stalls. He gives my sign a perplexed look, and I point to my feet. ¡°I could also use some shoes.¡±

    ¡°Ah,¡± he says, noticing my bare feet. ¡°Yes, I see. My, you¡¯ll look quite strange in just boots and a tattered cloak, won¡¯t you?¡±

    Yeah, thanks for rubbing it in. ¡°You could buy me a nicer cloak, too.¡± I¡¯m too annoyed to feel bad about asking Zyneth to spend even more money on me.

    ¡°Perhaps the essentials first,¡± he says. ¡°But if you see anything that could accommodate your, ah, unique anatomy, feel free to point it out.¡±

    The bazaar is a fascinating scene. It feels like a farmer¡¯s market, an art festival, and a Cryptid Hunter convention all got slammed together in half the space. Merchants of every shape, size, and species shout their prices over the crowds, while shoppers swarm the street and duck under colorful swaths of fabric to hunt down the best deals and escape the morning sun. It is getting hot, I distantly realize, noticing a sheen of sweat on the brows of some passersby. I still feel the heat¡ªa little, like the faint warmth of a fire several feet away¡ªbut clearly not as much as everyone else here.

    I keep close to Zyneth as he carves a path through the crowd, my alarm mounting with every occasional elbow which jostles against me. ¡°Careful!¡± I sign once, before remembering that no one is likely to understand. No one is intentionally running into me, but they also don¡¯t seem to be particularly bothered to avoid bumps and jostles. My anxiety ratchets higher and higher the longer we remain in the press of people, and instead of paying attention to the clothes of nearby stalls, I become hyper fixated on sticking close to Zyneth and trying not to think about getting knocked to the ground and shattered into a million pieces.

    ¡°Here we are,¡± Zyneth finally says, stepping to the side of the road and out of the thick of the crowd. I sag with relief as I escape the throng without losing any limbs, and look up at the shop as Zyneth steps inside. It¡¯s plainly labeled Red¡¯s Enchantment Stock and features a simple drawing of an interlocked amulet and ring.

    I follow him in to find myself inside what looks like a steam-punk gift shop. Clockwork contraptions line the walls, and display-cases crammed full of rings, bracelets, necklaces, and circlets are pressed up against the front windows and back counter. Even on top of the display cases there¡¯s more trinkets, while bins of metal junk and tubs of loose stones are shoved into every available crevice. I amend my initial impression: the room looks like a steam-punk gift shop owned by a hoarder. Although that might just be redundant.

    Red, as Echo identifies, is a wooden-skinned daisy-haired dryad, and level 31 Enchantments Artificer, too busy snapping several extra layers of lenses over his glasses as he hunches over a watch-face to notice us entering. I have Echo Check some of the display cases and bins of junk as Zyneth approaches Red with a greeting.

    [Ring for enhanced endurance. Amulet of healing: 2/10 uses remaining. Bracelet for poisoning immunity. Ring for fire resistance. Necklace for underwater breathing. Necklace for quicker reflexes. Primed garnet. Primed moonstone. Primed quartz. Simple brass ring. Simple brass chain. Simple brass anklet¡­]

    Seems like all the items in the display cases are the enchanted goods, while the buckets of stones and scrap metal are the unenchanted supplies used to make the expensive stuff. Interesting.

    ¡°Red?¡± Zyneth says, calling to the shopkeep a second time. ¡°My friend, you have company.¡±

    The dryad looks up at us through bug-eye lenses. ¡°Zyneth? Oh!¡± He beams. ¡°Good! Good, yes, please, come inside.¡±

    We are already inside.

    ¡°Need new weapons?¡± Red asks, his magnified eyes blinking rapidly through his glasses. ¡°Lose a sword, did you? You¡¯re always losing swords. How someone can be so careless with swords, I don¡¯t understand. Must be a barrel of enchanted swords out there with your name on it.¡±

    The man is twitchy, still hunched over the device he¡¯d been working on, and I¡¯m suddenly struck with the image of a nervous squirrel huddled over a nut.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

    ¡°No, not more swords,¡± Zyneth says, beckoning me over. ¡°I have a bit of a special request.¡±

    ¡°All your requests are special,¡± Red says. ¡°Never a straightforward ask. That¡¯s why you¡¯re my favorite. Special requests are fun. And also pay better. What¡¯s this, what¡¯s this?¡±

    He squints at me as I approach the counter. ¡°Uh, hi,¡± I sign, glancing back at Zyneth. I¡¯m not sure if he¡¯s expecting me to explain everything.

    Red¡¯s gaze darts from my hands, to my head, to my chest.

    ¡°A homunculus?¡± he asks. ¡°Glass? I¡¯ve not seen this before. You want me to harvest its core? I don¡¯t know, I don¡¯t know¡ªhomunculi are not my specialty.¡±

    Alarmed, I instinctively place a hand over my chest. Like fuck is he going to harvest me!

    ¡°No!¡± Zyneth jumps in first. ¡°That¡¯s not why we¡¯re here. And he¡¯s not actually a homunculus¡ªat least, not exactly.¡±

    ¡°He?¡± Red repeats, watching my hand. Or rather, he¡¯s watching me guarding my core. His eyes go wide. ¡°It understands us?¡±

    ¡°He,¡± Zyneth again stresses, ¡°is called Kanin, and yes, he does understand. There¡¯s a human soul trapped in the core. Which is why we need your help. He can hear us, but has no way to speak aloud. We are looking for a translator compatible with his¡­ unique circumstances.¡±

    Red leans forward, wide eyed, fingers twitching excitedly. ¡°That cannot be. No, Zyneth, no, you mustn¡¯t understand. A homunculus spell cannot trap a soul no more than a sieve can catch water. There must be some other explanation. Necrotic magic may trap a soul, for instance.¡± He reaches out for my chest and I take a hasty step back.

    ¡°You can politely tell this guy to fuck off,¡± I sign to Zyneth.

    ¡°Please, both of you,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°Be respectful.¡±

    ¡°I said it politely,¡± I sign, still keeping out of Red¡¯s reach.

    ¡°Red, he is a person, as I¡¯ve previously stated,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°I doubt you would appreciate someone grabbing you uninvited.¡±

    Red snaps his hand back. ¡°No, no, I wouldn¡¯t like that.¡±

    The more I¡¯m around this guy, the more nervous he¡¯s making me. Not in a scheming Gillow kind of way, but it¡¯s hard for me to pin the guy down. I don¡¯t know what he¡¯s going to do at any given moment.

    Or maybe I just don¡¯t take kindly to people trying to pluck my soul out of my chest.

    Zyneth looks at me next. ¡°Would you allow me to tell him about your magic? It might help with finding a translator that works. We should be as open and honest as we can.¡±

    Red is not exactly an individual I¡¯m excited to spill my guts to. The contents of his shop and his twitchy fingers tells me he¡¯s just as likely to dissect my body and sell it to the highest bidder as he is to help us. ¡°Can we trust him?¡±

    ¡°Completely,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have taken you here otherwise. There are perhaps a dozen shops in the city that specialize in enchanted accessories, but this is the only one I frequent.¡±

    Red smiles at that. ¡°That is because many enchantments you ask for are not legal.¡±

    Zyneth gave Red an exasperated look. ¡°We¡¯re getting off track.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± I sign, interest piqued. ¡°Let him talk.¡±

    Zyneth sighs. ¡°Please, both of you.¡±

    I wave him off. ¡°Alright, alright. Tell him whatever you want.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Zyneth says, though by his tone, he seems a bit exasperated. ¡°Red, whatever translation tools you have at your disposal, bring them out for us to try. Kanin¡¯s affinities are glass¡ªobviously¡ªand void. His primary language will not be in any enchantment index you have at your disposal.¡±

    ¡°Void?¡± Red asks, eyebrows shooting up. ¡°As an attunement? Not possible. Too unstable.¡± He excitedly leans over the counter toward me. ¡°Show me!¡±

    I hope Zyneth can feel the glare I¡¯m unable to send his way. Reluctantly, I hold out a hand and call the void from the joints around my torso and arms to form a tiny pool of black over my palm. I leave all the void in place that¡¯s being used to support my legs¡ªI¡¯m pretty sure I¡¯d fall over if I took them away now.

    Red¡¯s eyes go wide. ¡°It is, it is! So concentrated. Never seen undiluted void before. Never so pure. Hmmm, yes, it might be possible for this type of null arcana to trap a soul¡ªthe glue of reality, isn¡¯t it? Fascinating. Fascinating.¡± He dives beneath his counter and begins snatching up odds and ends.

    So glad I can be this guy¡¯s source of entertainment for the day.

    Another thought occurs to me, though. ¡°How much does this guy know about Between?¡± I ask Zyneth. Lowering my hand, the void zips back to my joints.

    He shakes his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know. More than me, at least.¡±

    ¡°Would he know anything about how to retrieve my body?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Red says, popping back up with an armful of jewelry and strange metal contraptions. ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Kanin was asking if you¡¯d know anything about the nature of his spell,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°His soul came from another dimension, where his body still remains, and he wants to know if it¡¯s possible to access it again.¡±

    Red thoughtlessly drops the armful of loot on the counter, and Zyneth winces. ¡°A different dimension? I don¡¯t know. Summoning spells require null arcanum¡ªbut the summoned object must already be targeted in some way: previously marked by null arcanum, usually. But null arcana is a summoner¡¯s specialty. Not me. Ask the wizard who cast the original spell, hm?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s dead,¡± I sign.

    Zyneth grimaces.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t my fault,¡± I add. Then pause. ¡°I mean. Not directly.¡±

    Red picks up a bracelet and shoves it toward me. ¡°This first.¡±

    ¡°Um.¡± I carefully pluck it from his fingers, looking between Red and Zyneth helplessly. ¡°What¡ª¡±

    ¡°Never mind.¡± Red snatches it back. He hands me a ring. ¡°Try this.¡±

    ¡°How?¡± I ask. I decide to give it a quick Check before sticking an enchanted ring on my finger all willy-nilly. I¡¯m not stupid.

    [Ring of Translation: allows the wearer to speak Common.]

    Doesn¡¯t hurt to be careful. I put the ring on. Nothing happens. ¡°I¡¯m not sure these are going to work without a mouth,¡± I tell Zyneth.

    Red makes a rapid grabby motion with his hand, and I pull the ring off and give it back to him.

    ¡°Kanin¡¯s right,¡± Zyneth says to Red. ¡°We don¡¯t just need translation, but something that can produce the sound.¡±

    ¡°Tricky, tricky,¡± Red mutters, digging through the pile. ¡°But, hm, yes. Okay. One moment.¡±

    He sifts through a bucket of jewels, grabbing them by the handfuls like a bunch of marbles, mumbling to himself as he tosses the gems back one by one. Eventually he settles on a black stone, then moves back to his tangle of knick-knacks he¡¯d dumped on the counter. He pulls a necklace from the pile¡ªshaking it off for a moment to dislodge an earring, which flings across the room¡ªand strings the stone onto the chain, going abruptly still. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve seen this guy sit still for more than two seconds the entire time I¡¯ve been in here. A red light glows from his fingers.

    A few seconds later, he blinks, then hands the necklace to me. ¡°This next.¡±

    I Check it.

    [Amulet of Speech: Fashioned from a Necklace of Projection and Stone of Translation, this amulet is designed to interpret and project the non-vocal speech of species such as merpeople, sprites, and other-worldly souls inadvertently bound to a homunculus core.]

    Is it just me or is Echo getting cheekier?

    ¡°Does it matter how I wear it?¡± I ask. I try looping the chain a few times around my wrist.

    ¡°I do not have a neck so I cannot wear it the traditional way.¡±

    I jerk back, looking at the amulet. Those words had come from the amulet. They were my thoughts. And I heard them¡ªout loud.

    Zyneth¡¯s face splits into a grin. ¡°Was that you?¡±

    ¡°Oh gods. It is really working,¡± I think, and the amulet says.

    Well, they aren¡¯t exactly my thoughts. I don¡¯t worship multiple deities, and the translator seems to have an aversion to contractions. Not to mention there¡¯s a strangely auto-tuned quality to the words. The voice sounds like the bastard child of C3-PO and Daft Punk.

    But dammit. I can talk.

    ¡°This is amazing,¡± I say, a giddy joy flooding through me. I can¡¯t believe it. Finally. After all these months. I¡¯m really speaking! ¡°Thank you,¡± I say to Red. ¡°Thank you so Expletive much.¡±

    Zyneth raises an eyebrow. I look down at the amulet.

    Red snickers. ¡°The translator, ah, may take some liberties with its interpretations.¡±

    It takes a moment for Red¡¯s words to sink in.

    Fuck, I think, and the amulet says, ¡°Expletive.¡±

 Chapter 54 - Vague Instructions

    ¡°I am starting to understand why Noli dislikes translators,¡± I say. It¡¯s still so strange. So alien. They¡¯re my words, but it¡¯s not my voice.

    ¡°Somehow, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s the lack of swearing she objects to,¡± Zyneth says with a chuckle.

    ¡°That is part of it,¡± I grumble. I vaguely recall something she¡¯d said about the translators before: how they don¡¯t capture the nuance of her words. ¡°I hate being censored.¡±

    Zyneth gives my shoulder a reassuring pat as we weave through the streets. ¡°You heard what Red said. This is only temporary. He should be able to create a more complex charm for you by the end of the week.¡±

    There¡¯s that, at least. And I know I shouldn¡¯t be complaining when Zyneth footed the bill¡ªagain. I¡¯m going to owe him a small fortune by the end of this.

    After Red¡¯s place, Zyneth grabs a pair of boots for me next. They¡¯re floppy old things, but I need the give in the leather to keep it from inhibiting motion in my ankles and tripping me up. Look at me: Slowly but surely putting on clothes like a real person.

    By the time we¡¯re done with the translator, boots, and gathering various food and supplies Zyneth deems necessary, it¡¯s late afternoon. Zyneth finds us an inn and secures a room so he can drop off all his newly purchased items. I¡¯m practically vibrating with impatience when we return to the streets.

    ¡°Where is the library?¡± I ask. It¡¯s about time I got some answers. ¡°How much longer until we can go?¡±

    ¡°Actually,¡± Zyneth says, gesturing ahead of us as we walk, ¡°that¡¯s why I picked the inn I did. It¡¯s right up ahead.¡±

    ¡°Where?¡± I ask. ¡°Is it around that building?¡± The street disappears behind the curve of an enormous domed structure which I pegged to be some sort of religious temple. The white marbled surface is carved with figures and murals that are several stories high, and even as I watch, I swear the stone creatures are slowly moving across the surface. It gives me a sort of Taj Mahal vibe¡ªif the Taj Mahal was as big as the Colosseum and covered in statues of fantasy creatures.

    ¡°No.¡± Zyneth smiles. ¡°It is that building. Welcome to the Athenaeum of Miasmere.¡±

    I gawk as we pass into its shadow. Features I mistook for decorations and arches are actually windows, stories and stories above us. It¡¯s the largest single structure I¡¯ve seen since coming to this world¡ªhell, it might be bigger than anything I¡¯ve seen back on Earth.

    A distant din of noise begins to surge as we approach. ¡°What is that sound?¡± I ask as Zyneth steers us to the front entrance. The entrance archway is two stories tall and half as wide, a constant stream of people pouring in and out.

    But Zyneth doesn¡¯t have to answer: as we step through the library¡¯s doors, the roar of people echoes through the stone chambers. There must be a thousand people in here. Floors filled with bookshelves spiral up the walls of the dome, wider across the base and narrower toward the ceiling, allowing a wide shaft of light from the very top of the library to fall all the way to the ground floor. Even so, hundreds of soft lights are strung across the space on white strings, like dewdrops on a spiderweb. In fact, the spider motif continues elsewhere, with dozens of white, cat-sized spiders running along the lines, towing clusters of books behind them to place back on their shelves. People are chatting, laughing, excitedly discussing the contents of tomes and scrolls with their companions¡ªnot a single shushing librarian in sight.

    ¡°This is not like Earth libraries,¡± I say.

    Zyneth laughs as we strike out across the floor.

    Already we¡¯re in a labyrinth of waist-high shelves that span almost the whole room. And calling it a room feels like a disservice when the entire Statue of Liberty could take a nap in here. The ground level is like some strange mix between an art museum and a bazaar; decorative fountains and statues litter the ground floor, interspersed between the shelves, while people seem to be holding loud business meetings in the stacks.

    ¡°Where do we even start?¡± I wonder aloud. To my right is a row of scrolls on a shelf labeled ¡°Agriculture.¡±

    ¡°What you¡¯ll be looking for is on higher floors,¡± Zyneth said, nodding toward the distant ceiling. ¡°The first floor is public information. Anyone may enter and exit the library and read what they wish at the ground level. Of course, Yedzaquib¡¯s helpers are spelled to prevent any of the texts from being taken from the premise.¡± He gestures to one of the spiders as it scurries across a nearby shelf. Up close, it appears to be made of stone, just like the marbled library itself, with a spell circle carved in its back and faint lines of magic tracing across its body.

    ¡°However,¡± Zyneth continues, ¡°the library is organized by scarcity of information. While common knowledge can be found down here, the higher you ascend, the rarer the information you will find. At the top is the most valuable knowledge the library contains. And of course, the higher you ascend, the more steep the entry fee.¡±

    Fee? This really isn¡¯t like Earth libraries at all. ¡°I do not have any money,¡± I say.

    ¡°Not to worry,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°The curator does not deal in coin.¡±

    Somehow, that makes me more worried.

    After ten minutes of wading through the crowd, we finally make it over to a ramp along the wall. There¡¯s several different ramps spread throughout the library, and they¡¯re all about as wide as a house, gradually inching their way up around the side of the dome in enormous spirals. More shelves of books, scrolls, and stone tablets run up the ramps. Unlike the front door, this entry point is blocked.

    A golden spiderweb is knit across the whole passage, at least a dozen feet high and twice as wide. The space between the strands glow with a film of light, and when I cautiously reach out to touch it, the light gives slightly, as if solid.

    One of the library¡¯s artificial spiders quickly skitters from the wall, across the top of the web, and then down to eye level. I take a hasty step back.

    Purple runes light up on the back of the spider, which then swirl into the shape of words. ¡°Admission fees required beyond this point.¡±

    I glance questioningly to Zyneth. ¡°How does this work?¡±

    ¡°Let me show you.¡± He steps up to the web and the spider construct crawls out of his way. Zyneth pauses for a moment, as if thinking, then steps forward. The web ripples like the surface of a lake, but otherwise doesn¡¯t seem to resist his passage. He stops on the other side and turns back. The runes on the spider swirl into a new form: 20.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    ¡°The payment is knowledge,¡± Zyneth explains. ¡°The more rare, the more valuable, and the more valuable, the higher floors you will have access to.¡±

    What the fuck? ¡°It is going to take my memories?¡±

    ¡°No, no,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°It only makes a copy. You¡¯ve nothing to worry about.¡±

    ¡°Oh yes,¡± I say. ¡°Do not worry about the mind-reading spider magic, Kanin. It is such a common, normal thing.¡±

    Zyneth snorts. ¡°It really is fairly normal. I submitted information about the Black Spire. A layout of some of the streets. You may decide how much information you wish to submit; sometimes withholding knowledge can be to your benefit if you know you do not need access to top floors, and you plan on returning for a future visit. But in this case, you may want to submit something more rare; information about summoning magic exists on all floors, but the information you¡¯re after is likely to be of the less common variety.¡±

    ¡°Hold on,¡± I say, still not nearly convinced this thing is as mundane as he claims. ¡°Give me a moment to Check it over myself.¡±

    [Memory Net, created by the curator Yedzaquib,] Echo says. [This field is imbued with a variant of the Mind Read spell.]

    I wait for more elaboration, but Echo appears to have finished. What, that¡¯s it?

    [Affirmative,] Echo says. [This unit¡¯s spell identification capacity is limited. Spells such as Inspect can provide more insight into the intentions and capabilities of arcana.]

    I grumble at that, but I guess I can¡¯t rely on Echo for everything. I¡¯ll keep that Inspect spell in mind for future research. So it really just reads my mind, it doesn¡¯t take any memories from me or anything?

    [Affirmative,] Echo says.

    Well, that¡¯s something I guess.

    What happens to the copy of my memory? I ask.

    [The knowledge stored within Yedzaquib¡¯s Athenaeum is gathered from the visiting patrons,] Echo says. [New information deemed worthy enough to be added to the library¡¯s catalogue is copied from the donated memories and later added to the stacks.]

    Guess I shouldn¡¯t go thinking about anything I wouldn¡¯t want to be public information, then.

    Echo and Zyneth¡¯s explanations are slightly mollifying, but this all still seems pretty fucking weird to me. Then again, I guess I¡¯m a soul stuck in an ink bottle piloting around a glass Ironman suit, so who am I to judge?

    ¡°Okay,¡± I say, hesitantly stepping forward. But what information should I give it? Something about Earth? I bet that¡¯s pretty rare. Unless everyday life stuff is ranked as ¡°common knowledge¡± even if it is from a different world. What about Echo? That seems to be unique to me, so far as I can tell. And that¡¯s something that¡¯s this-world specific. Alright, I guess it¡¯s worth a shot.

    I hold a cautious hand before me, nervously stepping through the web as I think about Echo, her level systems, and ways she catalogs people into certain classes. The light washes over me as I pass through the barrier unhindered, and I don¡¯t feel anything in particular as I pass through.

    [Warning,] Echo suddenly pipes up. [You have been subjected to a variant of the Mind Read spell.]

    Then, half a second later, she adds, [Spell timed out.]

    Creepy. But at least now I know Echo will notify me if anything like that happens again.

    I turn back to look as the spider¡¯s runes resolve into my floor access: 33.

    ¡°Gods¡¯ grace, Kanin,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°Thirty-three?!¡±

    ¡°What? Is that bad?¡± I ask. ¡°How high is that?¡±

    Zyneth shakes his head. ¡°All of them. That¡¯s all the floors.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± I say. ¡°Well that is good, right?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve never witnessed anyone gain access above thirty,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°What in the world did you do?¡±

    ¡°I do not know! I just did what you said!¡± I cry. ¡°Your instructions were vague!¡±

    ¡°They were highly specific.¡± Zyneth rubs his head. ¡°What memory did you offer?¡±

    ¡°Echo,¡± I say. ¡°I thought about her and the stat system I can see.¡±

    Zyneth blinks. ¡°And you didn¡¯t think mentioning an entirely unknown type of magic would be considered rare?¡±

    I strangle the air in front of me before I try to compose myself. ¡°Well I am not exactly an expert on what magic is or is not normal, am I?¡±

    That finally seems to land with him. ¡°Right,¡± he says. ¡°Sorry, I keep forgetting you¡¯re from¡­ Well, what¡¯s done is done.¡± Zyneth smooths out the front of his shirt. ¡°Let¡¯s get on with it, shall we?¡±

    ¡°Is it a problem?¡± I ask Zyneth as we climb the ramp. ¡°I thought I wanted to get to the higher floors.¡±

    ¡°You do,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°But if I¡¯m restricted to level twenty, then I can¡¯t accompany you beyond that.¡±

    ¡°I think I can handle reading some books on my own,¡± I say.

    Zyneth frowns. ¡°It will probably be fine. And I do need to begin investigating the task Gillow has given me, anyway. However¡­ Well, the upper floors can be risky. In order to make it to the top floors you must have knowledge on subjects most of the rest of the world does not. That can attract very powerful individuals.¡±

    ¡°Are they dangerous?¡± I ask, alarmed. Man, this really isn¡¯t anything like Earth libraries.

    ¡°Perhaps,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°Although¡­ I might be feeling overly cautious. The interaction with Gillow this morning still has me on edge.¡±

    I¡¯d nearly forgotten about them. To be honest, Red left me more uneasy than the nereid had. At least they hadn¡¯t been itching to grab my soul and dissect my body.

    ¡°I promise not to pick too many fights,¡± I say, though the translator¡¯s voice doesn¡¯t quite pick up the level of sarcasm I was going for.

    Zyneth nods, though his frown tells me he¡¯s still worried. ¡°Just try to keep a low profile while you¡¯re up there. Don¡¯t draw any undue attention to yourself.¡±

    What. ¡°Zyneth.¡± He glances my way as I gesture to, well, all of myself. ¡°Try not to draw attention?¡±

    That gets a laugh out of him. ¡°I suppose a glass homunculus isn¡¯t the most inconspicuous of forms, is it?¡±

    ¡°You think?¡±

    Zyneth lets out a breath. ¡°You¡¯ll be fine. The curator keeps a tight hand on the library, so there shouldn¡¯t be any trouble. I just don¡¯t like not being there to assist you, should you need it.¡±

    His concern would be touching if it didn¡¯t imply he still sees me as a helpless little test tube.

    Okay granted, just getting bumped into is likely to knock me over and cause me to shatter into a million pieces. But if the upper floors are as deserted as he says, it¡¯s the one I¡¯m currently on that I need to worry about.

    It takes nearly an hour to weave up the massive incline, which has got to be some kind of fire code violation. Zyneth explains how to use the library and search for subjects as we climb. Similar to how the entry spell worked, it involves thinking about the subject you want to find, touching a web on the end of a bookshelf, and then a string lights up¡ªor doesn¡¯t¡ªto guide you to the most relevant books on that shelf. Which sounds like it requires a lot of trial and error, but the shelves are at least generally sorted by subject. I guess this system doesn¡¯t much care about who the author is.

    ¡°So should I focus on summoning magic?¡± I ask Zyneth. ¡°Or traveling between dimensions? Or both?¡±

    He shrugs. ¡°I truly am not an expert in any of this. The Between is where this all first started. Perhaps that¡¯s the best place to look.¡±

    That sounds reasonable enough to me¡ªand maybe it can shed some light on the nature of the predator while I¡¯m at it. Not that the predator is my top priority anymore, now that it¡¯s contained, but I¡¯m not going to turn my nose up at any new information I might happen to come across.

    As with all previous levels, a number on the railing and a gold line of silk across the floor marks the end of the twentieth level. Zyneth stops, a golden web barrier similar to the first floor blocking his path.

    ¡°We can start our research on this floor,¡± Zyneth offers. ¡°There will be plenty of information on Between and different arcana sources on twenty and below.¡±

    He¡¯s just being nervous again. ¡°Somehow, I doubt reality-hopping magic is going to be in the ¡®common knowledge¡¯ sections of the library.¡±

    His lips twitch into a brief smile. ¡°Alright, I can take a hint. Good luck up there. Don¡¯t go too far¡ªit will take time just to walk back down. I¡¯ll be waiting on floor twenty until you return.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± I say, and then pause uncertainly. It¡¯s been so long since I¡¯ve had a body that I¡¯m not sure how to close out this conversation. A hug? A handshake? In the end I awkwardly wave, then turn and step over the line to floor twenty-one.

    A rush of excitement fills me as I leave Zyneth behind. Maybe I should feel bad about that. Like Noli, Zyneth has helped me with everything I¡¯ve needed, without question or compensation, since I got here. Even if they¡¯d never accept it, I owe them both a lot.

    But this is something I can do. Researching a way to get my body back finally gives me a modicum of autonomy over my circumstances.

    And I¡¯m way overdue to take things back into my own hands.

 Chapter 55 - Hot and Cold

    Taking Zyneth¡¯s advice¡ªand keeping in mind the earlier warning about dangerous folk maybe hanging around the top floors¡ªI only head up another couple levels before I start poking around the stacks. Already there are significantly less people around. The crowds had begun to thin once we¡¯d made it past floor ten, and they¡¯d gone down to a trickle by floor twenty. Up at my current vantage point, I only notice a dozen other people around, all already sitting at tables, buried in their books. Interestingly, however, there are more homunculi up here than there were in the general sections, the automatons often standing at attention next to their studious summoner, or pulling more scrolls and tablets from the shelves to bring back to their mage. I suppose it makes sense that the people frequenting the higher floors are more likely to be wizards or have the money to lease a homunculus, though seeing them around still creeps me out in a way I can¡¯t quite articulate. On the plus side, it means my presence isn¡¯t unusual. You know, apart from the glass thing.

    At Zyneth¡¯s suggestion, I wander over to the nearest shelf and rest my hand against the carving of a web that¡¯s embedded in the wood, thinking about the Between, the void, and null arcana. A light illuminates the design, shining just beneath the grain, but it quickly dims and fades out. I step to the next shelf, repeating the process, and the light glows, slightly brighter this time before fading once more.

    Well this is some Hot and Cold crap. Even so, I make my way around the shelves, trailing my hand over the surface of each one I pass. The light gets brighter the further I head up stacks, until finally it doesn¡¯t fade out at all. Instead, one of the zigzagging lines of web lights up, disappearing around the side of the shelf and out of sight. I poke my head around the corner and see the spider silk following a haphazard pattern which ends at a section of books midway down the stack. I follow the thread to the books it¡¯s indicating as the glow slowly fades from the shelf.

    The section it¡¯s led me to is about planar dimensions. I instinctively touch my satchel, where I have a similar book stored. Planar Theories, it¡¯s called, with the subtitle As Relevant to Arcana Sources and the Great Ruins. You know, your typical light reading. Then again, I¡¯m probably about to dive into some pretty dense stuff with these books, too.

    Unsure where to start, I grab one off the shelf¡ªwhere it immediately slips from my grasp and falls to the floor, narrowly avoiding shattering my foot. God damn it. I need to do something about this lack of upper body strength. And maybe upgrade to steel-toed shoes.

    Peeling some of the void away from my legs and back¡ªand standing as rigidly as possible to avoid falling over¡ªI grab the book with the shadows and order it back up off the floor. The void obliges¡ªfairly easily, in fact. I guess I shouldn¡¯t be surprised the void is stronger than my glass: the predator had been insanely powerful, and this is a piece of that monster. At least it¡¯s working for me, now.

    As handy as the void is at picking up books, I won¡¯t be able to walk anywhere while the void is holding them, which means I¡¯ll need to find a different way to ferry items around. Since my satchel is already stuffed full of my own two magic tomes, I set the library book on the shelf and summon my signing glass from beneath my cloak. Quickly working some Chains into the collection of glass, I create a very flimsy glass net which affixes to the side of my satchel. Adding the library book to my bag¡¯s side-cart, I send the void back to my legs and back, then make for the nearest table. This is going to become very tedious.

    I go through the books in a sort of a trial-and-error approach¡ªmostly error¡ªskimming the titles and chapters for something that looks relevant. All told, I dig through perhaps a dozen books over the course of the rapidly-expiring afternoon, gathering a smattering of relevant passages.

    Magic, one book reads, after I realize I¡¯m in a bit over my head and have to go back to the basics, is a fundamental force of existence, as natural as gravity, electricity, or elementary chemicals. While some may assert the field is inherently spiritual, this text prefers to take a more scientific approach. Magic is of course observable in everyday life, though more importantly the mechanics through which it is able to be manipulated are well known and repeatable, and even quantifiable. Mana, the volume of magic an individual has access to at any given time, is variable depending on species, practice, and natural talent, however it is measurable in all cases. And, like chemicals, magic comes in many forms¨Cqualitatively, we call these different fields arcana.

    If mana is the cup which limits how much magic you may stow, then arcana are the different liquids which may fill that cup. Each liquid has a different practical use: You would not use alcohol to put out a fire anymore than you would use water to disinfect a wound. Furthermore, each of these arcana arises from a magical source: the well that is used to fill your cup. Which well you have access to is limited by which arcana you have an affinity for.

    A summary of common arcana fields and their corresponding sources are listed below. This list is not comprehensive, and indeed there are numerous, if not infinite, planes from which mana can be pulled from, however what follows are the most oft used arcana sources in present society:

    The Gyre: Storm arcana, focusing in water, air, and electricity magics

    The Pith: Earth arcana, focusing in fire, stone, and metal magics

    The Lull: Life arcana, focusing in nature, healing, and necrotic magics

    The Abyss: Ocular arcana, focusing in illusion, light, and shadow magics

    The Between: Null arcana, focusing in void, space, and summoning magics

    There it is. And that fits what I understand so far about the Between and the nature of the void. All these places¨Cthe Abyss, the Gyre, the Between¨Care actual dimensions that can be traveled to. All sources of different types of magic. And somehow, Noli and I had ended up in the Between.

    I guess that makes sense, given the types of magic it enables. But the question is: how can I use that to recover my body from Earth?

    I wield null arcana, so if I¡¯m going to learn any new spells, I probably need to start there. And even though my affinity is void (well, and glass, which apparently falls way down into the Earth arcana tree, but that¡¯s not particularly useful in this instance), space and summoning also fall in the same general category, both of which sound promising for World Traveling Magics.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    In fact, that the predator came from Between also might hold some key to how I can access it. If I could learn more about the nature of the predator, maybe it¡¯ll give me some insight on how I can travel through the Between, too.

    Heading over to the nearest shelf, I think about the predator as I touch the web. The markings don¡¯t light up. That¡¯s odd¡ªusually they¡¯re at least dim if the knowledge is stored on a shelf further away. Maybe I¡¯m being too specific. Instead, I think more generally about creatures trapped in the Between and how that might happen. Still, though, nothing.

    Seeing as I have time to burn, I head up the flights of stairs, trying shelves one at a time. The library grows quiet the higher I climb, and fewer and fewer individuals are around each new floor I ascend. Over floor twenty-eight, I start to draw looks. There¡¯s only one or two people in each of these sections, so any newcomers seem to draw attention¡ªnot that my appearance helps. But still, there¡¯s nothing on the predator. Nothing even tangentially related. The shelves don¡¯t show the slightest flicker of light. Something about this makes me uneasy.

    Breaching thirty, the webs are still completely unresponsive to anything related to the predator. Something definitely feels strange about this to me now. Seeing as I¡¯ve already come this far, I decide to head all the way to the top. As I circle around the dome, each of the higher levels have become shorter and shorter, and when I finally make it to the top of the library, Floor Thirty-Three is little more than a spacious room with a handful of dusty shelves.

    No one else is here. The space feels tense and oppressive. Hastily, I do a lap around the room, trailing my hand over every shelf I pass. But not a single thread lights up. There isn¡¯t one scrap of information on the predator in this entire library. And if this is supposed to be the world¡¯s greatest wealth of knowledge, does that mean no one anywhere has information on it?

    Unsettled, I quickly head back down. I try to shake away the disquiet the top floors left me with. It would have been nice to learn more about that creature, but I suppose it¡¯s not my main objective anyway. I should stay focused on learning a way to retrieve my body. That¡¯s why I¡¯m here, after all. Quickly leaving the stifling atmosphere of the upper levels behind, I head back to the low twenties and spend the rest of the day reading books on null arcana and the Between.

    I reluctantly leave the library that evening, at Zyneth¡¯s insistence, when he¡¯s ready for dinner. Seems he¡¯s not wild about leaving me here alone overnight, no matter how much more efficient that might be.

    By the end of Day One, I¡¯ve absorbed a handful of new spells, including that Inspect spell Echo mentioned.

    [Inspect: Used as a skill, it may glean information about a spell¡¯s power, arcana type, and purpose. Additional information may be obtained by activating as a spell.]

    [Dowse: A spell which can detect a nearby element or arcana source which the caster has an affinity for.]

    [Refraction: A combination of glass and void arcana, this spell incorporates the tertiary abilities of shadow and light to create a low-grade illusory spell which can be used for basic camouflage.]

    [Void Whip: A volume of Attuned void may be infused with mana in order to lend power and solidity to the limb.]

    Inspect might come in useful at some point: learning more about spells might even help me here in the library. Refraction seemed interesting on the surface, but after I try to activate it, I find I don¡¯t have nearly enough mana for it to cloak my whole body. At most, I¡¯m able to make my hand shimmer and disappear, though the light warps through my hand strangely, making it apparent that something is still there. As the spell says, it¡¯s only basic camouflage at best.

    The Void Whip is curious. Seems like a better offensive attack than trying to stab things with my fragile glass fragments, prone to shattering, although doing so would mean repurposing the void that¡¯s currently keeping me upright and walking. I¡¯m also not really planning on getting into any more trouble. Ideally, it¡¯s a spell I¡¯ll never need.

    Hah! That¡¯s laughable. Not like trouble doesn¡¯t always seem to find me.

    ¡°Anything at all?¡± Zyneth asks me that night over a bowl of steaming noodles and broth. ¡°Leads, at least?¡±

    The crowd here is nearly as bustling as it was on the first floor of the Athenaeum. We¡¯re only a block or two away from the library, but the busting excitement seems to have bled from one scene to the other. Everyone here is always moving, always talking. It¡¯s a far cry from Noli and Rezira¡¯s quiet hometown of Bluevine. In some ways, Miasmere reminds me of Los Angeles, but the people here are too strange for it to feel familiar.

    ¡°I am not sure,¡± I admit. ¡°The lack of information on the predator was odd. And studying the Between does not seem to be the right answer. I understand more about basic magic now, but nothing that would help me recover my body.¡± Or find a way home. For some reason, I don¡¯t say that part aloud. ¡°I have mostly been researching void magic and the Between. I think going forward I should focus on other fields of null magic: summoning and space.¡±

    ¡°That sounds like a good plan,¡± Zyneth says, stirring a spoon through the broth thoughtfully. ¡°This was only the first day, afterall. I might have six days to fulfill Gillow¡¯s job, but you¡¯ve all the time in the world to browse the Athenaeum¡¯s stacks. There¡¯s a wealth of knowledge here: You should take your time and learn as much as you¡¯re able.¡±

    An inebriated customer at the next table over is talking loudly and gesturing wildly to his tablemate, consistently knocking into an array of bottles that almost certainly will be sent cascading to the street at any moment. I wonder if I could swipe a couple to Attune later tonight while Zyneth sleeps.

    ¡°I know, you are right,¡± I say, drumming my fingers on the table. Instead of satisfying deep tones, the glass on wood provides a musical tinkling. I stop. ¡°I am just impatient. I want to be moving forward faster.¡±

    ¡°You are already mastering magic at a remarkable rate,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°You could probably learn dozens of more spells here while you¡¯re at it.¡±

    That sounds overwhelming. But it also might break up the monotony. And I suppose anything that might help me get closer to recovering my body¡ªand prevent me from dying in the meantime¡ªis worth my while.

    The drunk man finally overestimates his dexterity. One of the bottles falls over from a slap of his hand, then goes rolling to the edge of the table. Zyneth reaches for it. I cast Void Whip.

    The void from my legs and spine jumps into a limb of shadows, snapping out to grab the bottle as it tips off the table. I catch it an inch above Zyneth¡¯s outstretched hand.

    He looks up at me, raising an impressed eyebrow. ¡°See? Progress already.¡±

    I set the bottle down on our table then disperse the magic.

    [Spell ended. Mana cost: 5,] Echo says.

    The shadows had felt almost solid. More real than they ever had before. ¡°It will certainly help with carrying books,¡± I say.

    Zyneth snorts.

    ¡°What?¡± I demand, a little offended. That wasn¡¯t supposed to be a joke.

    ¡°I just never pictured you as the bookish type,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°Yet, here we are.¡±

    Hm. I suppose, neither did I. I hadn¡¯t been much of a reader back on Earth¡ªnot apart from reading my scripts. But I guess I hadn¡¯t had an important reason to read before now. My very existence hadn¡¯t depended on it. And you know, reimagining myself as a bookish type doesn¡¯t even feel that strange to me now. Funny how things change. ¡°Here we are,¡± I agree.

    As we leave to retire to our inn for the night, I swipe another two bottles from the drunk man¡¯s table. Can never have too much glass.

 Chapter 56 - Magical Compass

    After a night spent Attuning the glass and using it to patch up various chips and reinforce my book side satchel, we head back to the Athenaeum in the morning. The easiest way I could solve my predicament is if I could summon my body to me¡ªif such a thing is even possible. As I make my way back in, I find I still have access to every level of the library, and I''ll continue to have that access for the next few days: I guess my info was just that good. Zyneth heads off to other floors in investigation of Gillow¡¯s job, while I decide to spend the day focusing on summoning magic.

    The spiderwebs lead me up to a lot of books about forging telepads, which, I suppose, is kind of a summoning magic, but not what I¡¯m looking for. There¡¯s even more on summoning monsters, undead, and other types of malicious beasts¡ªwhich is even further from what I want, though potentially the mechanism through which these creatures can be summoned might be relevant to what I want to do. Trying to ignore the mounting headache from pouring over tiny scripts and extremely dense magical theory, I find a handful of passages that might be tangential to what I need.

    The art of summoning creatures or objects, one book reads, is a wide branch of magic that is oft misunderstood. Elemental summoning¡ªconjuring a flame or wind¡ªis the simplest and most common form, and has been greatly explored in other texts in more detail, and so will not be delved into within these pages. Rather, the ability to summon some physical being or construct in its entirety is a much more complex and nuanced topic.

    Contrary to popular belief, a mage cannot simply conjure a demon on a whim. Any living beings that a mage wishes to summon must be marked with a target spell prior to any summoning. Similarly, items may be branded with a spell that allows them to be summoned at will. Without these creatures or items being infused with the necessary summoning magic in advance, conjuring the target is impossible.

    Well that doesn¡¯t bode well for the ¡°summon my body from Earth¡± plan. I skim ahead as it takes a tangent on telepads, comparing the mechanism for summoning items to the mechanism used for transporting people between telepads. Apparently, both use null arcanum and several of the same spell circle elements. At least null arcana is one point I have in my favor; apparently most of these spells can only be operated by people with a type of null magic affinity. Small victories.

    Finally a subsection on monster summons addresses the issue I¡¯m facing.

    So how does a mage initially encounter a creature they wish to summon, you might be asking? Assuming you¡¯re not able to pre-arrange a meeting or run into the specimen by happenstance, there are various ways a creature may be tracked down. The most reliable method, of course, is via a Location spell.

    Unhelpfully, the book does not go into more depth on what a Location spell is or how it can be used. I guess the author just assumes anyone dabbling in summoning magic would already have a grasp on something so obviously basic. After flipping through the rest of the book and not getting anywhere, I decide to branch out.

    I place the summoning book on a return shelf¡ªwhich is quickly spirited away by a spider construct¡ªand then return to the shelves to look for any information on Location spells.

    Over the course of the day, I have to get up several times to swap out books, since I can¡¯t carry them all at once, (unless I want to burn through my mana using dozens of Void Whips,) and on more than one occasion I draw the eye of a curious guest perusing the stacks. A catgirl keeps staring at me whenever I step past one of the glowing orbs of light that keeps the room lit, inadvertently scattering a rainbow across her desk. Once or twice, I swear she paws at the reflection. A bald human man glares at me when I nearly bump into him, rounding the shelves. Hastily apologizing, I head back to my seat. Keep a low profile, Zyneth said.

    Location spells allow the caster to create a magical compass to the desired target object, one book reads. They can provide precise locations or a general direction, depending on the design of the spell and the strength of the input foci. An input foci is what allows the target to be identified in the first place, and must be related to the target in some intimate way. For instance, a piece of sentimental clothing owned by the target will result in a stronger and more precise spell than a cup they¡¯ve drunk from or a stone they¡¯ve thrown, and hair or fingernail clippings would have an even stronger bond than these. If the target is an inanimate object, such as a dagger, the tool that was used to create it or the sheath it often resided in could also be used as foci.

    I read on about the different spell circles that can be used to cast such a Location spell, but I¡¯m worrying this path may be a non-starter as well. If I need some sentimental belonging that¡¯s associated with my body, I¡¯m not going to find it in this world. It¡¯s a frustrating circle: To summon my body I need to find it, but to find my body I first have to be able to summon something related to it.

    [New Spell Learned!] Echo announces as I¡¯m rereading the pages, hoping to find some alternative that could work for my situation. [Spell: Location. A spell which can guide the caster to the targeted source of a relevant foci. Requirement: Spell circle, variable mana, designated foci.]

    Well that¡¯s nice and all, but it doesn¡¯t help me so long as I don¡¯t have anything on this planet I can use as a foci.

    Or do I?

    Echo, I ask, can a soul be used as the foci for the Location spell?

    [Affirmative,] Echo says. [Although circumstances in which a soul would be separated from its body are exceptionally rare, the inherent nature between soul and body would provide an extremely powerful bond for the foci to trace.]

    Hope flutters through me. Is this it? Is this the answer I¡¯ve been hoping for? Could it be that easy?

    What¡¯s the mana cost to activate this spell? I ask.

    [Mana cost to activate: 20. Additionally, the spell consumes 1 mana per minute that the spell is maintained.]

    So not something that could be left on indefinitely, but hopefully I wouldn¡¯t need to. I pull out my slate and chalk, glancing back through the pages at the circle designs and adjustments that the spell requires.

    Show me the spell circle, I tell Echo. Targeting my soul as the foci.

    The image appears in my mind the next moment, and I begin to sketch it out on my slate.

    I spend maybe an hour perfecting every detail I can manage. Despite my excitement, I try not to rush it. I can afford to take my time, after all, and the last thing I want is a botched spell similar to what ended up pulling me here in the first place. If this works, then the spell should provide me with some sort of ¡°path¡± I can follow to my body. I don¡¯t know how that will play out given my body is on another world, but it can¡¯t hurt to try. If nothing else, maybe it will lead me to the next piece of the puzzle I¡¯m looking for.

    Eventually, finally, the circle is ready. Alright, Echo, I say, leaning back. Let¡¯s ready that Location spell. With my soul as the foci.

    [Affirmative,] Echo says. [Mana cost: 20. Activate?]

    I remove my core from the chain around my neck, and slip it from its bag, setting it gently at the center of the circle. With a flutter of anticipation, I activate the spell.

    The circle lights up with my magic. Black light swirls around my vial, wisping through the glass. Tendrils of magic curl around my core as I try not to squirm, deeply unnerved by being surrounded by this unfamiliar spell. I wonder if this is how Noli felt when I was trying to put her soul back in her body. The filaments of magic twine together into one strand, and maybe it¡¯s my imagination, but I think I can feel something tugging on my soul. Then, the magic stops.

    The line vanishes into thin air a few inches from my body. I¡¯ve seen something like this before: when I use Bond Trace, the predator¡¯s thread similarly vanishes as it moves away from my core, because the predator isn¡¯t on this plane of existence, but Between.

    Is that where this spell is pointing me? I ask Echo. Is the ¡°path¡± leading back Between?

    [Affirmative,] Echo says. [As the target object is on a different plane of reality, the shortest path joining the foci with the target object would require traversing Between.]

    ¡°Oh, is that all,¡± I mumble. I shut the spell off, uninterested in draining the rest of my mana. Not that I haven¡¯t been Between before¡ªbut I¡¯m not entirely sure how to get back (without dying) and even then, I¡¯m not sure I want to. Without something tethering you to reality, like, say, a senile wizard¡¯s magic-collection spell, or an ink bottle your soul has been bound to, traversing the Between risks ending up in the afterlife. And as far as I understand it, there¡¯s no coming back from that.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

    If I could find a way Between, I ask Echo, would this spell pull me through it? Back to my body?

    [Negative,] Echo says, and my hope falters. [The Location spell merely provides a direction to follow, not a path to traverse. However, if a spell could be enacted to bridge the current plane of existence with a desired plane, the Location spell may be used to provide the target destination.]

    Huh. So you¡¯re saying if I could find some sort of interdimensional-telepad, I could use this Location spell to make sure the other end pops out where my body is?

    [Affirmative,] Echo says.

    Which means I wouldn¡¯t just be retrieving my body, I¡¯d also have a way back to Earth.

    I sit back, trying to take all this information in. Does that mean I could go home? The idea fills me with a strange mix of hope and reluctance. I mean, I do want to go home, don¡¯t I? Of course I do. I spent my whole life trying to pursue my dream of becoming an actor¡ªI can¡¯t quit now. Earth is where I¡¯m somebody. Where everyone I¡¯ve ever known lives.

    Except Attiru, Rezira, Noli, and Zyneth.

    My soul churns, and I shake my head as if that could dispel my disquiet. I¡¯m getting ahead of myself. This still isn¡¯t a real way to get my body back. I don¡¯t even know if there is a spell that can do what Echo¡¯s describing. Besides, this is just the second day of research. Maybe there¡¯s other answers out there.

    I push my chair back and stand up¡ªand something thumps to my right, causing me to jump. A man¡ªthe bald man I¡¯d nearly run into before¡ªpicks up one of the texts he¡¯s dropped. The cat girl hushes him, and he glares at the both of us before hurrying away. Careful to not disturb the irritable felis, I quietly re-stow my vial, return the book I was reading, and move on to other shelves.

    I can¡¯t quite shake the idea Echo had suggested, though. The idea of an interdimensional telepad keeps itching at me. Rezira had said something about this when I first told her I was from another world: There were myths about the Old People being able to world-walk. Something to do with the Ruins, she¡¯d said.

    Planar Theories mentioned the various arcana sources and their link to the Ruins. Apparently, various abandoned ancient cities scattered over the world¡¯s surface are linked to each of these dimensions, their raw magic spilling out into the surrounding lands. Emrox, the one now sunk far beneath the sea, is the Ruin tied to null magic and the Between. And although it seems I¡¯m far from the only one who has developed an affinity for null magic¡ªTrenevalt and telepad operators being a few others¡ªit¡¯s apparently so volatile to manipulate in its raw form that everyone resorts to using the null arcana-infused salt from the sea around Emrox instead.

    It seems to me if there¡¯s going to be any sort of forgotten world-bridging magic¡ªsome scaled-up version of a telepad¡ªit¡¯s most likely to be there.

    The next time I touch the web on the end of a bookshelf, I focus on the Ruins, Between, and Emrox.

    Although it is unknown why the Ruins were abandoned and left to fall into the disarray we find them in today, one tome reads, one thing remains clear: Each society was built around a specific arcanum source, and that connection is maintained, at least to some degree, to this day.

    The evidence lies in the environment surrounding each Ruin. The bones of dead wildlife are spawned into new beings around the Black Spire. The surrounding woods continue to turn to stone around the Petrified Groves at an estimated rate of one inch per year. The moats of Mount Carmine forever overflow with lava. And if an adventurer is determined enough, it has even been demonstrated that skilled magicians who have ventured into these locations¡ªand survived¡ªwere able to harness the arcana there without being limited by their individual mana reserves. Incredible, seemingly impossible acts of magic have been performed at these locations. Whatever spell the wielder may wish to enact, it has the potential to be magnified a thousand fold.

    I excitedly read on, hoping they have some insight into what this would mean for Emrox, but it seems no one has gotten that far. Its inhospitable location¡ªat the bottom of the ocean¡ªcoupled with the deep-sea beasts that have become infused with the null magic apparently make it too dangerous for even aquatic species of people to approach. Harvesting the faintly magical salt deposits at the edge of the sea is as close as anyone dares venture.

    The rest of the books on this floor don¡¯t offer any further insight, so I decide to move up a floor or two. The rarest texts should be at the top, after all, and what I¡¯m looking for has maybe never been attempted before.

    At floor twenty-seven, I find another lead.

    As before, I take the book back to a desk and begin to leaf through it. There are far less people up here. The bald guy has also wandered up. Every once in a while, a lone patron wanders down.

    This book is on Emrox.

    The first thing I notice is the map. Or rather, pages and pages of maps. Half the book seems dedicated to sketches of the drowned city, some more clearly defined than others. If I seriously am considering trying to visit the city, this is exactly what I¡¯d need. I wish I could take this book with me.

    Echo, can you take snapshots or something? I ask.

    [Negative,] Echo says, and maybe it¡¯s my imagination but I think she sounds mildly offended. [This interface is not designed for such purposes.]

    You copied down spell circles and ingredient lists for me before, I note. Can you copy any of this? Maybe recreate the general map?

    [Negative,] Echo says. [Once a spell has been learned, this unit is able to recall elements of the spell for future use. However, recalling the notional layout of an unknown city does not fall under that domain.]

    Damn. No Google Maps for me. It was worth a shot, anyway. I keep flipping through the pages, trying to absorb as much as possible.

    A handful of locations are labeled. The Main Gates. The Broken Pillars. There¡¯s also a central feature the city appears to be built around, some sort of stadium with an enormous spell circle carved into the center. The circle itself is at least as big as a house.

    What about that? I ask Echo. That¡¯s a spell circle. Can you copy it?

    [Negative, as you do not know the spell.]

    If I practiced drawing it enough times it might get added to my spell list, and then maybe she¡¯d be able to tell me more about what it could do. I pull out my slate and chalk, use my cloak to wipe off the Location spell, and then attempt to replicate what I can see of the circle. In the picture, parts of the spell are covered up or missing entirely, so I leave those parts blank. My drawing isn¡¯t perfect, but since it¡¯s not imbued with any magic and I have no idea what other requirements its activation might need, I¡¯m not worried about accidentally setting it off.

    After I finish flipping through the book¡ªI find more notes indicating Emrox and null arcana are speculated to be some long-forgotten link to other dimensions¡ªI return it to the shelf. Then I pick up the slate, focus on the spell circle I¡¯d drawn there, and begin searching the stacks once more. Nothing on this level, besides the book I¡¯d just returned, has any information on the circle. I keep heading up.

    The library is getting quiet. What was once a roar of people has diminished into a distant murmur. I wonder if magic is muting it, or if it¡¯s a trick of the acoustics.

    I finally hit another match on floor thirty-one. The light on the end of the shelf zips around the corner, and I follow it to a shelf near the floor. This one isn¡¯t covered in books, but scrolls. Given the lack of people and the unlikelihood of me getting in anyone¡¯s way, I simply sit on the ground and unfurl the scroll right there.

    The paper is old and crinkly. There¡¯s writing on the pages, and more spell circle drawings, but the alphabet is in a language I don¡¯t recognize.

    [Active translation?] Echo asks.

    Whatever would I do without her? Activate.

    The words snap into focus.

    Lost Spells, the scroll reads. There¡¯s no marked author. Circle remnants of The Fallen.

    I¡¯m sure that¡¯s fine.

    I steadily unfurl the far end as I begin to re-roll the section I¡¯ve already read. Some spell circles¡ªor at least, partial circles, as many have blank spots in their pattern¡ªcontain a paragraph of speculation about what they might have done. Many more, however, are merely labeled things like ¡°Partial circle found in The Green. Year: 732.¡±

    It doesn¡¯t take long until I find the one for Emrox, and luckily, this one comes with text.

    Partial circle found in Emrox. Year: 945. Reinforcement of double outer circle suggests spell containment was necessary. Inner ten-point star comparable to design used in modern telepads, indicating a high likelihood the spell was used for dimensional magic. Author¡¯s speculation: If anywhere in this city still maintains a connection to the Between, it is likely tied to this circle. However the patterns are much more intricate than to simply provide an access point to null arcana. It is the author¡¯s belief that the tunnel Between is merely one component of this spell; a stepping stone to power a much more complex magic. Based on what can be made of the circle, and the common mythologies which surround the city¡ªbe them truth or fiction¡ªthe purpose of this circle may have been to link different physical locations, possibly with other Ruins, other arcana planes, or even potentially other worlds.

    I feel a rush of excitement. This is it. The spell I need to get home. Sure, it¡¯s incomplete, but it¡¯s somewhere to start. And if I can find some way to fill in the blanks, maybe I can activate it without dealing with Emrox. Taking my slate back out, I begin adding to the circle I¡¯d previously drawn, trying to be as precise and detailed as possible. There are still gaps in the drawing, but given the circle¡¯s symmetry, I¡¯m hoping I can infer some of what¡¯s missing.

    [Your magic has been Identified,] Echo abruptly says.

    I freeze, a chill running through my soul. What? What do you mean?

    [A spell has been cast on you to gather information about your nature and magic.]

    What the fuck. I look to my left and right¡ªthen nearly jump out of my glass as I find a figure standing at the end of the shelf. It¡¯s the bald man I¡¯d nearly run into before. He¡¯s staring right at me.

    Danger.

    I don¡¯t know how I know that, but every instinct in me is telling me to run. This isn¡¯t right. Why hadn¡¯t I heard him? Why is he covertly scanning my magic?

    Are we alone?

    Shit shit shit. Zyneth told me not to go far, but I¡¯m ten floors above him now. What the hell was I thinking?

    All I can do now is try to leave out the other side of the shelf. If he doesn¡¯t know I¡¯m onto him, maybe I can give him the slip. Okay, Kanin. Play it cool.

    ¡°Oh, hello,¡± I say, tucking my slate and chalk back into my bag. ¡°I did not see you there. Sorry if¡ª¡±

    The man¡¯s fingers twitch, and a red light flashes from his hand.

    [Status Effect: Immobilized,] Echo says. [Your movements have been restrained.]

    My body locks up. Every piece of glass frozen in place. At the edge of my vision I can see my hand still holding the lid of my satchel, in the process of letting it go, but at this moment I can¡¯t even get a finger to twitch. Panic wells up inside of me like a strangled scream.

    The man strolls casually forward. His casualness terrifies me. Like I¡¯m nothing.

    ¡°Now,¡± he says. ¡°Let¡¯s see what prize we have here.¡±

 Chapter 57 - Masterful Design

    Oh fuck oh fuck oh fuck. What was I thinking? Zyneth warned me. He told me not to go too high or wander off on my own. And I blew him off like he was babying me.

    Okay, calm down. I can figure this out. First I need to know what I¡¯m dealing with.

    [Name: Raz]

    [Species: Human]

    [Class: Flame Artificer]

    [Level: 46]

    [HP: 100/100]

    [Mana: 1051/1055]

    Fuuuuuuck.

    Raz, the highest level I¡¯ve seen in this world, strolls toward me with his hands clasped behind his back.

    ¡°This must be some mistake,¡± I say, desperately trying to buy time. Will his spell time out? Or does he need to lose focus? ¡°I have done nothing against you.¡±

    ¡°Fascinating,¡± Raz says, stopping before me. ¡°I¡¯ve heard homunculus equipped with basic speech modules before, but never with this much nuance. You appear to be a homunculus, at any rate. But I witnessed you perform a spell earlier. Such a thing should not be possible, unless something more is going on here. Perhaps you act as an intermediary for your mage¡¯s arcana? Fascinating indeed. Tell me, creature, where¡¯s your creator?¡±

    ¡°Dead,¡± I answer, too panicked to figure out what response would be the most in my favor. ¡°And he was not my creator. Now if you would please let me go.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re capable of lying? Delightful,¡± he says. ¡°But a homunculus cannot merely stroll up here on their own. They should be bound to the same level as their master. So try again. Where is your creator?¡±

    ¡°It is just me,¡± I say. ¡°I am not lying.¡±

    He tsks in disappointment, then crouches down next to me. ¡°Such craftsmanship.¡± Raz reaches out to run a finger along my hand, and revulsion explodes through me at the touch. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen anything quite like it. Glass is a peculiar choice.¡± He takes hold of my finger, and in one deft move, snaps it off.

    ¡°Ahhh!¡± Pain jolts up my arm.

    [5 points of Sundering Damage sustained.]

    ¡°Hmm.¡± He examines the finger. ¡°Not very stable, I see. It could be crafted for better durability. Tell me, did you actually feel that, or is the reaction merely an imitation of life¡ªa complex function of your spell?¡±

    ¡°Expletive you,¡± I say. I feel hot and tingly all over, every inch of glass straining to move, to run, to defend myself. The pain in my hand dims to a dull thrum beneath the staticky panic.

    ¡°Expletive?¡± Raz repeats with a chuckle. ¡°Are you trying to swear at me? You may be the most complex simulation of life I¡¯ve ever seen in a homunculus. Are you sure you don¡¯t want to tell me where you came from?¡±

    ¡°I am not a homunculus,¡± I say, fear spiking as his gaze travels slowly over my body, as if deciding which part of me he wants to destroy next. ¡°I have a soul. Please, let me go. I can explain everything, just do not hurt me.¡±

    Instead of answering, he grabs my head next¡ªthe inverted glass pyramid, and pulls it from where it was frozen above my neck.

    ¡°Hey!¡± My vision spins wildly around, half obscured by his hand. I would have lost my balance if I wasn¡¯t frozen in place.

    ¡°Strange,¡± he mutters to himself, pulling out a knife. There¡¯s strange runes carved into the flat of the blade, which illuminate as he brings the point up to my head. I can feel heat against my glass as if I¡¯m pressed up against a furnace.

    ¡°Wait!¡± I try, panic welling up inside me. ¡°Do not do this, please, I am a person, a real person, there¡¯s a soul in my¡ªAHHHHHHH!¡±

    [7 points of Searing Damage sustained.]

    He might as well be cutting into flesh. Searing heat slices through me as his knife cuts off a corner of my vision. A glob of glass drops to the ground, molten. My mind swims in a pain-filled haze. I¡¯ve broken my glass a hundred times by now, and while it always hurt like a nicked finger or bruised knee, this burns. It hurts, it hurts so much more than it should. I want to pass out. To shut my mind down and stop feeling what I¡¯m feeling. But that¡¯s the worst curse of this body¡ªI don¡¯t ever get a break from existing.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

    ¡°Hush now,¡± Raz says, as if admonishing a noisy child. ¡°I¡¯d much prefer to get some answers out of you, but I will apprehend that translator if you get too loud. You do seem to feel pain, at least¡ªor are producing a very good simulation of it. I must find your artisan. Masterful design, really.¡±

    ¡°Stop,¡± I croak. ¡°Please.¡± All I can do is beg. Pathetic.

    I relax a fraction when he sheaths the molten knife and tucks it away once more. However, his next move jolts my sluggish mind alert.

    ¡°Now, what was this you were saying about a soul?¡± Raz asks. He brushes the corner of my cloak away, revealing my core, hanging on its chain. Only a thin layer of cloth separates me from his grasp. Raz reaches for it.

    No, no, no, no, no. The idea of his hand closing over me sends waves of claustrophobia through my body. I have to move. I have to do something!

    Immobilized, I blurt to Echo, desperately stumbling over the thought. It¡¯s just restraining me physically, right? I can still do magic?

    [Affirmative,] Echo says.

    I don¡¯t waste another moment. Activating a Sculpt, I reshape the glass in my head piece, wrapping it around the man¡¯s hand like his fingers have sunk into a pile of wet clay. My vision warps insensibly, wrapping in over itself, and I quickly shut the sense off, plunging my world into darkness. But my trips to the Between have left me used to this blindness. I don¡¯t need to see to feel.

    Raz cries out, shaking his hand, but I only clamp down harder, forming the surface into spikes as I stab into his hand. Now, it¡¯s his turn to scream.

    [15 points of Piercing Damage dealt. Immobilize effect neutralized,] Echo says.

    I sag to the floor, barely stopping myself from toppling over. My head piece still attached to Raz¡¯s hand, I scramble away from the insane mage. Pulling out my signing glass while I do, I quickly use a Sculpt to mash it together into a sphere and turn my sight back on in the floating ball¡ªjust in time to see Raz smash his hand against the floor, shattering all the glass around it.

    [12 points of Piercing Damage dealt.]

    [35 points of Bludgeoning Damage sustained.]

    ¡°Ahh!¡± Phantom pain stabs through me as the prism shatters into a hundred pieces, and I can feel every essence of myself in that glass fracture apart. But it¡¯s not as bad as the molten knife, and I can¡¯t let it get to me¡ªI don¡¯t have time to nurse wounds. I scramble to my feet as Raz rounds on me, blood dripping from his clutched hand, a snarl on his face. He raises a finger on his good hand, light forming at its tip.

    ¡°Lightbeam!¡± I cry. The fractured pieces of my head snap into configuration, and I pump every ounce of mana I have into the spell.

    A searing white light crashes into the mage. He screams, in pain or rage I¡¯m not sure, and I sure as fuck am not sticking around to find out. I keep the Lightbeam on him as I sprint to the end of the shelf, only shutting the spell off as I round the corner and recall the glass to me.

    [35 points of Light Damage dealt.]

    I race down the spiraling library as fast as I dare. Maybe now that I¡¯ve gotten away, he won¡¯t follow.

    ¡°You bastard!¡± he calls, and I hear a crashing sound, then the rapid thud of pursuing footsteps. Well, so much for that.

    It¡¯s all I can do to push my legs faster. If I trip now, I¡¯ll break off a lot more than just a limb.

    [Spell Level Up!] Echo happily declares.

    Now is not the time, Echo! I cry.

    [Lightbeam: Level 2. The spell now takes 20% less mana to cast, or can be used with 20% increased light damage.]

    Oh goody, I am so thrilled to have this information forced through my brain right at this moment when I couldn¡¯t possibly have anything more important to be focusing on!

    A fireball crashes into the shelf right next to my head. I reel away, stumbling into the railing. My forearm cracks as it strikes the banister.

    [5 points of Bludgeoning Damage sustained. Bludgeoning damage resistance Level Up!]

    What the fuck is wrong with this guy?

    [Bludgeoning Damage Resistance: Level 3. Damage taken from bludgeoning related sources reduced by 30%.]

    Echo, I swear to fuck.

    ¡°How dare you,¡± Raz snarls, storming after me. There¡¯s swirling fire in his hands and a red heat shimmering from one of his eyes. A thin stream of smoke wafts up from his other eye, scorched black where my Lightbeam struck him. He paces toward me, steps measured and inevitable, as a venomous sneer stains his face.

    If he¡¯s trying to look terrifying, he¡¯s goddamn succeeding.

    There¡¯s still another ten floors to descend before I can make it to Zyneth¡ªten long, grueling circuits down the spiral. It would take at least five minutes, and that¡¯s if I were running, and that¡¯s if I weren¡¯t dodging a deranged mage.

    With his 1051 mana against my 56, I can¡¯t out-magic him. And with his human body against my glass, I can¡¯t outrun him. Backed against the railing, there¡¯s only one way to get down quickly that I can think of.

    It¡¯s probably a terrible idea.

    See, technically, I should be able to float. I can levitate my signing glass just fine. And as long as the stuff I¡¯m lifting isn¡¯t heavier than the glass itself, I can also carry stuff around¡ªlike this cloak and Noli¡¯s bookbag. The biggest issue I¡¯ve run into is trying to focus on each individual piece, trying to hold them all in my mind at once. If I don¡¯t actively make each one float, then they just become dead weight. Thus, all the walking.

    Even trying to get them to float as a tiny walking glass vial, with much fewer pieces to worry about, had been too hard for me. Of course, I didn¡¯t have heaps of opportunities to practice, given the crunch time of my spell expiring, but this last month I¡¯d played around with it as I was building up my new body. I could often get whole limbs to levitate on their own: both arms. A leg and a torso. My head and hands. Hypothetically, it¡¯s just about remaining focused. Hypothetically, if I concentrate on only levitating all the biggest, heaviest pieces, they should be able to carry the weight of all the smaller ones.

    Hypothetically, this isn¡¯t suicide.

    Raz paces forward, bringing his hands together as a ball of fire grows into existence between his palms. I clutch the railing, my soul fluttering with the horror and stupidity of what I¡¯m about to do. Raz looses the fireball, and I jump.

 Chapter 58 - Some Duel of Fates Shenanigans

    I ragdoll through the air for one horrifying moment. Paradoxically, I have a perfectly steady view of my body falling to its inevitable doom as the orb I¡¯m using to see through floats peacefully nearby. It¡¯s absurd. I want to laugh¡ªor maybe that¡¯s the panic. The ground floor is rushing up to me alarmingly fast, and I don¡¯t have time to think about it.

    I seize my glass. All of it. As much as I can hold in my mind, as complex as I can imagine it. Float, damn you, float, float, float!

    And the void reacts, too. It scatters then reforms, infinitesimally small pieces snapping into every Chained joint, stopping my haphazard flails as each limb locks abruptly into place. And for one moment, I can see it all: the whole, instead of individual pieces. Like it¡¯s just one continuous form. I latch onto this, mentally grabbing my body and throwing it to the side. I clip the banister as I fling myself back onto a floor and go rolling across the ground.

    I feel my limbs break.

    [10 points of Fall Damage sustained. 3 points of Bludgeoning Damage sustained. 7 points of Bludgeoning Damage sustained. 2 points of Bludgeoning Damage sustained. 23 points of Sundering Damage sustained.]

    My health plummets as my foot breaks off¡ªfingers shatter¡ªmy forearm cracks. I roll to a stop, stunned and aching, as the floor erupts into chaos around me. People are yelling and scattering, running every which way as pages flutter through the air. I dimly wonder how pissed the librarian is going to be.

    No time to rest. I roll myself over, carefully cataloging the location of each injury as I Check myself.

    [HP: 8/10]

    [Temp HP: 225/315]

    [Mana: 11/56]

    At least my core was mostly spared. No time to celebrate, though. I¡¯m nearly out of mana¡ªI need to find Zyneth, fast.

    What floor am I even on? I look wildly around as I grab my broken foot and hastily Sculpt it back in place. It¡¯s crooked, but that¡¯s the least of my worries. Looking out across the spiral, I can¡¯t see the top ceiling or the ground floor: I must be somewhere in the middle, but am I above or below Zyneth? I guess it doesn¡¯t matter. I need to get down and out of here ASAP.

    I pick myself up, briefly trying to levitate as I had just a minute before¡ªalthough perhaps levitate is a strong word for ¡°threw myself at a wall.¡± But that moment of mental clarity is past, and the void has returned to bracing the joints in my legs and back. An enigma for another time. I begin limping after the library patrons, who in turn flee from me, screaming. That¡¯s fair.

    I¡¯ve barely made it half a loop when I hear a familiar voice. ¡°Kanin!¡±

    Relief floods through me as Zyneth sprints down the slope toward me. So I¡¯m under floor twenty then. Good: less floors between me and a hasty escape.

    Concern is plastered over his face. ¡°What in the world is going on?¡± he asks, taking in all of my injuries. His enchanted blades are in his hands faster than I could see him draw them. ¡°How did you get down here? And where the blazes is your head?¡±

    ¡°Help me get out of here first,¡± I say. ¡°Give me a hand.¡±

    Zyneth doesn¡¯t even miss a beat. He slings my arm over his shoulder as he lifts the side my crooked foot is on, and then we¡¯re off, me struggling to keep up.

    Once again I¡¯m struck by how quick Zyneth is to jump into action. How he never questions me when I ask for help. It¡¯s always act first and figure out the details later. I guess he¡¯s a lot like Noli in that respect. What did I do to deserve people like them in my life?

    I tighten my grip on his shoulder, leaning into his support.

    ¡°There is some crazy mage up there,¡± I say as we rush down the library. ¡°Raz. An artificer or something. He is strong¡ªvery strong. Destroyed my head¡ªwanted to take me apart and see how I worked.¡±The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

    ¡°What?¡± Zyneth snaps. His grip on me tightens, his face contorting from concern into rage. There¡¯s a tremble in his voice when he speaks. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever seen him this mad before. ¡°What does he look like? Tell me everything.¡±

    A burst of flame sweeps over us. I stumble to the side as Zyneth slashes a hand through the air, dispelling the wall of fire. Raz is right behind it, jetting down from an upper floor to land heavily on the railing only ten feet away.

    ¡°He looks about like that,¡± I say.

    Zyneth lets go of my arm and steps in front of me, facing down the fire mage.

    ¡°Bastard,¡± Raz spits, literally, as foam flecks his lips. ¡°How dare you raise a hand against me!¡± He pulls his hands apart, summing a blindingly bright ball of fire as heat spills across the floor. ¡°Get out of the way, fool!¡±

    Zyneth glances back at me out of the corner of his eye. ¡°This isn¡¯t insanity, this is some kind of vendetta. What in Tora¡¯s name did you do?¡±

    ¡°Me?¡± I cry. ¡°I was just defending myself! I did not do anything.¡±

    Nearly done forming whatever doomsday weapon he¡¯s summoning, Raz narrows his eyes with a growl. Well, just the one eye. The other is shut and covered in burnt and blackened skin.

    ¡°Oh, I also might have burned out his eye.¡±

    Raz roars, firing his weapon at both of us. I take a step back as Zyneth brandishes his knives, lightning crackling off the blades and meeting the fire blasts midair with rapid concussive explosions. I stagger away, raising a defensive arm, as the two clash.

    Watching them fight is something else. This is some Dual of the Fates shit. They¡¯re forces of nature, fire and lightning deflecting off in every direction. The ceiling begins to rain on us as several bookshelves catch flame, like some kind of magical automatic sprinkler system, but it can¡¯t keep up with Raz¡¯s blasts of fire. I just try to stay back, stay out of the way, and avoid getting struck by any stray shots.

    Zyneth is a blur of movement, agile and precise, but Raz is a higher level. I saw his mana stores. If it¡¯s a battle of attrition, Zyneth won¡¯t win. He needs to end it now, or it won¡¯t end on our terms.

    I don¡¯t know what to do. I feel like Zyneth¡¯s lightning is coursing through me, like every inch of me is electrified, itching to move, to run, to fight, to do something. I hate the idea of leaving Zyneth behind, but maybe fleeing is the right call. It would get Raz focused on me, maybe give Zyneth an opening. My hands twitch, indecisive.

    Raz cuts around another one of Zyneth¡¯s attacks, blasting a fire ball point-blank into his hand. Zyneth¡¯s dagger goes flying. Before he can raise the other, Raz already has a second fireball leveled at his face.

    ¡°Lightbeam!¡±

    My glass instantly reacts, snapping into place as I funnel the last of my mana into the attack and the blinding white light sears through the air and into the fire mage. He reels back with a cry.

    [9 points of Light Damage dealt.]

    [Mana depleted.]

    The light vanishes as quickly as it appeared, but Zyneth doesn¡¯t waste my effort. He surges forward before Raz has an opportunity to recover, delivering a strike to his temple and a slash across his open hand. Electricity bursts across his form as the mage collapses to the ground.

    Zyneth stands over him, panting. I¡¯m feeling mentally exhausted myself, all the injuries of the last few minutes catching up to me in a cacophony of a thousand tiny aches. Cautiously, I make my way over to Zyneth.

    ¡°At least that¡¯s over,¡± he says, wiping his brow on his forearm and sheathing his knife. The rain has plastered Zyneth¡¯s hair across his forehead and neck, and is streaking across my vision in blurry lines. ¡°I can¡¯t take you anywhere, can I?¡±

    I send some of my glass over to retrieve Zyneth¡¯s disarmed knife and float it back to him. He takes it with a gracious nod.

    ¡°Is he unconscious?¡± I ask.

    ¡°Just dazed,¡± Zyneth says, even as Raz groans. ¡°Where is the librarian? This is unacceptable.¡±

    I¡¯m still standing there, wondering what the hell a librarian could be expected to do about all of this, when Raz abruptly flicks out a hand.

    ¡°Watch out!¡± Zyneth shoves me back. Pain lances across my chest and arm, skimming past me as the item embeds itself in a nearby bookshelf: the fire knife Raz had used on me before.

    [7 points of Searing Damage sustained.]

    ¡°Shit!¡± Zyneth slams his boot into Raz¡¯s stomach, and the mage gasps as the blow flips him over onto his front. Zyneth drops a knee on his back, grabbing his hands and quickly binding them with a severed bit of spider silk that had been used to string the lights.

    My chest aches. I bring my hand away from my flask, and for a dizzying moment, I don¡¯t understand what I¡¯m looking at.

    Ink. Black ichor is spilled over my fingers and dripping from the gash in the bag that¡¯s holding my flask. I sway unsteadily, static creeping into my mind. Horror prickles up my limbs even as I watch, and the black begins to drip up. A toothy smile presses into my consciousness.

    My soul lurches with fear and disbelief. No, it can¡¯t be¡ªit¡¯s gone, it¡¯s stuck in my inventory, it can¡¯t be back¡ª

    ¡°Kanin?¡± Zyneth asks, watching me. His eyes are on the void, pinched with concern. He starts to stand up.

    ¡°Get back!¡± I stumble away, holding a hand out defensively. ¡°Run, get out of here, get everyone else away¡ª¡±

    I convulse as another sharp pain lances through my core, stabbing through my vial like a heart attack, and the predator seeps into the world.

 Chapter 59 - Iâ€™m the Ocean Now

    No, this can¡¯t be happening here, not with so many people around. I thought it was over, I thought it was gone, but I can feel the predator¡¯s hunger creeping into my mind.

    Panicked, desperate, I clutch my hand around the pouch, as if that could stem the flow of void dripping into the world.

    Surprisingly, it seems to work. The drops of black squeezing out between my fingers have slowed, and instead of a giant crack forming in reality, the void that¡¯s pooled in the air above me is barely the size of an orange.

    Something¡¯s different¡ªthis isn¡¯t the same as before. The predator¡¯s mind isn¡¯t crashing against my own, threatening to sweep me away. In fact, it¡¯s hardly a trickle.

    I pause, fighting against my fear to take stock of the situation. It¡¯s definitely the predator¡ªthose echoes of hunger in my mind are unmistakable. But it¡¯s only a fraction of the force I¡¯m used to, and the void that¡¯s pooled in the air is a literal drop in the bucket compared to the tidal wave of ink that¡¯s emerged before.

    Void Check, I say.

    [Void: 0%]

    What does that mean? Previously, the amount of ink in my vial had been directly proportional to what percent void I was at. Does that mean my vial is empty now? Before now the stat has only ever reset after the predator was summoned, and this scant amount certainly isn¡¯t all of it.

    Inventory Check.

    [Inventory Space: DIV/0. Contents: Void.]

    It¡¯s still in there, then. But I don¡¯t understand what¡¯s happened. I mean, I¡¯m not complaining about not being mauled by a void monster, but the change in pattern makes me equally nervous. Is it just biding its time? No, that can¡¯t be it¡ªit needs to consume magic to maintain its presence in reality. So why isn¡¯t it attacking?

    Despite my warning, Zyneth didn¡¯t run. He¡¯s watching me, fearful and maintaining a healthy distance, but he didn¡¯t leave me. My soul tightens up at that realization.

    ¡°Kanin?¡± Zyneth calls. ¡°Are you still with me?¡±

    Right¡ªI¡¯d told him all about how the predator had affected me the other times it had been summoned. He probably thinks I¡¯m being mind-controlled right now.

    ¡°I am okay,¡± I say, uncertain if that¡¯s really true. I¡¯m fighting every instinct to run, as futile as that would be. You can¡¯t outrun something when you¡¯re the source of it. ¡°I do not understand what is happening. It is not overpowering me. It feels¡­ smaller.¡±

    ¡°It looks smaller,¡± Zyneth agrees, eyeing the floating ball of black in the air. So far, it hasn¡¯t moved. The ink has stopped seeping out from between my fingers as well. Cautiously, I remove my hand so I can see the damage. There¡¯s a one inch slash across the bag concealing my vial¡ªno doubt the wound goes deeper. Something to investigate later. For now my attention is on the predator: there¡¯s not much of it. Like all the void that had previously filled my core is what¡¯s now floating in the air before me. Why? Was the inventory keeping all but this small amount still contained?

    In that case, the ball¡ªthis fraction of the predator¡ªshould be dragged back Between soon enough. As long as it doesn¡¯t get its hand on any magic or a soul.

    I can feel the predator perk up at the thought. Its faint uncertainty evaporates as it remembers its hunger, sharpened like a blade. Shit! Even if it¡¯s muted, it can still hear my thoughts as easily as I can hear its. The void sweeps its gaze around the scene, its attention quickly falling over Raz, still prone on the floor only a few feet away.

    ¡°Expletive, Zyneth, watch out! It is going for the mage¡ª¡±

    The ball of ink jets toward the unconscious mage before I can move to stop it. Even so, I throw out a desperate hand, as if I could seize it from the air. No, don¡¯t kill him¡ªI can¡¯t, I can¡¯t be responsible for another death¡ª

    And the void stumbles. I don¡¯t know how else to describe it. It¡¯s like it trips over itself midair, hitting some invisible roadblock and splashing to the ground at Raz¡¯s feet. Zyneth, who¡¯d barely had time to raise a blade, now hops between Raz and the spilled ink, kicking the restrained mage back to send him rolling out of the predator¡¯s range. He glances briefly my way, understandably reluctant to take his eyes off the void for long.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Did you stop it?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± I say, just as confused as him. ¡°I mean, I do not think so.¡±

    But, to my astonishment, I can feel the predator¡¯s mind cowering away from mine. What the hell?

    Cautiously, I focus on its presence. If I had mana, I would activate a Bond Trace to help visualize the link between us, but as it is, I have to reach blindly forward. Will myself toward its thoughts and feelings, which constantly bleed back into me. Every nerve on edge, I make contact with its mind.

    It¡¯s¡­ miniscule. Even as I press forward I can feel it cringing away, bowing beneath the weight of my mind. With a start, I realize what¡¯s going on, why it had stopped trying to attack the mage, and why it isn¡¯t mentally attacking me.

    ¡°Holy Expletive Expletive.¡±

    Before, making contact with the predator was like being cast into a violent ocean. I¡¯d lost all sense of self, overwhelmed by the predator¡¯s will. Only now, our roles have flipped. This fraction of the predator is so small that I¡¯m the dominant mind. I¡¯m the ocean, and it¡¯s drowning inside me. I barely have to push to bend the void¡¯s will to my own; now it has to fight to distinguish itself from my thoughts.

    It¡¯s absurd. Laughable. I was petrified it was about to take over my mind, all while it was terrified of the same. I press forward, and the predator¡¯s mind shrinks back, the ink on the floor going flat as if the weight of my thoughts are crushing it to the ground.

    A sadistic exhilaration passes through me. All right, fucker. Time for a taste of your own medicine.

    I hold out my hand, mentally commanding the predator to leave Raz and Zyneth and return to me. It leaps into the air, stopping to float over my palm, as obedient as my own Attuned void. In fact, that¡¯s the only difference, isn¡¯t it? My Attuned void had also been a piece of the predator before I¡¯d activated the Attunement, stripping its connection to the monster. If I Attune this fraction of the predator as well, it should also fall under my control. I¡¯m not sure if that process kills the piece of the predator that¡¯s tied to the void, or if it just banishes it back to Between¡ªand frankly, I don¡¯t care one way or the other, so long as it''s gone.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

    ¡°Kanin?¡± Zyneth asks, startling me out of my concentration. The moment my mental grip wavers, the predator slips from my grasp, fearfully floating several feet away. But it doesn¡¯t go too far away. Interesting.

    ¡°You better explain what in the Gardens is going on here,¡± Zyneth says, his voice tight. Is he nervous? Mad? I can¡¯t tell¡ªthere¡¯s something tense in his tone.

    ¡°I think I can control it,¡± I say. I wave my hand to the left, and the predator obeys, flinching as it submits to my command. Its fear fills me with satisfaction. Maybe that makes me an asshole. But after what this thing did¡ªafter what it made me do¡ªI¡¯m going to wring every ounce of revenge I can out of this moment.

    ¡°Gods be good,¡± Zyneth breathes, watching the display. ¡°Are you sure that¡¯s really the predator?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± I say, feeling it quaver in my mind. I bare down on it until its thoughts whisper out, overridden by my own. I yank the void back over to me like a dog on a leash. ¡°A piece of it, anyway. A very small piece.¡±

    Flickering motion draws my attention back to my surroundings. Dozens of those spider helpers are skittering our way, across ceilings and walls and from up and down the floor. Some of them pause at scorch marks on bookshelves, while others crawl over to Raz, lights blinking on their head like so many eyes. I step hesitantly back as one of them taps against my leg, its eyes blinking at me like some sort of drone sent to survey the scene of a natural disaster. Uninterested in being cataloged as a threat, I slip the void beneath the hem of my cloak, hiding it among the shadows.

    A moment later, the rain peters out.

    ¡°At least that¡¯s finished,¡± Zyneth says, wiping his hair back from his eyes and channeling some extremely attractive ¡°love interest in the rain at the climax of a romance movie¡± vibes.

    Trying not to stare, I attempt to wipe the streaks of water off my glass as well, but only succeed in spreading an even layer of blurry water droplets over the surface. ¡°Ugh. I have officially decided I hate water.¡±

    A white shadow falls over the banister, blotting out the lights behind it.

    ¡°I do apologize for the inconvenience,¡± the spider says, all eight of its legs curling over the guardrail as it pulls itself up onto our floor. ¡°The fire suppressant spell circuit is a necessary precaution when your profession deals with so much flammable material as mine.¡±

    For one brief moment I¡¯m grateful for my lack of human anatomy, because I¡¯m sure my jaw would be on the floor. The arachnoid is taller than anything I¡¯d seen in the streets of Miasmere. Even crouched beneath the ceiling of our floor, all of his legs¡ªtoo many legs¡ªfolded up against his body, he¡¯s at least eight feet tall. Despite the humanoid torso emerging from where the head of the spider should be, his entire body shines like it¡¯s polished, an unblemished white, giving his many barbed limbs the unsettling impression of five-foot long icicles. They seem impossibly thin, too narrow to support his body¡ªwhich only hints at how powerful they must really be.

    [Name: Yedzaquib]

    [Species: Arachnoid]

    [Class: Mind Weaver]

    [Level: 68]

    [HP: 250/250]

    [Mana: 2450/2450]

    I take a step back in spite of myself. Yedzaquib¡¯s head moves a fraction in my direction, though I can¡¯t tell from the eight, black, unblinking spheres that must be eyes, if he¡¯s even looking at me. There¡¯s a faint smile on his face, and until he speaks again I¡¯m uncertain if he¡¯s wearing a mask, because the expression is so tailored and perfect that it doesn¡¯t even appear real.

    ¡°Master Curator,¡± Zyneth greets Yedzaquib, recovering before I can. He bows respectfully. ¡°I apologize for disrupting your library, but I would like to head off any allegations of our¡ªmy involvement.¡±

    The arachnoid¡¯s head swivels towards Zyneth, and long white strands of hair fall over his shoulder like spider silk. ¡°I am aware. My sentries witnessed enough of the commotion for me to glean who is at fault.¡± He lifts a hand, and his spider minions converge on Raz, who groans faintly as they begin to secure his arms and legs with more lines of web.

    ¡°I wish to atone for the trouble you have experienced today,¡± Yedzaquib says, still addressing Zyneth. ¡°I personally guarantee the safety of all of my patrons while inside these walls, a promise I have failed to uphold with this altercation. I notice the mage targeted your homunculus¡ªI could replace the damaged goods, if you would like.¡±

    My soul drops at this suggestion, but I wrangle my alarm under control and manage to stay perfectly still, hoping to continue to portray nothing more interesting than a loyal homunculus servant. I can feel the predator wriggling in my mental grasp, trying to escape my hold, and I tighten my grip.

    ¡°I assure you, I require no compensation,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°Actually I was on my way down, and have further errands to run before the day is out. If it would be no insult to you, I would prefer to take my leave. It is sufficient payment to see such a dangerous man apprehended.¡±

    ¡°Hmm,¡± Yedzaquib considers, staring at Zyneth for a long moment. Finally, slowly and mechanically, he nods. ¡°If that is your wish, you may depart. However, I am not the authority of law in this city.¡± Responding to some invisible command, one of the spiders jabs Raz in the shoulder, causing the man to jerk, gasping awake.

    Zyneth takes a cautious step away from the mage, who begins to thrash against the spiders still pinning him down.

    ¡°Let go! Unhand me!¡± he cries. ¡°This is a mistake¡ªyou don¡¯t understand¡ª¡±

    Yedzaquib bows over Raz, his legs moving with unnerving coordination, and I¡¯m briefly reminded of a nature documentary I saw as a kid: a moth caught in a web was fluttering frantically, desperate to escape, as the spider crawled deliberately down toward its prey.

    ¡°You have disrupted my library,¡± Yedzaquib says. This entire conversation his voice has remained soft and reserved, which somehow makes it all worse. ¡°Attacked a patron. Destroyed my personal property. It is my duty to turn you over to the City Guards.¡±

    Zyneth flicks a sharp beckoning gesture in my direction as he continues to back away from the arachnoid and the mage. I don¡¯t need to be told twice: I hurry over to his side as Zyneth offers one last parting bow, but Yedzaquib¡¯s full attention is on his captive. Zyneth starts down the winding ramp of books, and I dutifully follow after.

    ¡°However, should you provide guarantees that you no longer pose a threat to my establishment, a different arrangement can be made,¡± Yedzaquib says, his voice fading as we leave him behind. ¡°I see no reason to inform the Guards if you¡¯d be willing to buy your freedom with an act of community service to my library¡­¡±

    As the two pass out of sight, Zyneth lets out a breath.

    ¡°So that is the librarian, huh?¡± I ask.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Zyneth says, his tone clipped.

    ¡°Kind of creepy.¡±

    Zyneth snorts, but his voice still feels strained. ¡°I would not voice such thoughts within these walls if I were you.¡±

    Fair point. ¡°You think he is really going to let that guy go?¡±

    ¡°I think it prudent we don¡¯t stick around to find out. Besides,¡± he adds, shooting a tense glance toward my cloak, ¡°we have more immediate matters to attend to.¡±

    I hadn¡¯t even realized I¡¯d relaxed my grip, that my mind had begun to wander, until Zyneth¡¯s words turn my attention back on the predator. The slightest hint of pressure prickles at my mind as it fights against my will. Quickly snuffing out the resistance, I redouble my focus on the predator.

    Given Zyneth¡¯s clear reluctance to speak while we¡¯re still in the Athenaeum, I¡¯m left to mull over thoughts of the predator in the silence of my own head as we wind out way down the library. Noli and Zyneth had made me doubt myself. I¡¯d begun to wonder if finding a way back to Earth was the right call. I¡¯ve made more friends here than I had back home, after all; if I could find a way to retrieve my body and stay here, maybe that would be the best of both worlds.

    But that had been when I thought the predator was gone and dealt with. We got lucky today: the predator was weak, small enough that I could fight it off on my own. And to be honest, now that I have a grip on it, I¡¯m not worried about it escaping.

    The bigger issue is that Pandora¡¯s box is now open. Even if I deal with this small piece, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to snap the lid back on again¡ªnot completely. More of the predator could show up at a moment¡¯s notice¡ªand what if it¡¯s more than I can handle?

    No. I can¡¯t remain here, not as long as the predator¡¯s tied to me. So far as I can tell, no amount of magic will ever be able to break its hold on me. Which is why I need to get back to Earth¡ªsomewhere magic doesn¡¯t exist, where there¡¯ll be nothing to sustain a creature like this.

    Then I can get rid of it for good.

 Chapter 60 - Monster in a Bottle

    Zyneth walks stiffly beside me, as taut as a compressed spring. The moment we finally step outside the library and back into the sunlight, I turn to check on him.

    He beats me to the punch. ¡°Are you alright?¡± he hisses under his breath. ¡°The predator¡ªthe void¡ªwhat¡¯s going on?¡±

    ¡°I am okay,¡± I tell him. ¡°It only seems like a small part of the predator. Its mind is not as powerful as my own. I think I will be able to Attune it once I save up enough mana, and then it will not be an issue anymore. In the meantime, as long as I am not distracted, I can control it.¡±

    ¡°Not distracted?¡± Zyneth says. ¡°What does that mean? If someone knocks into you, your control might slip and it could kill someone?¡± He pushes a hand through his hair as he gives a frustrated sigh. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Now¡¯s not the place. We should speak in private¡ªyou sure you¡¯ll be fine to make it back to our inn?¡±

    ¡°I will be alright,¡± I insist. ¡°Really. I have this.¡±

    He shoots me a concerned look, and though he doesn¡¯t say anything, he might as well be saying aloud, ¡°That¡¯s what worries me.¡±

    Zyneth makes a bee-line for our inn. Once there, he bafflingly pauses at the tavern to purchase their largest bottle of wine. I mean, it¡¯s been a trying day for all of us, but Zyneth never really struck me as the stress-drinker type.

    The moment the door to our room shuts behind us, Zyneth pops the bottle¡¯s cork. ¡°Right.¡±

    ¡°Ah. Zyneth?¡± I ask as he begins pouring the wine directly into the chamber pot. ¡°Are you going to tell me what you are doing?¡±

    He shakes the last of the wine out¡ªthat had to be expensive¡ªand then sets the bottle upright on the floor. ¡°The predator. Can you trap it in there?¡±

    Oh. That¡¯s smart. I bring the predator out from the recesses of my cloak: like this, it¡¯s indistinguishable from my Attuned void, just a pool of formless ink. Zyneth takes a leery step back as I send the predator to funnel itself into the wine bottle. It fills about half the container, then Zyneth jams the cork back into the bottle and hammers it in with the back of one of his knives. Knife still unsheathed, Zyneth stands back up and hastily steps away, nodding to me.

    ¡°Will that hold it?¡± he asks.

    Good question. I don¡¯t trust that cork. I send some of my own glass to the bottle as well, intending to Sculpt an additional glass stopper over the end.

    [Insufficient mana,] Echo chimes in.

    What? I know I went down to zero in the fight with Raz, but it¡¯s been a half hour since then: I should have recovered a trickle of mana by now. I Check my stores, but Echo¡¯s right: 0/56.

    A problem I¡¯ll deal with later. Right now I have the predator to worry about. Hesitantly, I mentally let go of its mind.

    It immediately starts thrashing in the bottle, its previous fear replaced by waves of hatred as it seethes against my control. I have to resist the urge to mentally flinch away, cast back into the memories of when our roles were reversed. But even this amount of spite it¡¯s throwing at me is like a brush of butterfly wings. The bottle rocks, tips over, and rattles against the floor.

    After a long moment, I let out a mental breath. ¡°It will hold.¡±The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

    I can feel it throwing all its willpower at the bottle, but without much room to wind up for an attack, there¡¯s hardly any power behind its blows. Gathering my courage, I cross the room and put a hand on the shaking bottle, forcing it to remain still. The predator angrily lashes at me, but it can¡¯t do any damage¡ªphysically or mentally. For now, it¡¯s dealt with.

    Zyneth sighs in relief, and all the tension in his stance falls away.

    ¡°Now we can talk,¡± he says, finally sheathing his blade.

    ¡°Right,¡± I say. For a moment, we both stare silently at the monster in the bottle. I right the bottle, leaving it on the floor, then stand up.

    ¡°I have to go to Emrox,¡± I say, at the same time Zyneth says, ¡°We need to get this thing away from you.¡±

    Zyneth freezes. ¡°What? Emrox?¡±

    ¡°It is the only way I can get rid of this thing for good,¡± I say. ¡°In the Athenaeum I found a spell circle from Emrox. I drew part of it¡ªit is incomplete. But the rest of it would be there, in Emrox. It could take me back home.¡±

    ¡°Oh my. I see.¡± Zyneth sits down on the edge of the bed. ¡°Are you certain? Myths of such magic are one thing, but to truly rediscover a lost path between worlds¡­¡±

    Certain is a strong word. Even the books didn¡¯t explicitly state this was the bridge spell Echo said I¡¯d need. It might be a stretch, hung on a desperate hope. But¡­ ¡°I have to try,¡± I say. ¡°Emrox is the only place where I have a chance to get home. To help me recover my body.¡± And saying it aloud, the words make my chest ache with hope. I¡¯m so tired of living in this glass shell. I¡¯m so ready to be myself again.

    Zyneth stirs. ¡°Even if you¡¯re right about this supposed spell circle in Emrox¡­ Is that your end goal, then? To return to your world?¡±

    His words sour that flutter of hope. ¡°Yes,¡± I say, though all the enthusiasm is gone. ¡°I have to. There is no magic in my world¡ªwhen I cross back to Earth, I might be able to leave the predator stranded Between. There it will not be able to hurt anyone else. Sent back to where it originally came from.¡± Like me.

    Zyneth frowns. ¡°Is that really the only way?¡± He gestures to the bottle. ¡°We¡¯ve sealed this piece away without too much trouble. You said it yourself, once you recover enough mana, it won¡¯t be a danger. I would never try to stop you from recovering your lost body, but is that the reason you wish to return to your world, or is it the predator? Because if it¡¯s merely the latter, there must certainly be other options.¡±

    Merely. As if the predator doesn¡¯t terrify me, even now. ¡°Maybe you are right,¡± I say. ¡°Maybe we can deal with this piece. But what happens when more appears?¡± When, not if. Even if that fire mage¡¯s attack is what spurred this much of the predator to escape, it would be naive to think nothing else could cause more of it to emerge. ¡°I cannot afford to waste time. The longer I stay in this world, the longer I run the risk. And we cannot know that next time the amount will be so small. What happens when it is more than I can control? What if it takes my mind before I have a chance to Attune it or send it back Between?¡±

    Zyneth doesn¡¯t say anything, but from the pained look on his face, I know he knows I¡¯m right.

    ¡°We have to get rid of it,¡± I say. ¡°Fast. That matters before anything else.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± he says after a moment. ¡°You¡¯re right. Taking care of the predator should be the top priority. But are you sure Emrox is the only way?¡±

    ¡°Between is where it came from, and it seems like it is constantly fighting to not be drawn back there,¡± I say, looking at the bottled monster. Well, that had been true before. Why this piece in particular seemed to be fighting off the pull of Between is something I still need to figure out. ¡°If I can pass through the Between when I head to Earth, I strongly suspect it will not be able to follow me out. And that is where I should be able to find my body. Two birds with one stone.¡± Hopefully. If that Location spell will take me back to it the exact time and place I left it. Okay, it¡¯s not a perfect plan, but I¡¯m working on it. ¡°Unless you know another way to open a portal Between?¡±

    Zyneth shakes his head with a grimace. ¡°It should be possible, of course¡ªportals to different arcana sources are opened all the time¡ªbut a link to the Between has been lost to history.¡± He hesitates, as if he was about to say more.

    ¡°...Except in Emrox,¡± I supply.

    ¡°Except in Emrox,¡± he agrees with a sigh. ¡°But how in the world do you propose we go there? It¡¯s at the bottom of the ocean.¡±

    We. Even now, he plans to help me. When he has no skin in this game.

    Which makes the next part even harder for me to say. ¡°Luckily, we know someone who has been there before.¡±

    ¡°What? Who?¡± Zyneth stares at me for a moment in confusion before horrified realization begins to dawn on him. ¡°No. Absolutely not.¡±

    ¡°Who better to guide us to a lost underwater city than a submarine-owning amphibian?¡± I say. ¡°We will get Gillow to take us.¡±

 Chapter 61 - Letâ€™s Make a Deal

    ¡°You have no idea what you¡¯re suggesting,¡± Zyneth says, back on his feet. ¡°Gillow is only out for themself. You can¡¯t trust them.¡±

    ¡°I do not trust them,¡± I say. ¡°But I do not need to trust them to buy their help.¡±

    ¡°Buy?¡± Zyneth repeats. ¡°With what money?¡±

    ¡°It is my understanding they are interested in more than coins.¡±

    Zyneth visibly pales. ¡°What do you have in mind?¡±

    ¡°It does not matter,¡± I say. ¡°All that matters is I can pay.¡±

    ¡°This is foolish.¡± Zyneth¡¯s face hardens. ¡°Gillow will take advantage of you the moment your back is turned. They¡¯ll rope you into some debt you¡¯ll never be able to pay off.¡±

    ¡°It is a good thing there is nothing they can leverage over me then,¡± I say. ¡°Especially if I skip town to go back to Earth at the end of the trip.¡±

    Zyneth goes still. ¡°Trying to trick them is even more dangerous.¡±

    I throw my hands in the air. ¡°Then what would you suggest, Zyneth? Do you know of any other undersea captains who can take me to Emrox?¡± I pause for an answer. ¡°No? I did not think so. But you know what? That is fine. You do not have to come with me. I do not need to be your charity case any longer. I can make this deal on my own.¡±

    Zyneth looks stricken. ¡°I don¡¯t see you as a charity case.¡±

    Regret stings my soul. I don¡¯t know why I said that. ¡°Even so, you may stay behind.¡±

    ¡°Is that what you want?¡± he asks sadly.

    What the hell? Why¡¯s he acting like a kicked puppy? I¡¯m the one who should be upset here.

    I make an irritated sign¡ªit feels a lot more satisfying than this stupid monotone voice box¡ªand sit down on a chair. I¡¯m eager to reshape the glass I¡¯m using as a head¡ªor, eyeball, really¡ªinto something that doesn¡¯t have omni-vision, but I still need to wait for my mana to recover, and I¡¯ve more pressing matters to take care of first. I gently clasp my core and carefully slip it out of its leather pouch.

    ¡°Of course I would like your help,¡± I say as I examine my vial. Without the bag to restrict its vision, I¡¯m looking up at myself at the same time I¡¯m looking down. It¡¯s disorienting, but necessary; I have to make sure I¡¯m not about to break in half. Luckily, the gash in the bag is more severe than the cut in my glass. It¡¯s an inch across and a hairsbreadth wide; enough to provide an exit for all the void that had been trapped there, but not something that seems immediately life threatening. If I can force a Level Up, it should heal the glass in my core like it has before.

    ¡°I just do not want you to feel obligated to,¡± I continue, slipping the core back in the bag and resting it back against my chest. ¡°I know you have a bad history with Gillow.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t know the half of it,¡± Zyneth mumbles. ¡°But I¡¯m not doing any of this out of obligation. And it¡¯s not to tip some moral scale.¡±

    I recall the conversation we¡¯d had earlier in the week, about him helping people to try to atone for his past mistakes. If he can be believed, then that¡¯s why he¡¯d initially helped me back in Harrowood, but not why he¡¯s still helping.

    ¡°Why then? I doubt it is due to the conversation.¡± I chuckle darkly, and the translator starts spitting out some horrific robot laugh. I quickly put a stop to that. ¡°A handful of signs and broken sentences cannot have given you a good idea of my character.¡±

    ¡°Our conversation has been rather stunted,¡± he agrees, smiling weakly. ¡°But actions speak louder than words.¡±The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

    ¡°Actions?¡± I snort, Checking my Mana again. Still at 0. It definitely should have gone up by now. Even as I think it, I feel the predator shrink away from my mind, and I catch a hint of fear and evasiveness. It¡¯s hiding something from me.

    ¡°Expletive.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡± Zyneth asks.

    ¡°My mana is out,¡± I say. ¡°I used it all up during that fight in the library, but it has been nearly an hour. It should have recovered some by now.¡±

    Zyneth frowns. ¡°You haven¡¯t done any other magic?¡±

    ¡°No. But I think I know where it is going.¡± I dig into the predator¡¯s mind, prying up the thoughts it¡¯s trying to keep from me. Reluctantly, like a stone stuck in the mud, the information I¡¯m searching for tumbles into my hands.

    ¡°Shit,¡± I sign, not wanting to risk another Expletive.

    Zyneth catches the gesture. ¡°The predator?¡±

    I nod. ¡°Do you remember when we were fighting it at Noli¡¯s house, and it kept draining extra magic from the spells I used, making it stronger?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s hard to forget,¡± Zyneth says.

    ¡°I am pretty sure that is why it has not vanished back Between,¡± I say. ¡°It is feeding on my magic.¡±

    Sneaky bastard. Better than it trying to eat people¡¯s souls at every opportunity, but I don¡¯t like the idea that it¡¯s learning. That it¡¯s getting more clever and subtle.

    Zyneth clearly doesn¡¯t like this either. ¡°Will that prevent you from Attuning it?¡±

    ¡°Maybe,¡± I admit. ¡°Let me see.¡±

    Echo, how much mana to Attune this volume of void? I ask

    [Attunement cost: 125]

    And how much mana has the predator absorbed? I ask Echo. If I keep it from absorbing anything more from me, when will it be weak enough that it¡¯ll fall back Between?

    [Predator Time Limit: 3 hours.]

    Annoying. But I can probably keep it under my thumb that long. And if I can¡¯t, then that¡¯ll be enough time for me to save up enough mana to try to Attune at least part of it, chipping away at the predator one chunk at a time.

    ¡°I think I should be able to do it,¡± I tell Zyneth. ¡°But I will need to suppress its mind while I recover my mana. That will take a while.¡±

    ¡°At least it seems contained for now,¡± Zyneth says with a sigh. ¡°We can lay low as we wait. There¡¯s no hurry.¡±

    Easy for him to say. He¡¯s not the one with a monster in his head. I grab the predator¡¯s mind, even as it struggles in my grasp, and force it into quiet submission. It takes concentration, but at least I have some peace and quiet.

    ¡°If this works, we can get it taken care of tonight,¡± I tell him. ¡°Either it will be starved of my mana, or I will have enough to start Attuning it.¡±

    Zyneth nods uneasily. ¡°Good. At least we have options.¡±

    He looks ready to settle in, but I¡¯m way too antsy to just spend the next couple hours waiting around. ¡°In the meantime, we should address the Emrox issue. No sense in burning daylight.¡±

    Zyneth grimaces. ¡°I was worried you might say that.¡±

    <hr>

    This time, when we walk through Gillow¡¯s door, I¡¯m the one leading the way while Zyneth is hanging reluctantly back. I told him again he didn¡¯t have to come. And with his eyes he told me again he thought this was a bad idea, and followed anyway.

    Gillow is at the counter, busy disassembling some sort of spear-gun and cleaning the parts. I can¡¯t say why, but the guts of the weapon spread over the surface before them summons a faint unease in me.

    ¡°Ah, the prodigal lord returns!¡± they say, offering a pointed-tooth smile when they catch sight of Zyneth. ¡°Couldn¡¯t get enough of my business, eh?¡±

    ¡°Actually,¡± I say, and I¡¯m satisfied to see them jump when I speak, ¡°you have business with me.¡±

    For a moment, Gillow¡¯s eyes go as round as sand-dollars. ¡°What is this?¡± They turn to Zyneth, recovering a moment later and settling back into their natural smirk. ¡°Some kind of joke?¡±

    ¡°It is not,¡± I say. ¡°Zyneth is only accompanying me. I am here to buy a service.¡±

    Gillow¡¯s smile is darkened by a slight frown, their eyebrows knotting in confusion. ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± they say, glancing between the two of us. ¡°You bought it a speech box?¡±

    I slap my hand on the counter, and Gillow and Zyneth both jump. Belatedly, I realize I should be more careful with my glass, but nothing broke at least. ¡°I am a he, not an it,¡± I say, before my cool moment can wear off. ¡°I have a name: it is Kanin. Great to meet you. I am not a homunculus, despite present appearances. And I am here to purchase passage to Emrox. Now. Are you going to work with me, or not?¡±

    Gillow blinks. They look me over more closely this time, their gaze lingering on my core. It takes all my willpower to not put a hand over it. Instead I wait, perfectly still, as their maw splits into a shark-toothed grin.

    ¡°How fascinating,¡± Gillow says. ¡°Kanin, was it? Forgive my rudeness¡ªit¡¯s not every day such an interesting specimen walks through my door. Yes, I think I would very much like to work with you.¡± They hold out their hand, delicate seafoam frills stretching between each of their perfectly sharp claws. ¡°I hope this is the beginning of a fruitful business endeavor.¡±

    I hesitantly take their hand. It¡¯s cold to the touch. ¡°Likewise.¡±

    Behind me, Zyneth looks downright ill.

    ¡°Now,¡± Gillow says, letting go to lace their fingers together. They lean forward eagerly, a greedy glint in their eyes. ¡°You. Emrox. Tell me everything.¡±

 Chapter 62 - Victimless Heist

    Gillow doesn¡¯t even blink at my proposal to go to Emrox¡ªa venture, apparently, many have made, and few have returned from. They don¡¯t seem surprised when I suggest we use their sub. They don¡¯t even ask about my nature, though that hungry look in their eyes tells me they¡¯re dying to learn more. I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s politeness or a certainty that they¡¯ll eventually find out that keeps them so restrained. I hope it¡¯s the former.

    ¡°All well and good,¡± they say. ¡°A round trip to Emrox would pay for itself, given the null magic that can be harvested. Even so, I don¡¯t do anything for free. What do you have to offer me?¡±

    I summon my Attuned void to my hand, and I can feel the predator tremble from where Zyneth is carrying the bottle in his pack. I quickly strengthen my mental hold on the creature and stamp out its resistance. Can¡¯t have it sapping any of my mana while I¡¯m distracted. ¡°Null arcana. Pure, unfiltered. I have seen how much null-arcana enhanced salt goes for in the city.¡± I haven¡¯t, actually, but I have a good idea of how rare it is from my time in Harrowood. ¡°This should cover the cost.¡±

    Gillow leans forward. ¡°You¡¯re a void mage, too? This just gets more and more interesting.¡± They reach out a hand, and I draw the void back. ¡°Come now. You must expect me to sample the wares.¡±

    ¡°It is a limited resource,¡± I say. ¡°You will receive payment when the mission is complete.¡±

    ¡°Half up front,¡± Gillow counters.

    ¡°All of it when we get there,¡± I shoot back. ¡°If the journey to Emrox is as perilous as they say, I will need this to help us survive the trip.¡±

    Gillow considers this. ¡°There is more null arcana in the waters around Emrox. However it can be difficult to extract. If we get there, could you pull more of it from the ocean?¡±

    Uh. Great question. So far I haven¡¯t been able to control glass or void unless I had already Attuned it, and to Attune something, I need to be touching it. Which wouldn¡¯t make it impossible to do¡ªI¡¯d just have to be in the water.

    Outside of the submarine.

    Potentially surrounded by magical sea-serpents.

    What could go wrong?

    ¡°Yes,¡± I say, figuring if nothing else I can just bluff my way to Emrox. After all, if everything goes well, I won¡¯t be coming back.

    Gillow leans back, arms folded. ¡°Well, you make a tempting offer, my homunculus friend. I¡¯m inclined to accept.¡±

    ¡°But?¡± Zyneth says for the first time during the conversation. He¡¯s as stiff as a board, hands crossed in his lap¡ªmere inches away from where his knives are sheathed. Does he really expect Gillow to attack us? Or does it just bring him comfort?

    Gillow¡¯s eyes slide over to Zyneth. ¡°But,¡± they say, mouth twitching with a smile. ¡°I¡¯m afraid the Prismatic is out of commission. Even if I wanted to take you to Emrox, I couldn¡¯t. Not with a dead spell circuit.¡±

    ¡°A what?¡± I ask.

    ¡°My, and I took you for a mage.¡± Gillow chuckles.

    In contrast, Zyneth seems oddly relieved. ¡°A spell circuit is what supplies magic across a complex network of spell circles and enchanted items,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°Common in the fields of artificing and enchantment. It¡¯s the backbone behind an ecosystem of disparate magic; you might see them in a castle, or a floating isle¡­¡±

    ¡°Or a submarine,¡± I finish. I look between Zyneth and Gillow. ¡°That is it, then? We are dead in the water?¡±

    Gillow cackles. ¡°Dead in the water. I like that phrase. But no, we still have options.¡±

    Zyneth frowns. ¡°Of course. It¡¯s always something with you.¡±

    Gillow raises an eyebrow. ¡°My dear friend, you seem to be implying I could have foreseen any of our current circumstances. I assure you, never in my wildest dreams could I have prepared for a sentient glass homunculus to waltz through my doors and ask to be taken to Emrox in a contraption several years out of use.¡±

    ¡°What is it, then?¡± Zyneth snaps. ¡°What do you want from us?¡±You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

    Gillow looks at me. ¡°So testy, that one. Always suspects ulterior motives. You should be asking yourself why he wants to accompany you on this trip when he stands to gain nothing and is so clearly uninterested in associating with me.¡±

    ¡°Gillow,¡± Zyneth growls.

    Gillow waves the warning away. ¡°At any rate, what I need is a way to get the sub back up and running, and for that I need to power the spell circuit. A charged arcanum crystal will do. I can either give you my dead one, if you can find a way to recharge it, or I can point you to the closest charged one I¡¯m aware of.¡±

    Zyneth sits back, folding his arms. ¡°And there it is.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± I ask. I don¡¯t know the first thing about any arcanum crystals, but Gillow¡¯s proposal seems straightforward enough. We either charge the battery or buy a new one. ¡°What is wrong?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re acting like an arcanum crystal is a trivial thing to come by,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°These enchanted items are packed with extremely dense magical energies: in the hands of a mage, it would be like tapping directly into an arcana source without worrying about depleting their own mana. It could take months or even years to use it all up. Because of that, they are rare, and extremely expensive.¡±

    That¡¯s the first time Zyneth has referred to money as a limiting factor before. Noli and Rezira said he was rich: if this magical item is too much for him, then that¡¯s saying something.

    ¡°What about charging theirs instead?¡± I say.

    Zyneth snorts. ¡°They aren¡¯t giving us an option: merely the illusion of one. The forging¡ªor charging¡ªof an arcana crystal takes the combined and coordinated spells of upwards of a hundred seasoned mages. That¡¯s even less likely than finding one to purchase.¡±

    ¡°Who said anything about purchasing?¡± Gillow smiles.

    ¡°No,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°Absolutely not. I am putting my foot down here. We are not stealing anything from anyone.¡±

    ¡°Is it really stealing if it should have been mine in the first place?¡± Gillow asks.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Zyneth says, exasperated. ¡°It absolutely is.¡±

    ¡°That seems rather simplistic,¡± Gillow says, ¡°and you haven¡¯t even heard the full story yet. It¡¯s a victimless crime.¡±

    ¡°I agree with Zyneth,¡± I say. ¡°I am not wild about stealing.¡± Okay, yes, a little hypocritical given what I¡¯d had to do to survive as a walking ink bottle, but to be fair my and Noli¡¯s lives were on the line. ¡°Besides, it seems like you are getting more out of this bargain than us. We get to Emrox, but you get both the null arcana and this valuable crystal that you could either turn around and sell for extreme profit, or use to continue to mine arcana from Emrox. Not a fair trade.¡±

    Gillow grins, revealing all their pointed teeth. ¡°Fair point, my crystalline friend. Then how about I sweeten the pot.¡± They point to Zyneth. ¡°If you successfully deliver this charged arcanum crystal to me, I will consider Zyneth¡¯s debt paid in full. He¡¯ll never have to do another job for me again.¡±

    Zyneth sits in stunned silence.

    Gillow takes this as an invitation to continue. ¡°A fully functional Prismatic will be more valuable than any of the trinkets you could bring in, anyway.¡±

    ¡°Liar,¡± Zyneth snarls, breaking through his surprise. ¡°No. You¡¯d never give up leverage by choice.¡±

    Gillow looks at him impassively. ¡°Believe what you want, but I am a person of my word. As I said, having the Prismatic back in commission is worth more to me than your employment.¡±

    Zyneth scoffs at that last word, pushing his chair back and turning to me as he stands. ¡°I told you this was a terrible idea. Let¡¯s not waste our time any longer. Come, Kanin, we¡¯ll find another solution elsewhere.¡±

    I don¡¯t stand up, though. Gillow ignores Zyneth, keeping their gaze on me. ¡°Well?¡±

    ¡°Tell me more about who has the crystal,¡± I say. ¡°You said it is a victimless crime.¡±

    Gillow grins, lacing their fingers together and resting their chin on their hands. ¡°The Athenaeum is run by a complex network of spells.¡±

    ¡°Gods be good,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°You can¡¯t be serious?¡±

    Gillow ignores him. ¡°Yedzaquib owns not just one arcanum crystal, but many. Only one is in use to power the library at any given time, however there are several discharged crystals that are kept in reserve. These are gradually charged back up, and when one is fully powered, it is swapped with the crystal in use, so that there may always be a supply of crystals to cycle through and the Athenaeum never need close its doors. Yedzaquib would not be pleased to lose one, but he will also not suffer from the loss. He¡¯s the most powerful and wealthy merchant in the capital, after all. The wealth he brings in on a monthly basis could purchase new arcana crystals alone.¡±

    Stealing something from Yedzaquib sounds like a frankly terrible idea. That man gives me the willies. Though apart from being a creepy spider person, he didn¡¯t seem like a bad person. Stealing from him definitely wouldn¡¯t be right. At the same time, it certainly seems like he can afford to part with an expensive trinket or two without having to skip a meal. Taking the crystal won¡¯t put his livelihood or freedom at stake.

    Meanwhile, Zyneth¡¯s is.

    Man, he¡¯s not going to like this.

    ¡°Deal,¡± I say. ¡°If we get you this crystal, Zyneth never has to work for you again. And if you get me to Emrox, I will get you the null arcana.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Zyneth says. ¡°No¡ªyou don¡¯t get to decide that for me. I will not be participating.¡±

    ¡°You do not have to,¡± I say. ¡°The deal is just to retrieve the crystal for Gillow, which I am willing to attempt on my own. Is that right?¡±

    Gillow¡¯s eyes dance between us in amusement. ¡°Correct. I don¡¯t particularly care who is involved as long as I receive my goods.¡±

    ¡°Then it is settled,¡± I say. ¡°Tell me more about the Athenaeum¡¯s crystals.¡±

    Zyneth sighs, running a hand down his face. First he glares at Gillow, then at me, then angrily pulls his chair out and sits back down.

    ¡°You do not have to do this with me,¡± I say to Zyneth.

    ¡°No,¡± Zyneth agrees, ¡°But if I don¡¯t, you¡¯ll get yourself killed.¡± He glares at Gillow. ¡°Alright, then, let¡¯s get this over with. Tell us about the blasted library already.¡±

 Chapter 63 - Suspiciously Cooperative

    [Mana: 25/56]

    [Predator Time Limit: 1.2 hours.]

    ¡°Okay,¡± I tell Zyneth when we get back to the inn. ¡°This should be enough to Attune some of the void.¡±

    Evening sunlight is trickling in through the window of our room, casting a long shadow across the predator¡¯s bottle. Within, the predator is completely still: I¡¯ve slipped up every now and then, and it managed to leech a few points of mana away from me each time, but for the most part I¡¯m able to keep its mind suppressed.

    ¡°How long will it take?¡± Zyneth asks.

    I ask Echo the same thing.

    [Instantaneous,] she says.

    Why is that? It matches what I experienced before, when I carved out my original tiny sliver of Attuned void, but I still don¡¯t understand why. Attuning glass takes several hours.

    [Attuning physical objects requires time to fully analyze and ¡®resonate¡¯ with the designated material,] Echo says. [Attuning arcana is instantaneous due to the inherent nature of magic. The quantity that can be Attuned for both raw arcana and physical objects are limited by mana consumption.]

    That¡¯s fair I suppose. But this void isn¡¯t just arcana, it¡¯s some mix of arcana and¡­ whatever creature the predator was that got mixed into it. What happens to the predator when I Attune the void it¡¯s attached to?

    [Should the void that the predator has imprinted on be Attuned, an equivalent portion of the predator¡¯s mind will be returned Between.]

    Gone, but not destroyed, then. Is it even possible to slay this beast?

    ¡°Kanin?¡± Zyneth prompts.

    ¡°Sorry¡± I say, pulled from my thoughts. ¡°It should be instantaneous. So that is good. At least you will not have to worry about it trying to do something while I am unconscious.¡±

    ¡°That is a relief,¡± Zyneth agrees.

    I sit down on the floor in front of the bottle, unclasping my core from around my neck.

    If this Attunement goes smoothly, I¡¯ll be back to zero mana. After that it¡¯ll take another five hours to replenish my tanks¡ªmaybe more with the predator leeching off me¡ªwhich will put us into tomorrow morning. I could do another Attunement then, which would again empty my tanks, and I still won¡¯t have finished Attuning it all. Altogether, it will take the next couple of days to gradually Attune it all away¡ªassuming I can¡¯t starve it out before then. In the meantime, I can scope out the Athenaeum to see if the intel Gillow gave us is accurate. Once the predator is gone, I can regenerate my mana tanks without any more leeching, and then we can break in the following night.

    Easy as pie.

    But first, I need to deal with the predator.

    ¡°You are being suspiciously cooperative,¡± I say to Zyneth as I open the pouch and roll my core into my hands. I quickly turn off my secondary vision before the double sight becomes overwhelming. ¡°I thought for sure the second we left Gillow¡¯s shop you would tell me what a terrible plan this was.¡±

    ¡°It is a terrible plan,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°I just know that saying as much won¡¯t actually change your mind. I don¡¯t suppose you spared a moment to consider why we, specifically, are the ones being asked to perform this job?¡±

    I tip my head. ¡°Because they did not have anyone else to help?¡±

    ¡°Because they couldn¡¯t get anyone else to agree,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°We¡¯re the only ones desperate enough¡ªor naive enough¡ªto say yes. In fact, the only reason I¡¯m still going along with this whole production is that I am counting on you to see how hopeless the endeavor is once we revisit the library tomorrow.¡±

    In my free hand I pick up the bottle, using my Attuned glass to screw off the cork. Echo, get ready to target the void for Attunement. I hate that I have to be touching the void for it to work, but at least it will be over quick.

    [Target selected,] she says.

    ¡°Do you not want to be rid of Gillow¡¯s influence?¡± I ask.

    Zyneth¡¯s face softens. ¡°Of course I do. Not more than anything, but¡­ more than quite a bit.¡±

    That¡¯s enough for me. ¡°Then what is the harm in at least scoping it out?¡±

    Zyneth doesn¡¯t object this time, but he doesn¡¯t agree either. He just frowns slightly, watching the still surface of black inside the bottle.Stolen novel; please report.

    ¡°Here I go,¡± I say when Zyneth says nothing more. I mentally coax the predator out of the bottle. I try not to recoil with revulsion as it spills over my core like tar.

    I activate the Attunement.

    Defiance rushes in a sudden surge from the predator¡ªa metaphorical kick to my gut.

    [Mana extinguished,] Echo says. [No mana available for Attunement.]

    ¡°What?¡± I cry.

    I Check my mana: sure enough, it¡¯s 0/56.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Zyneth cries, stepping forward. ¡°Are you alright?¡±

    ¡°Expletive, expletive, expletive!¡± I angrily shove the predator back into the bottle and slam the cork back on. ¡°Fuck!¡± I sign, about ready to smash my translator. Composing myself, I switch back to speech. ¡°It just absorbed all my mana. I cannot Attune it.¡±

    Time Limit? I ask.

    [Predator Time Limit: 7 hours.]

    Double fuck! ¡°And now it has a better grip on reality. It will be even harder to starve it out.¡±

    ¡°Blast,¡± Zyneth says, sitting on the bed across from me as I simmer in my anger.

    The predator had managed to slip my grasp at the last second, and it¡¯s still hovering outside of my reach now. Instead of the smugness I had expected, though, it feels more nervous and flighty.

    ¡°Do you think you can try again later?¡± he asks.

    ¡°I am not sure,¡± I admit. ¡°I thought I had a good grasp on it. I might have been focusing too much on controlling it physically, and let some of my mental hold lax.¡±

    ¡°Well, what now?¡± Zyneth asks.

    I sit, thinking. ¡°Lend me some of your magic. I want to try again.¡± Honestly, I should have thought of this approach hours ago.

    ¡°Can you control it this time?¡± Zyneth asks, getting up to sit across from me.

    ¡°One way to know.¡±

    I redouble my mental hold on the predator, focusing on keeping it completely subdued, entirely compliant. I snuff out every hint of defiance I catch. I focus every atom of my being on maintaining my control. After a minute, I nod to Zyneth. ¡°Okay. Go.¡±

    He holds a hand over my vial, his palm filling with yellow light.

    [Mana replenished,] Echo reports. [7/56.] It continues to tick upward.

    Once more, I use my glass to unstop the lid and mentally guide the void out. Then¡ª

    [Mana depleted.]

    [Predator Time Limit: 10.5 hours.]

    Shit!

    ¡°Stop,¡± I angrily tell Zyneth as I force the predator back in the bottle. ¡°It did not work. You would just be feeding it more.¡±

    His light goes out. ¡°No luck then?¡±

    I shake my head. ¡°I do not know why. Maybe it is too much to think about at once. Agh, I hate this!¡± I slam the bottle back down, then wince. Maybe I should be a little more careful to not break the predator¡¯s prison. I clench my hands, then force myself to relax. It¡¯s not the end of the world. There¡¯s still Emrox. ¡°At least it can still be contained in this bottle,¡± I say with a sigh. ¡°But starving it or Attuning it might be harder than we thought. If I relax for even the briefest moment, any amount of saved mana can be undone.¡±

    Zyneth frowns. ¡°You realize, with the library coming up¡­¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± I say shortly. Our planned heist is dead before we can even make the attempt if I can¡¯t use any magic. Which, I¡¯m sure, Zyneth would just love.

    But this is a death trap for me.

    Before, the predator had fallen back Between quickly because there had been so much of it and only a tiny trickle of mana to sustain it. Now, it¡¯s the opposite: I have more mana than before, and the predator is much smaller, so my magic is going a lot further toward keeping it rooted in reality. Does that mean that the more it stays here, the more it feeds on my magic, the stronger it¡¯s going to get?

    I can¡¯t just sit around and let it gradually overwhelm me.

    Echo, is there any way I can more actively keep tabs on the predator¡¯s power? I ask. Like, how much autonomy it has.

    [Conceivably,] Echo says. [Depending on the desired use case, the Influence of the predator¡¯s mind relative to the user¡¯s can be quantified.]

    Uh, yeah, I think that sounds good, I say. What does that look like?

    [Predator Influence: 5%]

    Okay. Good. I have some metric I can keep an eye on now. And, honestly, this is a little reassuring. 5% is not bad. That means I¡¯m ninety-five times more powerful than it¡ªor, er, however percentages work. At any rate, it explains why it¡¯s so easy to squash its impulses, even if I can¡¯t, apparently, keep them squashed 100% of the time.

    Then again, the numbers had probably been reversed back in Peakshadow, and it had really not felt great to be on the receiving end of the squashing.

    ¡°Our plans stay the same,¡± I tell Zyneth. ¡°Tomorrow we still scope out the library¡ªI do not need magic for that. I will figure out what to do about the predator in the meantime. But we cannot spin our wheels now.¡± With the predator¡¯s return looming, we don¡¯t have time.

    Zyneth sighs. ¡°I thought you might say that. Alright then. We¡¯ll move forward with this absurd plan of yours. But while you¡¯re off playing into Gillow¡¯s hands, I still intend to look for other solutions.¡±

    ¡°That is fine by me,¡± I say. I still have that interdimensional spell circle, after all. If I can complete the diagram, maybe we won¡¯t even have to go to Emrox. But until that avenue opens, I have to pursue the only lead I have; and with the threat of the predator growing larger by the hour, I don¡¯t have time to waste on research.

    We don¡¯t talk about Gillow or the predator the rest of the evening, dancing around the subjects as Zyneth retrieves dinner and begins winding down for the night. When he retreats to his bed, I settle into the chair at the desk on the other side of the room. I set all my belongings out on the table: my signing glass, the spell books, the slate with my partially-drawn circle from the library, some chalk, and of course, my monster in a bottle. Since I can¡¯t use my Glow spell without any mana, I instead light a small candle and try to keep it tucked out of the way so as not to disturb Zyneth. Finally, I take off my ragged cloak as well, draping it over the back of the chair, and set my translator aside. I certainly won¡¯t be needing that in the middle of the night, and in fact for what I have planned it might be a bit of a liability; can¡¯t have it accidentally say something aloud from a conversation I intend to keep private.

    I wait for Zyneth to turn out the lights and head to bed as I idly play with signing glass and stare at the incomplete spell circle, trying to figure out what shapes must fill in the gaps. It isn¡¯t until I hear Zyneth¡¯s breathing grow long and heavy that I give him a Check.

    [Status: Asleep,] Echo says.

    I check my mana next.

    [Mana: 1/56]

    About what I expected. Despite the fact it¡¯s been over a half an hour since I finished attempting the Attunement, my mana has only recovered one of the six points it should have. Meaning a certain parasite is quietly taking more than its fair due.

    I grab the bottle with a soft tink of glass on glass, and I feel the predator¡¯s mind stir at the movement, warily watching to see what I do next.

    I think it¡¯s past time you and I had a little talk.

 Chapter 64 â€“ Heart toâ€¦ Void

    Call it a heart to heart, I say, projecting my thoughts toward the predator. It can probably hear me regardless, but I want to make sure it can¡¯t ignore me. This conversation is not optional. Or, uh, heart to void. Whatever slimy organ you have in place of a moral compass.

    Anger wafts from the predator as it attempts to retreat, but I grab the bond that ties our minds together, and reel it in like a rope. The predator thrashes, and I have to fight every one of my own instincts to not let it go; to not put distance between us. Neither of us are particularly thrilled with this arrangement.

    I don¡¯t know if you can understand my words, I say, but I do know you can understand my intent. So let¡¯s lay down some ground rules, shall we?

    The predator roils futilely in my grasp, emanating waves of hate. It yearns for when our roles were reversed. It wishes to crush me. To kill¡ª

    But you don¡¯t really want me dead, do you? I ask. Obedient maybe, but not dead. Because I¡¯m your only foothold in reality, right? If I die, there¡¯s nothing keeping you here.

    The predator is not pleased by this. Frustration spills away from it, along with resentment, resignation, and¡­ acknowledgement.

    Good, I say. That¡¯s a start. You don¡¯t want to kill me. At least that¡¯s one thing we can agree on. Now, I don¡¯t know how much you¡¯ve been paying attention, but Zyneth and I have a bit of an operation planned for the next coming days. It¡¯s going to be dangerous. I¡¯m going to need my mana.

    The predator has stopped fighting me, perhaps resigned that it doesn¡¯t have any choice but to listen. It doesn¡¯t react to what I say; it doesn¡¯t understand.

    Alright, let me put it like this, I say. You¡¯re mooching off my magic. But if you do that while I¡¯m in trouble, if I don¡¯t have my magic when I need it, I might be fucked. And that means you¡¯re fucked. Capeesh?

    That, at least, seems to get through. Understanding thrums between our minds¡ªthough not without a good amount of displeasure and spite. But something else follows this: reluctance. Disagreement. Noncompliance.

    At first, I think it¡¯s telling me to go fuck myself, but its message deepens into something more complex.

    It can¡¯t stop the magic drain, I finally understand. It needs it to survive; to remain in reality.

    Right. I understand all that, but¡ª

    To release its hold on my magic would be no different than for me to die: both would result in it being forced back into the Between. It will not relinquish my magic. It will not stop feeding itself.

    Well that puts us in a bit of a pickle, doesn¡¯t it? I try to switch tactics. I didn¡¯t want to play hardball, but it looks like you¡¯re not leaving me with any choice. If you don¡¯t cooperate, I¡¯m going to starve you back Between.

    At that, the predator is amused¡ªnot exactly the reaction I was going for.

    Hardly a threat. It will continue to pull my magic away, bit by bit. And Attuning it isn¡¯t a danger either. It can just take everything from me at the last second, like it did before. I might be strong, but my control isn¡¯t complete, and it is far more cunning.

    Excuse me while I roll my non-existent eyes. It¡¯s right, though: I should have known better than to try to bluff with our minds connected like this. I can¡¯t starve it, I can¡¯t Attune it, and every time I try, it¡¯s just digging itself in deeper to stay grounded in reality.

    With a mental sigh, I let go of the predator¡¯s mind, allowing it to dart as far away as our mental bond allows. I set the bottle down, frustrated with myself. That was stupid. I don¡¯t know why I thought it could be reasoned with. It doesn¡¯t see logic or compromise: it only cares about its next meal.

    Trying to put the predator out of mind, I instead pull my slate over to revisit the drawing of the Emrox spell circle. There¡¯s still so many gaps in my quick sketch. Maybe if I¡¯m able to look up some of the few runes I can make out in my Vessel Construction book, I¡¯ll find some answers on how to complete the Emrox circle. Or maybe I can find more books that can help me tomorrow in the Athenaeum¡ªI guess I¡¯ll have to do that before I rob the place and piss off the librarian.

    I spend a couple hours sifting through the text books, but apart from being able to identify a couple basic runes used for stability in spatial magic, the endeavor is a waste of time.

    I stare at my slate, willing the answer to come to me. Am I even on the right track here? What if this whole Emrox thing is just a wild goose chase?

    The circle flickers. For a moment¡ªthe briefest moment¡ªlines draw themselves over the slate, completing the diagram, and I can see the whole picture. I recognize the pattern. I¡¯ve seen it before.

    I start, the image vanishing as fast as it came. What was that? A hallucination? I most certainly haven¡¯t seen that circle before. What was I thinking?

    Foreign thoughts tickle my mind: The predator has. It has seen it.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

    The predator was so quiet, I hadn¡¯t even noticed it creeping to the forefront of my mind, watching over my shoulder as I worked.

    What do you mean? I ask sharply. You¡¯ve seen this spell before? Where?

    The predator tries to retreat as soon as I¡¯ve noticed it eavesdropping, but I grab its mind and hold it still. After a moment of thrashing against my hold, it gives up, exuding resignation and uncertainty.

    Where? I ask again.

    It isn¡¯t sure. But it has seen it. It knows this pattern well.

    Show me, I say, hoping to recapture that mental image I¡¯d caught just moments ago.

    The predator refuses. It can¡¯t fight me, it can¡¯t slink away sulking, as it so clearly desires, but I also can¡¯t force it to resurface that memory. As soon as I try to enforce my will onto it, I feel its sense of identity evaporating.

    But there¡¯s something there. Something I just have to find a way to dig out.

    Quietly, I pick up the bottled void and remove the cork. I tip the bottle toward the slate, allowing a spoonful of the liquid to pour out. The predator watches this with deep suspicion.

    Show me, I say again, this time loosening my grip on its mind, handing over the tinniest fraction of autonomy to the void now pooled on the table.

    The predator gleefully leaps at the opportunity to control some of its void again¡ªand immediately tries to dart away. I had expected this, though, so I stop it in its tracks, yanking the void back over to the table and splatting it back down onto the slate.

    Nice try, I say. Let¡¯s do this again.

    The predator glowers at me indignantly, but clutches its control of the void like a starved dog with a bone. It would be funny if it didn¡¯t also scare me. We stare at each other for several long seconds, each waiting for the other to crack. Finally, the predator gives in.

    I can tell it¡¯s only complying because it¡¯s waiting for me to slip up, waiting for an opportunity to dart away and take a stab at Zyneth¡¯s soul in the corner of the room. I won¡¯t let that happen, though. If I¡¯m certain of anything, it¡¯s that I won¡¯t let it hurt Zyneth.

    Reluctantly at first, then moving fast and with more certainty, the void swirls in intricate shapes and patterns over the page. Gradually the gaps are all filled in, the circle is stitched back together, until finally, the shadows stop. And somehow, I know¡ªthis is it. This is right.

    Echo, Check, I say.

    [Check,] Echo dutifully replies. [A spell circle for planar linkage.]

    No way. This is it! Can I do it here? Now? How does it work? I ask.

    [Planar Linkage: a spell which joins two designated points in spacetime.]

    An excited thrill runs through me. What are the spell requirements?

    [Unknown,] Echo says. [The spell has not been learned by the user.]

    Dammit. That¡¯s right. I learn spells by doing them, or studying them through text books, thanks to my Arcane Intuition. Seems like just looking at the completed spell circle isn¡¯t enough.

    But could I activate it anyway, replicating the spell circle and pouring enough mana in, even without knowing exactly how it works?

    No. I can¡¯t risk that. I can¡¯t pull a Trenevalt. Even changing the size of a spell circle without altering other parameters¡ªthe angles of the lines, certain runes¡ªcan result in completely unpredictable effects. If I want to use the Planar Linkage spell, I¡¯ll need to go right to the source.

    In Emrox.

    The predator feels I¡¯m distracted. It springs toward Zyneth with sadistic glee¡ªand I mentally pluck it from the air, stuffing the void back into its bottle. The predator seethes with irritation, but my mind is elsewhere, racing, trying to piece all of this together. There is a way home. No more pipe dreams: a surefire way to retrieve my body. But to do that, I¡¯ll have to go to Emrox and activate the circle there. Without even knowing how much mana that might take until I get there. What if it¡¯s more than I have?

    The predator could harvest enough void. Absorbing mana is what it does best. It would be trivial.

    It still takes me a moment to even recognize these foreign ideas as thoughts coming from the predator¡¯s mind. You¡¯re offering to help me? I ask, skeptical.

    Disgust. Denial. It could control such magic. Not that it would help me.

    I snort. Sure, whatever. Clearly it has some ulterior motives with putting that suggestion out there, but how would it benefit from helping me make the portal I needed to get home? It must know I¡¯m planning to leave it trapped Between. I reach for the predator¡¯s mind, hoping I can catch a glimpse of its true intentions, but it darts away like a fish, sulking. Maybe it¡¯s just jumping at any excuse to get ahold of more mana.

    I tap my finger on the slate, looking at the incomplete spell circle still drawn there, thinking.

    Alright, I finally say to the predator. You want my mana? Let¡¯s make a deal.

    Ugh, even thinking the word deal with respect to the predator makes me feel slimy. But if we can¡¯t figure some way past our stalemate, I¡¯m stuck.

    I won¡¯t try to Attune you, I say, and I can feel the predator¡¯s surprise and then immediate suspicion at this suggestion. I won¡¯t try to starve you out, either. In exchange, you help me with that spell circle. Once we get to Emrox, I¡¯ll need you to fill in the blanks for any portions of the circle that are damaged. And I¡¯ll also need you to harness enough mana from the surrounding waters to activate the spell.

    The predator chews on this, highly tempted, but wondering what the catch is.

    No catch, I say. But I¡¯m not done yet. I won¡¯t suppress your mind to try to stop you from taking my mana, but only on the condition you stop taking all of it. I know you need some to stay out of the Between, but can you at least take¡­ less? Enough to keep you here, but not so much that it uses up everything I¡¯ve got?

    The predator considers this. It sees the reason in my offer, but it¡¯s still reluctant. It¡¯s hungry. It goes against its nature to leave food behind. But most of all, even though it knows it needs me, it really, really doesn¡¯t like me.

    Look, I¡¯m just trying to stand a fighting chance, I sigh. You don¡¯t want to end up Between. I don¡¯t want to die. I¡¯m not asking for much¡ªI¡¯m just asking that you don¡¯t be so greedy.

    Now that does stir amusement from the predator. It is greed. It is gluttony. The mere concept of rationing its meals fills it with disgust. To ask it to be less greedy is to ask it to not be itself.

    But¡­ it might be able to survive off less of my magic. At least for a day or two.

    Thank god. Freeing up a bit of my mental headspace from having to suppress the predator at every waking moment will be a relief. Glad that¡¯s¡ª

    However, the predator¡¯s thoughts chase me, it will be watching. It doesn¡¯t trust me. It knows I hate it, and it won¡¯t let me send it back Between.

    I snort. You¡¯ll be watching me? Right back at you.

    And with that I flick the predator¡¯s mind away. I can¡¯t completely cut off our connection, but there¡¯s something satisfying in sending the predator reeling.

    Given everything else I¡¯m juggling, I¡¯ll take my wins where I can get them.

 Chapter 65 - Compromising Situations

    The predator is suspiciously quiet and cooperative the rest of the night. By the time Zyneth wakes, I¡¯m up to 30 mana¡ªnot quite as high as it should be without the predator¡¯s interference, but better than before. I make the quick decision not to tell Zyneth about the little armistice the predator and I worked out¡ªespecially when I was supposed to be figuring out a way to get rid of it. He¡¯d probably be even more bothered to learn I need its cooperation to get the Emrox plan to work. I might have to wait until he¡¯s in an exceptionally good mood to break that news to him.

    Rolling out of bed, Zyneth combs a hand through his hair as he stifles a yawn, somehow managing to make the act look graceful and alluring. Is that a cambion thing? Are they just naturally sexy, or is this something Zyneth has practiced to perfection? I don¡¯t really have a lot to compare against. I mean, Attiru was good looking in their own way, but Zyneth seems to have embraced ¡°devilishly good looks¡± quite literally.

    Zyneth glances my way, and I jump, having been caught staring.

    ¡°Morning,¡± he says, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m not used to not being the first one up.¡±

    At least he can¡¯t tell I was staring. Saved from social embarrassment by my shitty anatomy.

    ¡°For what it is worth, I am not used to being the first one up,¡± I reply. ¡°Although back before all this, my schedule could get pretty haphazard.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± Zyneth begins readying himself for the day, organizing his bag and making his bed. Who does that? Who makes their bed? ¡°You know, you never said¡ªwhat was your profession back on your world?¡±

    ¡°I am an actor,¡± I say.

    ¡°An actor?¡± Zyneth chuckles. ¡°You performed in plays?¡±

    ¡°Gods no,¡± I say. ¡°I have not done theater since I was in school. The kind of actor I am¡­ it is a bit different on our world. I am not sure how to explain it, really.¡± But I guess the difference between TV shows and theater would be lost on Zyneth; it¡¯s all acting to entertain the masses, when you get right down to it.

    ¡°I never would have guessed that profession for you,¡± Zyneth says. He begins to change his shirt, and it takes me a few seconds to realize I should probably give him some privacy. Unable to really look away, I shut my vision off. ¡°And yet, that does seem very you.¡±

    ¡°What does that mean?¡± I demand.

    There¡¯s a smile in his voice. ¡°Well I wouldn¡¯t say you¡¯re dramatic, but¡­¡±

    ¡°But? That means you would say that!¡±

    ¡°And then there¡¯s the ego thing.¡±

    ¡°Ego!¡± I cry.

    He laughs. ¡°Well, maybe it¡¯s not ego precisely, but¡­ You know. The way you act as though you¡¯re made of steel instead of glass. How you keep throwing yourself into compromising situations. How you make unilateral decisions for others as though the world revolves around you.¡±

    I bite back a retort¡ªthat last one stings a little. ¡°You are talking about the deal I made with Gillow.¡±

    Zyneth sighs. ¡°I just wish we could have had the chance to talk it over together first.¡±

    ¡°I am sorry,¡± I say, and I mean it. ¡°You are right. I did not mean to take that choice away from you.¡±

    ¡°Then what did you mean?¡± he asks.

    ¡°I have to get to Emrox.¡± I gesture to the bottled void, which I can sense sitting nearby almost as clearly as I can see it. ¡°I needed them to agree to take me there. And for that I need their sub to work. Them offering to wipe your debts was a bonus.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°That makes sense. You merely accepted because the deal was in your favor.¡±

    He doesn¡¯t say that with any bitterness, but it leaves me feeling sour anyway. ¡°It was not selfishness.¡± Or maybe, not just selfishness. ¡°I wanted to help you, too.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no way they intend to make good on that promise, you realize.¡±

    I make an affronted sign. ¡°Of course I realize that. But the less Gillow suspects I am onto them, the better. You know, I may not be cunning, but that does not make me stupid.¡±

    Zyneth chuckles. ¡°Well your acting certainly had me fooled.¡±

    ¡°Wow, ouch.¡± I can¡¯t tell if that was supposed to be an insult or a compliment.

    Zyneth does laugh then. ¡°Kanin?¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°Why are you still sitting there?¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± The world flickers back into existence as my sight resumes. Zyneth is standing before me, his items packed, ready to leave. ¡°Sorry. I turned my vision off when you were changing.¡±

    He arches an amused eyebrow. ¡°What a gentleman.¡±

    ¡°Do not get used to it.¡±

    He offers me a hand up, and I take it. I gather up my belongings as well, floating most of them, including the predator, to my satchel. I slip on my boots, then Zyneth helps me put my cloak back on, for whatever little good it does to act as clothes. I stand there awkwardly as he makes adjustments around my arms.

    ¡°I could go for an upgraded cloak,¡± I tell Zyneth while he¡¯s at it. ¡°This one is a little singed now.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s this, you expect me to buy everything for you now?¡± Zyneth teases. ¡°In that case I¡¯d strongly suggest a pair of trousers first¡ªalthough I suppose it wouldn¡¯t really be covering anything, would it?¡±

    I respond with a sign my translator won¡¯t interpret for me, and Zyneth laughs.

    <hr>

    The Athenaeum is just as packed today as it had been the days before. I would say that helps us keep a low profile, but my appearance doesn¡¯t exactly lend itself to blending in.

    ¡°I don¡¯t see how this can go well,¡± Zyneth says for about the tenth time in as many minutes.

    ¡°Have you found it yet?¡± I ask, ignoring his pessimism.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

    ¡°No.¡± We¡¯re circling around the ground floor, passing under where the slope of the library begins to spiral above us. According to Gillow, there¡¯s a hidden entrance into the underbelly of the library around this point.

    Zyneth frowns. ¡°But I don¡¯t think my spells are the right type of magic for this kind of operation. I have one that is designed to identify what type of magic powers a spell, but that doesn¡¯t tell me any other information about it, or pinpoint its source. All I am getting is a lot of enchantment magic, which is unsurprising. It would need such reinforcements just to support all the stonework.¡±

    Gillow had seemed certain Zyneth would be able to find the entrance, though if that was because of his magic or his general sneakiness, I¡¯m not sure. Either way, it seems they were mistaken.

    Or Zyneth purposely isn¡¯t giving it his all.

    Echo, can you check the spells along this wall? I ask. What can you identify?

    [Check: The Library of Miasmere is generally considered an architectural wonder which rivals the ingenuity of the Ruins. Over three hundred spells are integrated into its spell circuit, most of which are dedicated to sustaining the structural integrity of the building and the organization of its contents.]

    Okay, well, thanks for the history lesson but that¡¯s not what I¡¯m asking, I say. Maybe I can use my recently obtained Inspect spell. I try activating it as a skill, first.

    [No target selected,] Echo says. [Caster must be in contact with desired spell in order to glean information about its nature.]

    Geez, well I guess I can¡¯t use this to go poking very many spells unless I know they¡¯re benign first. At least here on the first floor of the library I shouldn¡¯t have anything to worry about. I wander over to the wall, Zyneth trailing after me, and I touch a hand to the stone.

    Lights appear on the wall like circuits in a computer. Shit¡ªI nervously glance around, but no one reacts. I¡¯m the only one who can see it, then. I focus on one zig-zagging line of yellow light.

    [Structural spell: Enhances the integrity of the wall.]

    I move my hand along the wall, and other spells jump into clarity. Spells for strength, stability, fire proofness. I stroll along the wall as I casually scan through the spells I walk past.

    [Water summoning enchantment: Releases a volume of water if fire is detected within range,] Echo continues. [Illusion spell: Conceals the irregularities in the surface of the wall. Anchorage spell: Locks two surfaces together unless when in the presence of a complementary release talisman.]

    That sounds promising. And sure enough, even as I pass by, despite the wall appearing to be made of seamless white stone, my fingers bump over something that might be the edge of a door.

    ¡°I think it is here,¡± I tell Zyneth. I take my hand away and keep walking, not wanting to draw attention.

    ¡°What?¡± Zyneth says, skeptically glancing between me and the wall. ¡°Are you serious? That easily? How did you do that?¡±

    I puff myself up. ¡°A wizard never tells his secrets.¡±

    Zyneth looks entirely unimpressed.

    Psh, fine. I deflate a little. ¡°But it looks like we need something to get through. A talisman?¡± Sounds like the magical equivalent of a key card.

    Zyneth frowns. ¡°That would make sense. Only those allowed access will be able to enter. We¡¯ll have to pinch the key off someone, if we know what to look for.¡±

    ¡°Can it be disabled another way?¡± I ask.

    ¡°Those sorts of spells are difficult to break,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°And given the resources of Yedzaquib, I doubt either of us could manage it. It could likely be opened from the inside without a talisman¡ªsuch spells are generally designed to keep people out rather than in¡ªbut that¡¯s somewhat of a nonstarter. For now, I suggest we wait, watch, and attempt to find who has access so we can steal it off them.¡±

    Sounds boring as hell, but it¡¯s probably the safest and smartest play¡ªhow very Zyneth. I guess there¡¯s no harm in it. Zyneth decides to go scouting for a bit while I remain nearby, so I can watch anyone who approaches the hidden door on the wall. I settle in at a table near a fountain and idly wait as the animated nereid statues continue their never-ending scooping and pouring of water.

    No one uses the hidden door that first day. I swap shifts with Zyneth out of sheer boredom when he wanders back from whatever investigating he¡¯s doing, whereupon I search for other entrances. In fact, I discover another four hidden doors, scattered throughout the library, though that bodes even worse for our plan to watch and wait, given there¡¯s only two of us. That day, we leave empty-handed.

    The next day passes just as unsuccessful as the first. I spend my time away from door-watch duty idly searching the stacks for a different approach to find a way to Earth or get rid of the predator, but I don¡¯t make any headway into either of these endeavors. Focusing on reading is hard when you¡¯re stressed to the tits and trying to keep a ravenous murder void on a short leash.

    ¡°You¡¯re right about¡­ your shadow,¡± Zyneth says as we reconvene at a table near the nereid water feature, a morbid reminder of our jobs for Gillow. We decided calling the predator ¡®my shadow¡¯ was slightly less suspicious when discussing it in public. ¡°I haven¡¯t been able to find any information about it in the stacks, either. I would have assumed I don¡¯t have access to a high enough level if you hadn¡¯t confirmed there was no more information about it above. Quite peculiar. If information on it doesn¡¯t exist here, I doubt we would be able to find insight anywhere else.¡±

    ¡°I guess I am just special like that,¡± I say. I raise a hand to rub my head, but when glass clinks against glass, I lower it once more.

    ¡°Maybe,¡± Zyneth says with a tone that indicates he certainly does not think I am that special. ¡°Or perhaps that information is being kept elsewhere. Not all information can be displayed publicly. Miasmere wouldn¡¯t permit forbidden arcana to be accessed here, no matter Yedzaquib¡¯s power within the Scholars Guild.¡±

    ¡°You think the¡­ my shadow is some kind of forbidden magic?¡± I ask.

    Zyneth shakes his head helplessly. ¡°If it is, it will be difficult for us to know for sure.¡±

    After lunch Zyneth heads back into the library as I return to door-watching duty, but it gets old fast. No one particularly seems interested in that patch of wall, which really shouldn¡¯t be surprising: We have no idea how often people even need to go back there. What if it¡¯s something they only do when the arcana crystal needs to be swapped or recharged? What if Yedzaquib is the only one with access, anyway? We could be waiting here for weeks! Weeks I¡¯m not sure I can afford to waste with the predator lurking in the back of my mind. I stir a finger through the surface of the fountain as I think. There¡¯s got to be a better approach.

    Stone fish float along lazy tracks in the air as they circuit through the fountain¡¯s arcs of water. Even the water rises in unnatural twists and loop-the-loops. I rest a hand on the lip of the basin and Inspect it out of curiosity. Threads of blue magic jump to life, outlining the paths the water and moving statues are supposed to take as they continue to loop through their never-ending program. The magic circuit drops into the surrounding basin, then fades out as it leads deeper underground.

    Can I trace those water spells further? I ask Echo. If the arcana crystal is really what¡¯s powering this place, then every spell in this building should lead back to it, right? Where does it lead?

    [Negative, your skill range is limited to the local proximity,] Echo says. [However, activating the skill as a spell would increase the range. Spell cost: 1 mana for every ten feet maintained for every 5 seconds.]

    I weigh my options. I¡¯m up to 50 mana now¡ªthe only reason I¡¯m not fully topped off at 56 is due to the predator gradually eating away at my reserves. Alright, I say. Just fifty feet for now.

    [Activated.]

    The library floor comes alive with magical circuits. The blue lines of the water magic extend further down, but they also branch off in every direction along the floor, then rise up into the walls. I hone in on these spell paths as Echo feeds me more information.

    [Linked to the central fountain, this system of spells is designed to deliver water throughout the walls of the Athenaeum for purposes of responding to and extinguishing any fires that may originate within the building.]

    The beginnings of an idea are tickling my mind. What can you tell me about the size of this plumbing network? I ask. How big are the pipes?

    [Based on the parameters of the spells, the volume of water varies throughout the circuit, from one inch at its most narrow, to two feet at its largest width.]

    I can tell which ones are the wide paths by following the denser concentrations of magic. One goes down, only twenty or thirty feet, before it stops. There¡¯s a room down there I think, and all the magic circuits seem to be leading back to it. That must be where the currently active arcana crystal is; hopefully, the dormant ones aren¡¯t far away. I end the spell before it can consume too much of my mana.

    As discreetly as I can, I move my signing shards from beneath my cloak into the water of the nearby fountain. The pull of the current tugs on my glass, but I can overcome the force without much trouble. I practice maneuvering the cluster of glass around the basin for a minute. It¡¯s awkward, but not difficult. I call the signing glass back as I glance around for Zyneth. He can keep snooping¡ªor try to find another way to Emrox¡ªbut in the meantime, I have a plan, and I¡¯m itching to get a move on.

    Heh. Zyneth is going to hate this.

 Chapter 66 - Knock-Off Toy Submarine

    Zyneth sits across the table from me, grimacing. I use my cloak to conceal my movements as I unstring my core from my neck and slip it out of the pouch. I set myself down on the table and unfold my legs from around my core, wobblily climbing to my feet. It¡¯s only been a week since I last moved around in this form, but it already feels strange to be leaving my human-shaped body behind.

    ¡°You are remaining suspiciously quiet,¡± I say as I situate myself. I experiment with releasing my control over my glass body, carefully letting it slump into its seat as I ensure it doesn¡¯t fall over.

    ¡°What, do you want me to keep telling you how terrible this idea is?¡± Zyneth says. ¡°Because I can do that. I am happy to list all the ways this will go wrong.¡±

    ¡°I was more hoping for optimism and encouragement.¡± Cautiously, I let go of the last of the glass on my main body. I¡¯ll be moving out of its range soon enough anyway, and I¡¯d rather it not collapse to the floor and shatter when that happens. Luckily, it just sits there, inert, head resting on the table, without falling over. Yeah, totally not suspicious.

    ¡°Optimism?¡± Zyneth repeats. ¡°I am optimistic we will get caught. I encourage you to consider other options.¡±

    ¡°Unless you have any new plans or discoveries to share, this is the only option I can think up,¡± I say. I recall the Attuned void from my body next. Who knows, might come in handy. The blobby black follows my extra signing glass around like a storm cloud.

    Zyneth¡¯s frown pinches into concern, and he holds out a hand. ¡°Just please be careful. I can¡¯t help you from this side.¡±

    I tap his finger with one of my legs. ¡°I will only be poking around. I should be back soon.¡±

    He sighs. ¡°I hope you know what you¡¯re doing.¡±

    That makes two of us.

    Turning away from Zyneth, I walk over to the edge of the table, where the surface rests against the edge of the fountain. Down here from this vantage point, the gentle current looks a whole lot swifter. But now¡¯s not the time to chicken out, and hesitating will just add fuel to Zyneth¡¯s anxiety fire.

    Without the ability to take¡ªor hold¡ªa breath, I jump in.

    For a moment, I float at the top of the fountain, bobbing along like a bubble. But as water splashes over me, I¡¯m met with the distinctly unpleasant sensation of water seeping in through the crack in my glass. I squirm as the water drips into my vial, cold discomfort tickling me from the inside. My vision warps, split between air and water, and slowly but surely, I slip beneath the surface.

    Air bubbles out of the crack as I gently sink toward the bottom and focus very hard on not having a panic attack. It¡¯s fine. I don¡¯t need to breathe, so I can¡¯t drown. I¡¯m sinking gradually and not about to crash to the floor. I¡¯m not actually in mortal peril.

    But try rationalizing all that when you¡¯re watching the surface grow farther and farther overhead.

    Instead, I try to focus on protecting my core. I gather all my signing glass around me like spines of a pufferfish as I slowly tumble toward the bottom of the basin. When my glass finally brushes against the stone on the bottom, I¡¯m met with a delightful muted scratch of glass against stone.

    I use my void to help cushion the contact and stop my aimless drift. After another minute, the bubbles finally stop, and the uncomfortable sensation of filling with water is replaced by a marginally better feeling of sluggishness. Okay. Time to figure out where I¡¯m going.

    Reactivating my Inspect as a Skill, I don¡¯t have to look far. There¡¯s a sinister dark hole at the base of the fountain where the water is moving¡ªthough strangely it seems to be coming and going through that pipe. Magic, man.

    Now to figure out how to get over there. Between my signing glass and void, I have enough control to tow my core around like some kind of knock-off toy submarine. Each nudge of the current sends me floating off track, but I¡¯m able to bob my way in the right direction eventually. Soon, I¡¯m sitting on the lip of the pipe, the opening yawning and shadowed beneath me.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

    With all my glass electrified by my nerves, I force myself to roll forward. The darkness swallows me as I¡¯m falling once more.

    My vision vanishes. I lose all sense of up and down. The predator¡¯s mind brushes against my own, curiosity leaking through our bond¡ªit wonders what I am doing¡ªbut I slam it away in a panic. At that simple touch, coupled with the dark, the disorientation, fear crashes through me from nowhere. It feels just like being engulfed by the void. Drowning in its mind. Claustrophobia tightens around me, and I lash out in a panic. I can¡¯t fight. I can¡¯t escape. No, no¡ª

    I struggle to wrangle control over myself. It¡¯s just a memory. It¡¯s not real. The predator is here, but it¡¯s cowering away from my overflow of emotions. Nothing is controlling me. I can¡¯t freak out. Not here. Stop freaking out.

    Slowly, the pins and needles retract from my mind. The tension of dread eases.

    Shit. What was all that? I can¡¯t let it happen again, not when I¡¯m somewhere dangerous like this.

    Keep it together, Kanin.

    In the confusion, I lost track of where I was going. I try to sense which way I¡¯m falling, but with the mix of currents, drafting both up and down, I¡¯m not even really sure anymore. I focus on my glass instead. Where¡¯s my body? Ah, there. Like stars in a night sky, I find pinpricks of familiarity that I use to orient myself. It¡¯s strangely comforting, and the knowledge helps ground me. The last few knots of anxiety relax from my mind as I regain my sense of self. Okay. Back to business.

    My glass body isn¡¯t out of range yet, but it will be soon. I press my void and signing glass against the walls of the tunnel, slowly tracing my way down as I follow the thickest bands of magic. My path turns off to a side, and I follow, shifting my glass around to push against gravity once more and keep from scraping against the bottom of the pipe. I still can¡¯t see a damn thing, so I focus on my sense of touch instead.

    I feel the predator¡¯s presence in my mind again. I tense, ready to repel an attack, but I can feel it knows as well as I do that it would lose. It¡¯s not here to pick a fight. It¡¯s¡­ agitated.

    Now is really not the time, I say, pushing it away. Irritation pulses from the predator, along with nervousness. It doesn¡¯t like something, and it¡¯s getting antsy.

    Danger. Something is dangerous.

    Was it worried I was going to die down here? I would be touched if it weren¡¯t because it only sees me as a glorified life raft.

    But no, it¡¯s something else. A discomfort¡ªsomething I¡¯m starting to feel, too.

    I try to ignore the sensation and focus on navigating the pipes. Looks like I need to take the next turn, then go down another floor, and then I should be close to the source of all this magic. But as I grow farther and farther from where I started, the glass in my body eventually passes out of my range, and the feeling of unease only grows. It¡¯s like there¡¯s a tension in my soul. A spring that¡¯s getting pulled steadily apart. The predator paces the back of my mind, restless and prickly. It doesn¡¯t like this, and to be frank, I don¡¯t either. Is it because I left all that glass behind? I¡¯ve never been separated from so much Attuned glass before, but I have lost bits and pieces here and there and never felt anything like this. Well, it¡¯s too late to turn back now. I¡¯ll just have to power through and¡ª

    It can¡¯t wait any longer. It has to do something.

    Hey, wait! I say, alarmed by the sudden clarity of the predator¡¯s thoughts. What are you doing? No¡ªnever mind. What am I thinking? I don¡¯t have to ask it to stop, I can make it stop.

    I reach for the predator¡¯s mind, intending to snuff out whatever plan it has and force it back into obedience. It hears this thought and darts away, but we¡¯re tied together, and there¡¯s nowhere for it to go. I pull it back in, and the moment I do so, I catch a glimpse of its plan.

    Ah, shit.

    I feel it a moment later¡ªdarkness rushing through the black. The void crashes into me, sweeping me through the pipes and along the path I¡¯d intended. There¡¯s bits of glass mixed into the void¡ªpieces of the bottle that had, at least a minute ago, been containing the predator. It must have managed to break the glass when I was distracted.

    Goddammit, I growl, seizing the predator¡¯s mind. It doesn¡¯t put up a fight, relinquishing control to me the moment I reach for it. It¡¯s just relieved: The pressure is gone.

    It¡¯s right: That mental tension has evaporated. So it was the distance between us that was causing the discomfort?

    I don¡¯t like that. I don¡¯t like it one bit.

    Not to mention, Zyneth¡¯s probably freaking out up there. However the predator managed to break its container, I¡¯m not sure, but either way Zyneth must have seen it go into the water after me. If I was still within range of my glass or translator, I could tell him that I¡¯m fine. As it is, though, I¡¯m just going to need to get out of here and get back to him before he turns the building inside out.

    My much smaller amount of Attuned void has mixed with the predator¡¯s, and now I can¡¯t tell where one ends and the other begins. Another thing I¡¯ll have to sort out later. In the meantime, I use it to propel myself through the water, which is alarmingly effective. Some of it moves ahead of me, using Elemental Radar to map out my path like sonar, while the rest is cushioned around me in a macabre parody of a lifejacket. I¡¯m making way better time now, the void rocketing me along and responding to my will before I¡¯ve even finished the thought. I try not to think about how easy it is. How natural all this seems to be coming to me.

    I make the last turn, and suddenly light is spilling through the tunnel. Popping out the other side, I find myself in a stone basin once more. The void buoys me up to the surface.

 Chapter 67 - Some Halloween Crap

    Streaks of water dribble down my glass as I breach and begin to take in my surroundings. The water in my crack also starts to leak out, once more causing a distinctly uncomfortable internal tickling sensation. I better find a way back out that doesn¡¯t involve the plumbing system again.

    The room is large and made of stone, lit by dozens of lights that are strung across the ceiling on more spider silk. Reflections scatter off the water, sending a shimmering pattern over the room¡¯s wide, circular wall. Other pools are laced through the floor, connected by narrow channels of water and bands of magics. The spiderweb of water spans the whole room, cut an inch or two into the floor, making the area as easy to cross as stepping stones¡ªif you were human-sized. The streams of water and magical circuits vanish into the walls, where I imagine they must be pumped up to all the higher floors. This room is probably the brains of the anti-fire system.

    But it¡¯s not the brains of the whole operation. I can tell the majority of the magic in this room is connected to a stronger source another floor down. But how to get there?

    Glancing around to make sure I¡¯m alone, I use my glass and void to hoist me out of the water and onto the floor. The void responds by splitting into tentacles, grabbing the lip of stone, and pulling me out like some kind of oily black octopus. Lovely.

    There are a few tunnels scattered along the wall, though no indication of where any of them might lead, so I pick the closest and make for it. It¡¯s a little awkward walking on four glass legs again, but the void moves to support the limbs unprompted, making it a little easier. It¡¯s weird how good their synergy is. Like the glass are bones and the void is muscles and ligaments.

    This is some fucking Halloween shit.

    As I traverse the room, the predator remains conspicuously quiet, which, I finally realize, is because I still have a stranglehold on its mind. The predator is completely engulfed in my subconscious. It has no thoughts, except what I think, no emotions, except what I feel. Its sense of self is completely gone.

    Just like when it had overpowered me.

    The realization makes me uneasy. When the predator had taken over my mind, it had been horrific. Of course, I hadn¡¯t been able to fully realize that horror until after the fact, but the experience of being forced to take people¡¯s lives¡ªof delighting in their pain¡ªis a memory that will plague me to the end of my days. I never want to be put in that situation again. I never want my autonomy taken from me.

    And isn¡¯t that exactly what I¡¯m doing to the predator now?

    No, this is different. I¡¯m taking away its will in order to protect people, not hurt them. That makes it okay¡­ right? Of course. This is the right thing to do.

    But it doesn¡¯t stop me from feeling sick. It doesn¡¯t stop me from feeling like I¡¯m behaving exactly like the thing I despise most.

    I release the predator¡¯s mind, shoving it away in disgust. The moment the predator¡¯s mind separates from my own, it broils with rage and indignation.

    Oh, fuck off, I grumble. You¡¯re mad? You started all this.

    Shockingly, this does little to mollify the predator¡¯s hatred. Hey, at least it goes both ways.

    Despite giving the predator¡¯s mind some breathing room, it¡¯s still obnoxiously close, all of its feelings and observations bleeding over into me. Probably a result of our void mixing together. I can feel the predator reaching back out for its hold on the null magic, but I swat its influence away. Yeah, I don¡¯t think so. Now that its void is mixed with mine, and I¡¯ve no idea how to separate the two, it¡¯s just going to have to deal with me piloting the combined mass for now.

    The first doorway leads to a spiral staircase. The direction of all the powerful lines of magic is down, but Zyneth is up. I think I could make it down to the next floor without too much trouble, but there¡¯s always the risk of running into someone on the stairs and having nowhere to hide¡ªand even if I do find the arcana crystal, I¡¯d need Zyneth¡¯s help to carry it out. Besides, I¡¯d just promised reconnaissance. Reluctantly, I turn away from the source of the magic and start to climb.

    Previously this would have been difficult with just my glass, but the void is able to help shuffle me up each step without accidentally leveling up my Fall Damage Resistance. The way the black tendrils snake their way up the steps is still creepy as fuck, but at least it¡¯s a useful kind of creepy.

    I make it a floor up without running into anyone. The spiral staircase continues higher, but I decide to check out the present landing first. I¡¯m not totally sure, given the disorientation of my recent Mario Brothers adventure, but I think I¡¯m back up to the same floor as Zyneth. If not, then I¡¯m just below him.

    This floor is much smaller. It appears to be a wide empty hallway that curves out of sight, presumably following the wall of the library. Once again, no one is in sight. Does no one take care of this place behind the scenes? Or am I in more of a space-between-the-walls type area that is only checked when something goes wrong? Guess it doesn¡¯t really matter as long as I stay out of sight.

    Just as I¡¯m about to step out, movement flickers at the far end of the ceiling: a spider sentry. Unlike the ones I¡¯d seen in the main portion of the library, however, this one is etched with glowing purple runes, emitting a beam of light which sweeps through the hall like a flashlight. It¡¯s skittering right toward me, and I quickly shuffle back, slipping down the first stair for cover.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!

    It doesn¡¯t appear overhead. After another moment, I peek my head back up; the sentry scuttled past the stairwell and is heading down the other curve of the hall. Close call.

    Any idea how often those guys come by? I ask Echo, cautiously stepping out into the hall.

    [Negative,] Echo says. [There is not enough data to predict their occurrence.]

    Well you seem to know just about everything else, I say. She doesn¡¯t reply.

    Mentally sighing, I hurry down the hall. I¡¯ll just have to hope I can find another corner to duck into when the next one comes by.

    How does the sentry¡¯s magic work? I ask as I walk. The hallway is empty, save for bubbly lights near the ceiling. There aren¡¯t even doors on the walls. Is it too late to do an Inspect?

    [Affirmative,] Echo says. [But such spells typically use pulses of nature magic to detect lifeforms and verify if the individuals are within a pre-established database.]

    Damn. Then it sounds like even just getting Zyneth in here won¡¯t be the end of our troubles: We still stand to get caught once inside. And of course, I stand to get caught now¡ªassuming this sentry identifies me as ¡°a lifeform.¡± I would rather not risk it either way.

    Give me a head¡¯s up when the next one is in range, I tell Echo.

    [Affirmative.]

    I walk for another minute or two¡ªmeaning, at this size, not very far¡ªbefore I come across anything of note. There¡¯s what looks like a door-knocker on the inside wall. It isn¡¯t until I¡¯m up close that I can tell it¡¯s actually a handle in a door, barely discernible by the seam in the stone wall to either side.

    There¡¯s no key, just the handle¡ªthree feet off the ground. Ugh, I hate being small again. I attempt to grab it with my glass, but the little bit I have on me isn¡¯t enough to push with any strength. The glass screeches as it slips over the surface; no grip, either. Reluctantly, I send a tendril of the void up to grab the handle. The latch clicks, and I pull. Slowly, the door grinds inward. Hm. Not wild about the usefulness of this void, but I guess I¡¯ll take the wins where I can get them.

    I keep pulling on the door and it slowly, glacially, slides open toward me. It doesn¡¯t even feel really heavy, it just seems to move slow. Which is a problem when the next sentry appears at the end of the hall.

    [Sentry detected,] Echo says.

    Gee, thanks.

    I anxiously look for somewhere to hide, but the walls are seamless¡ªnot even another stairwell. If I can make it out the door, maybe I¡¯ll be safe, but it¡¯s not even wide enough for me to slip through yet.

    Crap crap crap. Can¡¯t get anywhere in time. Can I take it down with my void? Maybe¡ªit¡¯s much bigger than me. A Void Whip might work. But if it doesn¡¯t, I¡¯m caught. What else have I got? Lightbeam, Glow, Inspect, Location, Bond Trace¡­ Ah! That new spell I learned, Refraction. Echo, what¡¯s the mana cost for disguising just my core with Refraction?

    [1 mana per second. For larger bodies¡ª]

    Do it! I cry. I skip the tutorial and activate the spell.

    My glass jumps between me and the sentry. They interlock with each other like a lattice of crystals, forming a shell. But it¡¯s not just the glass¡ªthe voids move, too, layering over the glass and filling in all the cracks. Then, my mana activates.

    Unlike Lightbeam, there¡¯s only the tiniest flicker of light. It flows from my core into the surrounding glass and void, the whole structure rippling. And then, for a moment, it all seems to melt out of view.

    The sentry passes by. A purple pulse of magic washes over me, illuminating my shell of glass and void. I tense, ready to flee or fight¡ªbut the sentry continues on. Once it vanishes down the hall, I end the Refraction spell, and the shell flickers back into view.

    [Spell ended.]

    Well shit, that¡¯s useful as fuck. Still don¡¯t have enough mana to use with my whole body, but if I only have to worry about my vial, it could be a life saver. Before it¡¯s given the opportunity to save my life again, I decide to get the hell out of here.

    I finish pulling the door open another few inches, and it¡¯s finally enough for me to slip out. Instead of leaving immediately, however, I hover just inside, unenthused by the idea of the door closing while I¡¯m in the way and getting slowly crushed to death. Like I had hoped, I¡¯m looking back out onto the ground floor of the library.

    I can¡¯t see the fountain from this angle. I¡¯m disoriented for a moment until I catch sight of the spiraling floor, and trace it to the ground level. Okay, the entrance is to my left. That means¡­

    I edge forward a little more, and finally the fountain comes into view. I can make out Zyneth, too, just on the other side.

    So, not where I expected to be. But hey, at least I¡¯m on the right floor.

    Now how the heck do I get him over here without letting the door shut behind me?

    I try letting go of the handle, and the door begins to slide shut. Crap! I seize it with the void once more, holding it just a few inches from shutting, as I ponder what to do. It sure would be nice to have vocal chords. Barring that, I suppose my only option is to try to throw something in his direction. He¡¯s about thirty feet away, and my glass only has a range of around eight. I could throw it from a height, hoping momentum would carry it the rest of the way. It will break once it hits the ground, though, and there¡¯s no guarantee he would notice. What to do?

    The predator stirs, smugness rippling from its mind. Its range is not nearly so limited. A few feet is nothing. Pathetic.

    Oh yeah? Alright then. I grab the predator¡¯s void, the creature hissing in protest. Leaving one tendril wrapped around the handle to keep the door from closing, I snake the rest of the void across the floor, stretching the shadow across the stone. It feels like stretching a spring. At first it¡¯s easy, but the further the void gets from me, the more of an effort the movement takes. And then finally, it stops altogether. The predator emanates sadistic glee as it watches me strain, trying to get the shadows to move further, but they won¡¯t extend beyond the range of my glass. I¡¯m not even a quarter of the way to Zyneth.

    What the heck? I ask Echo. I can feel the predator isn¡¯t lying when it knows it can extend the shadows four times the length I managed. But why can¡¯t I? Why can¡¯t I make the void go further?

    [The abilities of the magic are limited by the abilities of the user,] Echo says. [This may include finesse, complexity, and range of the manipulated magic.]

    Meaning the predator¡¯s better at manipulating void than me¡ªhell, it¡¯s made of the stuff.

    The predator, of course, is very pleased as I come to this realization. Even if it¡¯s the weaker mind, it¡¯s still the more powerful magic user.

    Congratulations, I say. You¡¯re more practiced than someone who started learning magic two months ago. Really impressive.

    Although not for the first time, it has me wondering what Level the predator really is. Just in case, I try again, but as always Echo is only able to produce a bunch of junk data. Everything is just Div/0, whatever that means.

    At any rate, none of this helps me figure out how to get Zyneth¡¯s attention.

    The predator stirs again. It could do it. It has the range.

    I examine the predator with extreme suspicion. You want to help me?

    The predator eagerly surges forward. Of course. Yes. It can do what I wish. It can alert the cambion, very easily. If I just give it back its void.

    If I just let it take control.

 Chapter 68 - Reluctant Collab

    I shove the predator away with a barking laugh. Ay, there¡¯s the rub. Let you take control? Not fucking likely. How about you just lend me your abilities? Or, better yet, I can just take them from you.

    The predator growls. I can take its powers, yes, but I can¡¯t wield them like it can. I have already seen that. I need it. I should let it take control.

    I shudder in disgust. Fuck off with that. I¡¯m not going to let you take control. And for emphasis, just so it knows how serious I am, I press my mind against its, forcing it to feel my revulsion, my resentment, my resolve. The predator flattens beneath the pressure of my mind, for a moment its presence dissolving away entirely as its identity is overridden by my own.

    I pull back just as quick. It¡¯s not that I feel bad for it, but realizing I¡¯m doing to it what it did to me makes me feel¡­ I don¡¯t know what, exactly. Unnerved, maybe. I should be better than it. I am better.

    As the predator¡¯s mind extracts itself from me, its arrogance and mockery has simmered down into a familiar hatred once more.

    But while our minds had merged, there was something else I¡¯d gleaned from the predator. A realization that I could wield its powers without letting it take control; as long as it¡¯s not completely suppressed, I¡¯d still have its knowledge¡ªits magical muscle memory¡ªto pull from. I¡¯m not thrilled by the idea, but¡­

    The predator isn¡¯t thrilled by it either. It has no desire to help.

    This is the best deal you¡¯re going to get, I say. I¡¯m not letting you take over. And if I take over completely, then I suppress your abilities along with your mind. If you want even the tiniest drop of control in this situation, then you can choose to work with me.

    It¡¯s not really an offer, and both of us know it. If it doesn¡¯t willingly lend me its power, then I can make it do so. I¡¯d much rather it be the former, and in any other situation I might be horrified by the way I am blithely stripping away the autonomy of a thinking creature, but if I¡¯m being honest, I¡¯m not totally convinced this murderous void monster deserves any personal liberties.

    The predator hesitates. It doesn¡¯t want to share its power, it wants complete control. But it also doesn¡¯t want its will to get overridden. Reluctantly, angrily, it agrees.

    Honestly, I¡¯m not sure I wanted it to.

    This time when the predator reaches for the void, I let it take hold, but I extend my reach into the magic as well. Our wills overlap within the void. The tether between our minds shortens with the contact, so short it¡¯s almost as if there¡¯s no barrier at all. I can feel the predator¡¯s manipulation of the null arcana as clearly as if I¡¯m doing it myself. It pushes the void out, and the range limit I¡¯d run into before now falls away as if there¡¯d been no barrier at all. I focus on Zyneth as our minds fall into lockstep.

    We weave the void across the floor, keeping it to the shadows of tables and chairs that lattice the floor. The inky blob darts between feet and spirals around table legs, avoiding detection with fluid ease, made easier by the fact that we seem to be able to see, hear, and feel directly through the magic. We are still seeing through our core¡ªour anchor¡ªas well, so we cover that with a thin film of void, tucking the glass within our shadows and darkening its vision, so we can focus just on the movements of the void. Much better.

    As the void swirls across the floor, we marvel at how trivial it is for us to control it.

    Of course it¡¯s easy¡ªit¡¯s an extension of ourselves.

    Well, an extension of part of us.

    The part that matters.

    Oh, fuck off.

    We make it to the cambion¡ªZyneth¡ªquickly enough, but his back is turned, anxiously tapping a finger on the table. Even from this distance, we can feel the heat of powerful magic burning within his soul. It¡¯s a pity we didn¡¯t end up with a more capable host like him.

    Just shut up and focus already.

    We move up the leg of the table, spilling the void over the surface of the desk. We try to keep it flat to avoid detection from others, and to Zyneth¡¯s merit, his only indication of surprise is hastily jerking his hand back.

    ¡°That better be you, Kanin,¡± he mutters. Sparks of electricity dance over his fingers. ¡°If not¡­¡±

    Belatedly we realize one thing both halves of us have in common: We can¡¯t spell. Not in his language, at any rate, and not well enough to get the point across. Instead, we change the void into an arrow, pointing back in the direction of the door.

    Zyneth leans back, rubbing his neck, and casually casts a glance in that direction. ¡°I don¡¯t see anything. What is it?¡±

    We¡¯ll have to get him to follow. We spill the void off the edge of the desk and onto the floor, maintaining the arrow pointing back toward our core.

    He hesitates a moment longer, nodding back to our glass shell, still inanimate and propped in its chair. It looks so much like a puppet with cut strings. A prop, not a body. Not our body.

    ¡°Is it in range? Can you move it?¡± the cambion asks. ¡°It¡¯s too heavy for me.¡±

    No. Our glass is still out of range. We have to keep the door from closing.

    His question gone unanswered, Zyneth is forced to follow as we weave him back toward the wall. He¡¯s remarkably good at not watching us as he follows, somehow managing to make it look like he intended to head in that direction from the start. We pull our void back into the rest of us, and he stops a few feet away.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± he says under his breath, turning to feign interest in a nearby shelf. ¡°Where did you go?¡±

    There must be an illusion covering the entrance. We¡¯ll just have to risk being more blatant. Snapping a tendril of void back out the door, we grab Zyneth¡¯s wrist, tugging him toward the entrance. We feel the muscles in his arm tense beneath our grasp, instinctively resisting our pull¡ªhe¡¯s much stronger than our pathetic supply of void. We miss being powerful. Though the rest of us isn¡¯t far. Stuck in a pocket of Between called¡­ an inventory? Interesting. It wouldn¡¯t take much effort to retrieve it, either. All we need to do is reach for it¡ª

    Nope! No. That¡¯s it. We¡¯re done doing this.

    We pry ourselves apart, like peeling off an old bandaid. We try to resist, we aren¡¯t willing to relinquish our control, we don¡¯t want to lose our hold on the void, yet, but¡ª

    The predator reels as I shove it from my mind, then slinks away in resentful defeat. It takes a moment for my own mind to adjust, the disorientation of shifting from the shared consciousness to just me as dizzying as it is relieving.

    Yikes. That was too close. I don¡¯t intend to repeat that experience anytime soon. But I don¡¯t have time to sit and stew in the consequences of what we¡ªwhat I just did. I have to get Zyneth inside.

    I¡¯m still holding his arm with a strand of the void, though instead of an extension of myself, my current hold on the magic feels clumsy and juvenile. At least he¡¯s within range, and tugging him toward the gap in the wall is something even I can manage without void monster assistance.

    After a moment of hesitation, he allows himself to be guided to the wall. I pull his hand toward the door¡¯s frame. His fingers brush against the door, then he runs his hand along the seam. I let go as he feels out the shape of the door and wall. With one quick backward glance, he steps inside.

    ¡°Ah,¡± Zyneth says, looking around his new surroundings. ¡°Clever illusion magic, that. Though your instructions were rather¡­¡± He looks down at me and blinks. ¡°That is somewhat unsettling.¡±

    What? Oh. I let go of the door handle and retract that tentacle of void back into the main volume, which hovers around me like an inky jellyfish. It sort of developed other tentacles all on its own, like the one I¡¯d used to grab Zyneth¡¯s hand. I pull all the limbs in to reduce the Noli aesthetic.

    ¡°At least now I know where all that void ended up,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°The bottle tipped itself over and broke on the edge of the fountain¡ªthe predator was gone before I could even react. Though I see now you¡¯ve gotten that under control.¡± There¡¯s a lift to his voice, like it¡¯s more of a question than a statement.

    ¡°Yes,¡± I sign. ¡°It¡¯s under control.¡±

    Zyneth squints at the signs, but he at least seems to understand the ¡°yes¡± part. ¡°It will be tricky sneaking through this place while watching your signs,¡± he says. ¡°I should go back and get your translator. Actually, you should retrieve your whole body if you can. Leaving it out there is suspicious¡ªand I suspect we will be needing every tool at our disposal for this job.¡±

    He¡¯s right, but we have more pressing matters. The spider sentry could return any second, and I don¡¯t have enough glass to shield Zyneth, too.

    ¡°We have to be careful, there¡¯s spider sentries here,¡± I sign as he furrows his brows at my words. Shit, how do I say this with the most basic signs possible. ¡°Careful. Spider find us.¡± I form my signing glass into the best approximation of a spider I can manage and send it skittering across the floor. Between the signs and my helpful demonstration, he seems to catch on.

    ¡°Those spider sentries like in the rest of the library?¡± he asks.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Zyneth grins. ¡°Then we have nothing to worry about.¡± He grabs the door, effortlessly pulling it open a few more inches. The same door I had painstakingly dragged open. It just isn¡¯t fair.

    ¡°Go on,¡± he says. ¡°I¡¯ve got this. See if you can retrieve your body without drawing too much attention.¡±

    I don¡¯t appreciate the insinuation that I will be drawing at least some amount of attention no matter what.

    ¡°You sure?¡± I ask, hesitating a moment longer. Not that there¡¯s much I could do against the sentry.

    Zyneth pools lightning in his free hand, twitching his fingers as if knitting the strands of electricity together. ¡°Have more faith in me than that, won¡¯t you?¡±

    I do. Deciding I¡¯ve already wasted enough time, I scurry out the door and across the library floor.

    It¡¯s strange, having just made this trip minutes before through the eyes of the void. The predator is still sulking in the back of my mind after having its attempt to access my inventory thwarted. I¡¯m going to have to keep my eye on it. At least I know it won¡¯t be able to pull the rest of itself from my inventory without our minds being merged. So as long as we don¡¯t do that again, I should be fine. And I certainly don¡¯t plan on working with the predator again, no matter how useful its control over the void is.

    As I cross the floor, I nervously Check the predator stats, just in case.

    [Predator Time Limit: 10.5 hours]

    [Predator Influence: 5%]

    No change. Good.

    I can feel the glass of my body the moment it passes back within my range, but I don¡¯t try moving it until I¡¯m close enough to add my void to all its joints. And now that the predator¡¯s void is mixed in with my own, I¡¯ve got a lot more of it. Before I was only able to brace the legs and back, but now there¡¯s enough for the rest of the body as well. Little bits of shadow tucked into every nook and cranny.

    I reach down to pick up my core, slipping it back into the necklace pouch as I switch my vision over to my head. And just like that, I¡¯m pretending to be a person again.

    A couple people glance my way as I head back over to the wall¡ªthe door and opening completely invisible, now that I¡¯m on the outside. I spend a painstaking minute browsing the shelves, waiting for people to glance away or get bored of my unusual presence. Finally, there¡¯s an opening, and I use it to step up against the wall, sending my signing glass ahead to feel for the crack. Once I¡¯ve located it, I slip back through.

    Zyneth is not quite where I¡¯d left him. The door is pulled all the way inward now, and he¡¯s keeping it propped with his foot. In one hand is a spider sentry, legs twitching angrily within a cage of yellow light. His other hand is crooked over the device, lines of electricity zapping between the construct and his fingers like one of those toy plasma balls. He¡¯s frowning in concentration, the tip of his tongue poking out the side of his mouth.

    The sight fills me with a warm affection. I balk, the feelings catching me off guard, and I quickly stamp them out.

    What am I thinking? I can¡¯t start catching feelings for Zyneth, not when I¡¯m planning to leave this world behind. That¡¯s a recipe for disaster. Developing a crush on someone now won¡¯t lead to anything good. I have to stay focused.

    Flustered, I clear my throat, which the translator interprets as a kind of garbled coughing sound. Zyneth doesn¡¯t look up until the remainder of the spell finishes pouring into the spider, whose magic has changed colors to reflect Zyneth¡¯s electricity.

    ¡°There we are,¡± he says, setting the construct down. It scurries across the floor and up the wall, back to one of the many white lines of silk that crisscross the ceiling.

    ¡°What did you do?¡± I ask, speaking through the translator.

    Zyneth steps away from the door, allowing it to close. ¡°I gave it new instructions. It should notify us whenever other sentries grow near, and try to head them off. Should buy us enough time to hide, at least.¡±

    ¡°I did not know you could do that,¡± I say. Pretty useful. And for a reason I can¡¯t quite place, a little unsettling.

    ¡°I¡¯m an artificer,¡± Zyneth says, patting the knives at his waist. ¡°Imbuing objects with spells is what I do.¡±

    Ah, that¡¯s why it bothers me. Because according to his magic, I¡¯m an object, too.

    ¡°Come,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°Let¡¯s get moving.¡±

    I try to push disquieting thoughts of the predator, Zyneth¡¯s magic, and my troublesome feelings away. Right now, I have a mission to focus on, and if I don¡¯t want to get caught by Yedzaquib how that sentry just got caught by Zyneth, I¡¯ll need to keep my wits about me.

    ¡°This way,¡± I say as I lead us down into the spider¡¯s lair.

 Chapter 69 - A Right Glutton

    ¡°Did you have a chance to scout this place at all?¡± Zyneth asks.

    I step down the spiral staircase, cautious of any more spiders popping up. ¡°Not much. It took a lot more time to walk around here when I was teacup sized.¡± But I explain what I do know: The fire-extinguisher floor is beneath us, and I traced the source of the magic circuit to at least another floor beneath that.

    We make it back to the water room in record time¡ªgod, being small sucks¡ªand then continue heading down. Now that we¡¯re in new territory, Zyneth takes the lead, tiptoeing ahead, peeking around corners, and grimacing every time my misfitted boots knock clumsily against the floor. Look, he could have gotten me something nicer.

    Instead of exiting onto the second floor, however, the spiral staircase continues to wind down. By the time the light at the bottom of the curve indicates an opening, we must be at least four floors beneath the surface.

    The stairs open out onto a narrow pathway that circles the lip of a massive pit. It¡¯s the Library in reverse, with the slope spiraling into the earth and out of sight. Instead of bookshelves, however, the path itself is bare. All along the corkscrew, portions of the wall shine with purple light, twinkling like stars as they disappear down into the dark. As with the public side of the library, lines of spider silk crosshatch the open space, along which sentry spiders skitter back and forth to check on the lights in the wall.

    And at the center of the giant shaft, caught in the midst of this web, is a small, red crystal. I briefly flicker Inspect on as a spell, just to be sure, and lines of magic appear abruptly within my vision; sure enough, thousands of threads in the walls and floor all trace back to it. The magical source is hardly the size of my core, but it shines with the brightness of a sun.

    [Arcana crystal identified,] Echo says.

    I turn Inspect off again so the crystal doesn¡¯t wash out the rest of my vision. ¡°What is this place?¡± I ask.

    ¡°An excellent question,¡± Zyneth says, also marveling at the sight. ¡°I¡¯ve heard the Athenaeum deals in more than just knowledge, but this is something else.¡±

    Zyneth¡¯s hijacked sentry skitters forward, breaking through our awe, and we follow after it. It moves and stops, seemingly in random patterns, but its haphazard progress prevents us from crossing paths with any of the other spiders.

    ¡°What are those lights in the wall?¡± I ask as we begin making our way around the spiral. There¡¯s no guard rail along the inner edge of the trail, so I hug the wall. Zyneth seems less bothered by the cliff, but even he keeps a few feet away from the drop-off.

    ¡°Not lights,¡± he says, eyes on the nearest swatch of purple we approach. ¡°Barriers, I think.¡±

    As we come upon the first one, I can see he¡¯s right. Similar to the barrier we passed to enter the library in the first place, a portion of the wall is replaced with a sheet of transparent purple light, behind which is a small room. In that room is an Indiana Jones-type pedestal, upon which sits a simple brass bracelet.

    ¡°What the Expletive is that?¡± I ask.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± Zyneth admits. He glances at it as we pass, but doesn¡¯t stop. ¡°An enchanted item, perhaps. It must be valuable to keep locked in there, though why Yedzaquib is storing such treasures here, I am uncertain. If I had direct access to it, I might be able to cast a spell which checks what sort of magic it has been enchanted with.¡±

    Oh right. I suppose I can do that, too. I really need to use my Check more just by default¡ªand Inspect, now that I have that. I do that at the next barrier we pass, only twenty or so paces beyond the first.

    [Check,] Echo says as I make out the contents of the room. This one is only the size of a window, and inside is a ring with a yellow stone. [The Ring of Denwana. It is said that in the Queen¡¯s pursuit of eternal youth, she bound the souls of all one hundred of her closest attendants to her ring. Whether the magic was successful remains uncertain, as the Queen¡ªand every bearer of the ring since¡ªperished of remarkable circumstances within a year of acquiring the artifact.]

    Holy shit. ¡°They are not here because they are valuable,¡± I say, Checking the next item we pass. It¡¯s a pendant that imbues the wearer with superhuman strength, at the gradual cost of their sanity. ¡°They are here because they are cursed.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Zyneth asks. ¡°Are you sure? How do you know that?¡±

    ¡°Echo told me,¡± I say. ¡°She can give basic descriptions of things that I focus on.¡±

    Instead of looking impressed, Zyneth frowns. ¡°And this is information you had no knowledge of prior?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± I say.

    Zyneth hums thoughtfully. ¡°This Echo of yours knows more than she should.¡±

    I mean, I guess so. Her teaching me things seems like the point, right? I¡¯d never really considered how she knows what she knows, but there¡¯s a lot about magic I still don¡¯t understand.

    ¡°Well whatever she is, she is pretty useful,¡± I say. Echo, Check every object that comes within range and let me know if any of them are an arcana crystal.

    [Affirmative,] she says.

    I relay my plan to Zyneth.

    ¡°That is useful,¡± he admits. ¡°Do you suppose it has something to do with you being from this other world?¡±The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    ¡°I doubt it,¡± I say. ¡°We did not have these Echoes on my world. Although it does seem strange I am the only one with one floating around in my head.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s something else we could look up in the library¡ªif we somehow make it out of here without being caught or banned for life,¡± Zyneth adds. His smile is teasing, but also tight. Maybe that¡¯s how he copes with being here despite his misgivings.

    ¡°I suppose,¡± I agree. ¡°Of course, if I make it back home after this, we will never know.¡±

    Zyneth¡¯s smile falls away. ¡°Of course. Your home.¡±

    The way he says those simple words twists an invisible blade in my soul. That¡¯s why we¡¯re doing all this, isn¡¯t it? I shouldn¡¯t have to feel guilty for wanting to get my body back¡ªfor wanting to get my life back.

    I squeeze a hand into a fist, the glass clinking as each finger makes contact. ¡°You do not have to do this, you know.¡±

    Zyneth looks at me. ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°Risking your life here to help me,¡± I say. ¡°And when I go to Emrox, too. You do not have to come. It is dangerous, and you will not be needed for the trip. I can achieve the same thing alone.¡±

    ¡°I will not leave you alone with that shark,¡± Zyneth growls. ¡°Don¡¯t trust Gillow as far as you can throw them. They might take you to Emrox to mine that null arcana you promised, but they¡¯re sure to do something duplicitous once you¡¯re there. They¡¯d have no incentive to allow you to go back to your world when they could instead continue to use you to extract expensive resources.¡±

    ¡°Is that the reason you are coming?¡± I ask. ¡°To make sure Gillow does not win?¡±

    ¡°You idiot,¡± Zyneth snaps, and I turn to him in surprise. ¡°It¡¯s to make sure you¡¯re safe.¡±

    Embarrassment and shame burn through me. Why does he care so much? Of course no one would want to see a friend get hurt if they could help it, but we¡¯re about to never see each other again anyway.

    I¡¯m about to leave him.

    The silence between us stretches as our feet thump dully down the slope. Finally, Zyneth sighs.

    ¡°There are other options, you know. We could leave now, before anything is stolen, before we take steps down a path we can¡¯t retrace.¡±

    ¡°But Gillow¡ª¡± I start.

    ¡°Screw Gillow,¡± Zyneth snarls. ¡°And screw Emrox! You could always stay here. With¡­ with people like Noli and I, who care about you. We could find a way to manage the predator. There must be something in the Library that can help.¡±

    There¡¯s a part of me that wants that. A big part of me that is looking forward to seeing Noli again, to just enjoying a quiet conversation with Zyneth, to not worrying about voids or thievery or ancient magic.

    But I shake my head. ¡°I cannot live like this,¡± I say, gently. I don¡¯t fault him for not understanding. I hold out my hand, watching the movement of the floor through the warped glass. ¡°I cannot live this shadow of a life. No food, no sleep, no¡­ companionship. It is a nightmare, Zyneth. A living nightmare I cannot take a break from, even for a moment.¡±

    Zyneth looks at my hand, then looks away. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I understand what you are dealing with, even if I cannot experience it myself. But surely, there must also be spells¡ªsomething¡ªto create a new body for you? We need only take the time to look.¡±

    Is that something I¡¯m willing to consider? Creating a new organic body¡ªa living body¡ªthat isn¡¯t my original? The idea makes me uncomfortable. Better than a glass body, of course, but would it really ever feel like me?

    ¡°I¡­ might consider it,¡± I say, hesitant.

    Zyneth looks up. ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°As a last resort,¡± I add. ¡°If Emrox does not pan out.¡±

    His face falls in disappointment¡ªand fuck does it not feel great to be responsible for disappointing Zyneth¡ªbut I¡¯m saved from hearing his thoughts when Echo chimes in.

    [Arcana crystal detected.]

    ¡°Here it is,¡± I quickly say. I gesture to the barrier Echo indicated, the next window we¡¯re about to reach. By now we¡¯re several rotations down the loop, the ceiling several floors above us.

    This barrier is wider and taller than the others, reaching the floor in the shape of a freight entrance more than a window. When we get closer, I can see why.

    Instead of another small room with a pedestal upon which sits some trinket or jewel, this barrier blocks off a large passageway which curves out of sight. I can make out more barriers lining the walls inside. I guess the stuff in here needs double the protection, which is both a sign we¡¯re on the right track, and a problem.

    ¡°Well,¡± I say, ¡°Now what?¡±

    Zyneth snorts. ¡°Wasn¡¯t it you who was just encouraging me to leave? You said you could do this on your own, I distinctly remember.¡±

    I puff up indignantly. ¡°I was just giving you an opportunity to voice your opinions.¡±

    ¡°Because I am the one who so often struggles with communication,¡± he says, smiling slightly. It¡¯s a relief, somewhat, to see the cloud over him dissipate. This lighthearted, teasing, somewhat aloof Zyneth is the Zyneth I know.

    ¡°Alright then,¡± I say. ¡°I will figure something out on my own.¡±

    Zyneth gestures me forward with an amused flourish, stepping back to give me space as I step up to the field of magic.

    I Inspect the barrier, and sure enough the spell powering it leads back to the arcana crystal at the top of the spiral. I Check it again, just to make sure there¡¯s no nasty surprises, then gingerly reach out to touch the magic. It¡¯s like pressing my hand against a brick wall. There¡¯s no give, no indication enough force would allow me to slip through.

    I feel the predator¡¯s attention shift back over to my actions. I guess it¡¯s done sulking. Its hunger creeps through our bond, which makes me a bit irritable too. My mana is down to 24/56, thanks to all these Refraction and Inspect spells¡ªnot to mention the predator taking its own mana tax each time.

    Haven¡¯t you had enough? I ask. But even as I ask, it gives me an idea. If you really want more, can you take it from this field?

    The predator swells to the forefront of my mind, eagerly investigating the offer to consume more magic. It instinctively tugs at the void, but I¡¯m already keeping a tight hold on the magic, and my will is stronger.

    It needs the void to absorb magic. I must give it control.

    I grimace. We could always do the mind merge thing again, but I¡¯m not wild about that prospect. I think I can slip it just enough control to let it tap into the barrier and nothing else. If it tries anything, I should be able to wrest control easily once more.

    The predator hisses at the thought. It just wants magic. It needs more. Always more.

    Yeah, yeah, I say, relinquishing the tiniest bit of void to the predator. I get it. You¡¯re a right glutton.

    The predator ignores me, eagerly seizing the void. The shadows in the joints of my hand bleed forward like streams of ink, hooking into the magic of the barrier. The predator pulls at the magic, funneling the mana away from the field. The energy jolts through me, crackling through our shared void. I flinch, bracing my other arm against the barrier as the predator fills with an elation that echoes back into me.

    Zyneth steps forward, reaching out an uncertain hand. ¡°Are you alright? What¡¯s happening?¡±

    ¡°Fine,¡± I say, strained. It¡¯s hard to focus on talking when it feels like a live line of electricity has been wired up to my soul. But instead of being electrocuted, I feel energized. Paralyzed by power, overwhelmed by the predator¡¯s desire and satiation. It¡¯s intoxicating, and it¡¯s too much.

    The barrier flickers near my hand, but it doesn¡¯t go down. This isn¡¯t working. That¡¯s enough, I say to the predator. It ignores me, pulling from the barrier as another wave of exhilaration crashes through me.

    ¡°Enough!¡± I jerk my hand away, wrenching the void from the predator¡¯s grasp as I stumble back from the wall¡ªand, I realize a moment too late, straight toward the edge of the cliff.

 Chapter 70 - Mission: Impossible

    ¡°Kanin!¡± Zyneth throws an arm out behind my back, grabbing my shoulder and stopping me from careening over the ledge. A spark of magic jolts from my glass to his hand and he sucks in a breath, but doesn¡¯t falter.

    Holy shit. I feel overcharged. Brittle. My hand is shaking, the void vibrating with magic. I grab my wrist to still the movement, only now noticing the magic there is¡­ denser. Darker. Less shadow and more physical than I¡¯m used to seeing. Why?

    [Mana: 56/56,] Echo says. [Bonus Mana: 25. Predator Time Limit: 12 hours. Predator Influence: 6%.]

    Figures. It might have topped up my tanks, but it took a bigger cut for itself. And its influence crept up one percent¡­ that¡¯s not good.

    ¡°Kanin,¡± Zyneth says again. ¡°Talk to me. Sign or speak¡ªwhatever you¡¯re capable of. I swear, if you don¡¯t say something, I¡¯m getting us both out of here. In fact, we should do that regardless.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± I say, pulling the void back into my joints. Giving them something to do helps lessen the pressure. ¡°I am okay. The predator was just being difficult.¡±

    ¡°The predator,¡± Zyneth repeats, alarmed. ¡°Is it acting up? Will you be alright?¡±

    ¡°Ah.¡± I head back over to the wall, sheepishly avoiding his concerned stare. ¡°Yes, I will be alright. I have been¡­¡± I pause, trying to think of the right words that won¡¯t alarm Zyneth. ¡°...collaborating with the predator.¡± Nope, that wasn¡¯t it.

    ¡°Collaborating?¡± he cries. ¡°What do you¡ª¡±

    ¡°I am just using it!¡± I explain. Hm, that also sounded better in my head. ¡°Or, learning from it. Expletive, I am really not explaining this right. Look, I have it under control. I am stronger. It is still only a sliver of what it was.¡±

    Zyneth¡¯s jaw is clenched. ¡°Start explaining better.¡±

    ¡°It lent me some of its abilities,¡± I say. ¡°Well, I sort of threatened it into helping, or we would not have gotten as far as we have. But I promise, it is fine. I am in control.¡±

    Now that the magic has settled somewhat, I activate a quick Inspect: the magical circuit powering the barrier jumps into view inside the nearby wall. I head over to the stone and place my hand over the narrow channel of magic that was feeding the rest of the field. I feel the predator perk back up, but I shove it away. I don¡¯t need you for this.

    I do, the predator insists. I need its help.

    I snort. It¡¯s just sucking up magic. An idiot could figure this out.

    The predator rumbles with irritation, pressing against my mind, reaching for the void, but I brush it away.

    ¡°Nothing about this is fine, Kanin,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°In fact, it¡¯s extremely concerning. Would you be bargaining with this monster in any other circumstances? After what it did to you?¡±

    His words dig into unhealed wounds, and regret washes through me, quickly followed by a flare of indignation. ¡°You do not need to remind me what happened.¡± I hate myself for working with it. But I need to use every advantage at my disposal if I stand a chance at getting my body back¡ªand leaving this thing trapped Between.

    Zyneth presses his mouth into a line, but he does back off. ¡°You¡¯re right. That¡¯s not my place. So I will only say it once: Giving that beast any amount of power is a mistake.¡±

    ¡°Noted,¡± I say. ¡°Now are you ready to get through here? I may only have it open for a moment.¡± I brace for another lecture.

    Zyneth stands there for a moment, silently watching me. Then he sighs. ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s get on with it.¡±

    I watch him with surprise and more than a little bit of suspicion as he steps up to the barrier then nods to me, waiting. Somehow, him cooperating instills me with guilt rather than confidence.

    We¡¯ve been out in the open long enough, however. That¡¯s a conversation for later.

    I summon the tendrils of void, imitating what the predator had done, but I add more lines of magic than I¡¯d given the predator access to. I can feel the mana circuit thrumming just beneath my touch.

    ¡°Here we go,¡± I tell Zyneth, then I plunge my magic in.

    If I was hooked to a live wire before, I¡¯m being struck by lightning now. The magic is ten, a hundred times more potent, too late realizing the predator had been filtering out most of what I¡¯d experienced. My mind goes blank with white noise, sight and sound and sensation drowned beneath the deluge of energy.

    A voice says something from far away. [...sustained¡­]

    I can¡¯t let go, but I don¡¯t even want to. I¡¯m invigorated. I¡¯m ecstatic. I¡¯m powerful, growing stronger, approaching some looming, irreversible brink¡ª

    Disdainful amusement saturates my mind. Fool. Arrogance. You don¡¯t need us? You are going to get us killed.

    A familiar voice floats back again. I feel like I should understand it, but I can¡¯t concentrate on the words long enough for them to make sense. [...damage¡­]

    We need our anchor. We can¡¯t allow it to be destroyed.

    We absorb the torrent of magic in the void, lessening the buildup of mana that was about to shatter our soul. Pulling our hand from the wall, the void disconnects from the circuit, and the energy that was holding us upright and rigid vanishes in an instant.

    I collapse against the wall, mind reeling, as my glass briefly slips from my grasp, too overwhelmed to remember to hold on. I belatedly try to catch myself before I hit the ground, scrambling to keep my body from shattering to pieces. My hip strikes the floor with a sharp crack, and I throw an arm out to the side to brace myself, the void finally catching up to cushion the blow.

    [7 points of points Fall Damage sustained.]

    And then it¡¯s over. I¡¯m on the ground, tense and still, trying to understand what the hell just happened.

    Did the predator just¡­ save me? Its mind lingers nearby, a swirl of smugness and scorn.

    Fuck. I hadn¡¯t even realized I was in danger. It did save me¡ªnot that it was doing it for any altruistic reasons. My soul feels tight and uneasy.

    ¡°What happened?¡± Zyneth is crouched beside me. He reaches out a hand. ¡°Your leg¡ª¡±

    I activate a Sculpt, already stitching the broken glass back together again. ¡°I am okay,¡± I lie, shooing him away as I pull myself to my feet. I¡¯m still dizzy with disorientation, jittery as if electrified, but there¡¯s no sense in letting Zyneth know what I¡ªor the predator¡ªjust did. I''d only worry him more. ¡°Just got a little overwhelmed. Forgot to hold onto my glass. I guess we will have to find some other way in.¡±

    Zyneth looks at me strangely, stepping aside to gesture toward the field. Or at least, where the field was supposed to be. The hallway now stands open and ready for us to stroll inside.

    ¡°You took the field down over a minute ago, then I stepped inside and disabled the system from within,¡± he says. ¡°You sure you¡¯re alright?¡±

    A minute? I mean, that¡¯s not a huge space of time, but it sure feels longer than the couple of seconds I was hooked into the circuit.If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    Am I alright? I Check myself over.

    [HP: 3/10]

    [Temp HP: 340]

    [Mana: 56/56]

    [Bonus Mana: 785]

    Yikes. My temporary hit points are fine¡ªI¡¯ve already mended the crack in my leg¡ªbut that damage to my direct HP worries me. Was that all from the magic I was absorbing? It looks like it went right to my soul. That didn¡¯t happen when the predator had been pulling from the field the first time. I¡¯m not excited to admit it, but maybe it knows what it¡¯s doing.

    A smugness echoes from the predator. I shove it away.

    The bonus mana also jumped. Probably explains the¡­ overcharged-ness feeling I¡¯m experiencing. Which means¡­

    I Check the Predator as well.

    [Predator Influence: 8%]

    [Predator Time Limit: 25.4 hours]

    Oof. I¡¯d sort of given up on the idea of starving the predator out of mana, once I realized I¡¯d need it for Emrox, but that Influence stat is not filling me with comfort. Still, at least it¡¯s pretty low. I start to pull the void that had cushioned my fall back into my joints, then stop.

    Zyneth notices it too. ¡°Has it always been that¡­ physical?¡±

    No longer mistakable for shadows, all its previous elements of intangibleness are gone. This ink is impenetrably dark and real, more solid than I¡¯ve ever seen it¡ªat least, not since the predator was summoned in full.

    ¡°It is the extra magic I absorbed,¡± I guess. Similar to the Void Whip spell, which makes the void more concrete and physical when charged with mana. I¡¯ll need to be careful about letting the predator do something like this again, no matter how useful it might be at taking down barriers.

    I can feel the predator lingering at the edge of my mind, watching, but nothing more. If it is stronger, at least it isn¡¯t acting on it. For now.

    I clench my fist, pulling the void back into place. ¡°Come on. We need to get going before we are caught by one of the spiders.¡±

    Zyneth hesitantly follows as I lead the way into the chamber.

    ¡°The arcana crystal you found appears to be uncharged,¡± Zyneth says, back to business as I approach the window. He seemed to have managed to keep the field down for the main entrance to this area, but all the barriers for the individual items are still up. ¡°I suspect it was the last crystal that was used to power the library; it won¡¯t be sufficient for Gillow¡¯s needs.¡±

    ¡°There are other ones further in, you think?¡± I ask.

    ¡°Possibly,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°Given the extra security and presence of the expired arcana crystal, this seems the most likely place to start.¡±

    We wind our way through the passage, which appears to follow the same circular pattern the rest of the library had. This time, though, we¡¯re heading back up. We¡¯re either on the right track, or getting much further from it.

    Interestingly, many of the windows here are empty, their contents removed. There¡¯s still plenty of bizarre and sketchy magical items, however, including a scroll which contained a spell circle that could turn someone inside out, and a treasure chest decorated with a teeth motif and red leather strap that looks suspiciously like a tongue.

    The magic on Zyneth¡¯s spider sentry abruptly turns red, and Zyneth whips a hand in front of me, causing me to stumble to a halt.

    ¡°What¡ª¡±

    He signs, ¡°Quiet,¡± and wordlessly moves forward. Another spider appears from around the corner, only feet away.

    Zyneth pounces as the sentry flashes red, snatching the spider from the wall with an electric flash. The color fades from the construct until it¡¯s just a gray stone husk.

    ¡°Keep moving,¡± Zyneth says as he tosses the dead sentry aside. ¡°Quickly now. I might not have cut its signal off in time.¡±

    ¡°You are not going to repurpose it?¡± I ask, hurrying after.

    He shakes his head. ¡°Didn¡¯t have time to set up new instructions before I had to sever its circuit. And I¡¯d rather not waste more mana than I must. We might not have much time now.¡±

    The path continues to circle upward. Despite that initial dead arcana crystal, I¡¯m beginning to suspect we¡¯re on a wild goose chase. What if the other charged ones are stored elsewhere? What if the library only has the two? And even if we find what we¡¯re looking for, how will we get it out? I¡¯m not sure I¡¯m ready to tackle another one of those barriers.

    After several more minutes of tense silence, we round a corner and a new floor of the Athenaeum comes into view.

    It¡¯s literally crawling with spiders. The floor is practically carpeted in the lines of magical web, equally woven over the walls, windows, and even strung through the air like some kind of goddamn Mission Impossible room full of lasers. One thing is certain: Zyneth and I won¡¯t be able to set a foot in there without tripping the whole system.

    ¡°I don¡¯t suppose it¡¯s stored elsewhere?¡± Zyneth suggests, resignation already set in his tone.

    I flick an Inspect spell on and off, unwilling to eat up too much of my mana. The lines from the arcana crystal are strongest in here¡ªmuch stronger than anywhere else. ¡°Unfortunately, I think we have found it.¡±

    Zyneth grumbles, crouching down to check the floor. ¡°I could possibly send my enchanted sentry through here to scout. The threads might not recognize it as an intruder.¡±

    I¡¯m not wild about that might. Besides, I have a better idea. ¡°I could scout, too,¡± I say. ¡°In my small form. You will have to take care of my body, move it out of the way if anything comes nearby. I will be more careful at avoiding those lines than your sentry would be.¡±

    One look at Zyneth¡¯s frown tells me exactly how much he likes this idea. ¡°And if you get caught?¡±

    ¡°I will not.¡±

    ¡°And if you do?¡± he insists.

    I¡¯m already sitting down, undoing the pouch around my core. ¡°I have a few more tricks up my sleeve.¡±

    ¡°Even if you do find it in there, how will we get it out?¡± Zyneth asks.

    I shrug, summoning my signing glass around my core as I shut off my vision in my head piece. ¡°Sounds like something for you to figure out while you wait. And a quick escape route would be nice.¡±

    Zyneth sighs. ¡°Are you expecting us to get caught?¡±

    I do a practice lap on the ground, getting used to the feel of walking on four legs again as I look up at Zyneth and my body looming above. This must be how the spider sentries feel. ¡°Well I would not say expecting it, but I am somewhat unconvinced of our abilities to be sneaky.¡±

    ¡°I am literally a master of stealth,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°If anyone here is going to lead us to being discovered, it¡¯s you.¡±

    ¡°Hey, I got us this far, right?¡± Finally, I take the translator off my body¡¯s wrist and loop it around my core instead. If it gets too far from my soul, it won¡¯t work anymore, and I am not convinced Zyneth would be able to understand my tiny signs from across the room. Hopefully he¡¯ll at least be able to hear me if I speak loud enough.

    Zyneth sighs¡ªthat seems like it¡¯s becoming a habit¡ªthen gives a stiff nod. ¡°Alright. Be careful. I¡¯ll work on figuring out how far we are under the surface. Based on the trek back up and the shape of this room, I think we may be below the water room. If so, we might be able to slip out of here through there. Otherwise¡­ well, I¡¯ll figure something out.¡±

    I have the utmost faith he will. I give him a glassy salute, then turn to face the spiderweb. The room is a whole lot more daunting from this vantage point, twitching with the constant movement of the sentries, but the gaps in the web also seem a lot more manageable. I cautiously step over the first line, then begin tip-toeing my way into the room.

    Hey Echo, I say. Can I ready a Refraction spell? If anything other than Zyneth so much as looks like they¡¯re glancing my way, I want you to turn it on. Especially those spider sentries.

    [Affirmative,] Echo says. [Refraction spell cost: 1 mana/second. Is this acceptable?]

    Yep, I say. And given the bonus mana I currently have, I can keep that spell going pretty long if I need to.

    [Spell readied,] Echo says.

    A spider skitters across a line a foot above my head, and I suppress a shudder. Yedzaquib could not have come up with a creepier-ass design if he¡¯d tried. I mean, I guess it makes sense you¡¯d fashion something after yourself. And I might have some Earth-based biases here. But yeah, no. Too many legs.

    The first window is open and empty¡ªnothing inside and no barrier protecting whatever is supposed to be kept there. Maybe it¡¯s because I¡¯m in my vial form again, but that opening sure looks a lot bigger than your typical trinket storage unit. I tiptoe to the side, skirting around an area where a thread narrowly passes overhead, and continue to pick my way over to the next window. This one has a field up.

    And when I see what¡¯s inside, I freeze.

    ¡°Holy Expletive.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡± Zyneth asks. His voice is low, but it carries easily without any other sound in the room besides the faint rustle of the spider sentries.

    I stare a moment longer. ¡°Um. I think I know what happened to Gillow¡¯s thug.¡±

    [Check: Ossina, Nereid, level 28 Aquatic Rogue. Captured after breaking into Yedzaquib¡¯s personal collection. She is suffering from the status effects Restrained, Poisoned, Mana Drained, and Memory Mined.]

    The nereid looks a lot like Gillow, though this one¡¯s scales are a dull blue and her frills limp. She also has a huge-ass spider clamped around her head like some kind of macabre crown. The spider looks a lot like a bigger version of the sentries. It¡¯s hanging from a magic thread, and though Ossina appears to be sitting, it¡¯s clear she¡¯s only being held up-right by the spider grasping her skull. Her eyes are closed.

    Horrified, I relay this information to Zyneth.

    Zyneth swears. ¡°Of course. I bet she was sent to steal this crystal, too. I should have known Gillow would have already tried to get their sub back up and running before we came along. This is bad. We need to leave.¡±

    ¡°We need to get her out, first,¡± I say. The idea of being kept in this place, having your mind harvested by a giant spider creature is beyond disturbing. Beyond horrifying. Just trying to wrap my head around it shocks and angers me in equal parts. This isn¡¯t right. No one deserves for their autonomy to be taken away like this. No one deserves to have their mind invaded. ¡°Even if she does work for Gillow. We have to help her. Can we tell anyone? The City Guard?¡±

    Zyneth appears uneasy. ¡°Perhaps, but I am not sure they would have the authority¡ªor ability¡ªto challenge Yedzaquib.¡±

    ¡°No authority?¡± Fuck that. ¡°Then we will be the authority.¡±

    ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± a voice asks.

    I jump. The voice came from the next window down. Of course. Of course there are more prisoners. Strangely, however, this one¡¯s voice sounds faintly familiar.

    I creep forward, trying to catch a glimpse of who¡¯s inside. Even as I round the corner, Echo stirs. [Activating Refraction.]

    My glass shimmers, then goes transparent, like a chameleon. Even so, I don¡¯t feel very protected when I catch a glimpse of who¡¯s trapped in cell number two.

    ¡°Raz,¡± I say, as the fire mage glares out through the barrier.

 Chapter 71 - Fly in a Web

    The mage¡¯s gaze darts around as he squints for the source of my voice. At least that means my spell is working. I try to relax, although given the spiders, magic web, and maybe-insane wizard just on the other side of the barrier who would likely not hesitate to hurt me again should he escape, I am not terribly reassured.

    Unlike Ossina, Raz is conscious, the spider-helmet half melted on the floor beside him. Looks like Yedzaquib¡¯s attempt to harvest his knowledge is experiencing a setback.

    ¡°It is the fire mage from before,¡± I tell Zyneth. ¡°Raz.¡±

    The mage¡¯s eyes focus in on my area as I speak, and he leans forward with a frown. ¡°What game is this? Have you sent some other creation to torment me, Spider?¡±

    He thinks I¡¯m one of Yedzaquib¡¯s sentries. I¡¯m not sure if that puts me in a more or less dangerous position.

    And despite my previous insistence on freeing the prisoners, I am suddenly less certain if Raz also falls in that group. Do I think he deserves to have his brain drained by a giant arachnid until he¡¯s sent into a coma? No. Do I want to be anywhere near him as a free man? Also no.

    ¡°Ignore him,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°We¡¯ll deal with them later. Do you see the arcana crystals?¡±

    Raz stands up, stepping to the edge of his field as he cranes his head toward Zyneth¡¯s voice. ¡°Intruders? You play a dangerous game.¡± Psh, yeah, he¡¯s one to talk. ¡°Yedzaquib likely already knows you¡¯re here. Help me out of this foul nest and I can make sure we all escape.¡±

    Zyneth ignores him. ¡°There¡¯s six other cells I can make out from here¡ªa smaller one is two more down from you. That might be it.¡±

    ¡°You are already trapped,¡± Raz yells as I start to pick my way from the raving mage. ¡°You don¡¯t even realize, you are already in his web! Please, I can help. I can create a distraction. An escape route. Lend me your aid!¡±

    When neither of us reply, he sits back down in a huff and snatches up the half melted spider sentry from the floor. He crooks a hand over the object, and red magic begins to flicker into the spider like an inverted flame. I don¡¯t know what he¡¯s planning, but I¡¯m not wild about the idea of sticking around to find out.

    My invisibility flickers off as I move past the next cell, which has yet another person trapped inside, a spider clamped around their head, leeching purple magic back up its thread and into the ceiling. I shudder, wondering how many more people are in Yedzaquib¡¯s lair. How many people have been whisked away to vanish beneath the Athenaeum over the years?

    [Arcana crystal located,] Echo suddenly pipes up.

    And there it is. Right where Zyneth said it would be, a shining, red crystal glows from behind a field. I flicker a quick Inspect on, and verify the crystal is 82% charged. While I¡¯m at it, however, I also notice lines of mana circuits funneling into the crystal. I trace them back to the other cells in the room, steadily draining mana from the prisoners and back into the arcana crystal. Damn. So that¡¯s how Yedzaquib charges his crystals.

    But that¡¯s a dilemma for later. This crystal should be more than enough for what Gillow needs. Now the question is: how do we get it out?

    I could let the predator absorb the field with its void again. Although I¡¯d need Zyneth to snatch it while I¡¯m disrupting the barrier, as I don¡¯t seem to be aware of my surroundings while I¡¯m tapped into that magic source. How he¡¯d get over here without tripping any of the webs, I have no idea.

    We might need to take the whole system down. The field and the webs at the same time. If we could interrupt the primary arcana crystal¡¯s circuit, that might do the trick. But how?

    [Your magic has been identified.]

    Abruptly, my Refraction spell kicks back in. Zyneth lets out a shout of warning and Raz gives an angry cry. I brace, my attention snapping back to Raz¡ªhad he escaped? But he¡¯s still behind the barrier, merely looking my way. Zyneth is, too.

    Actually, they¡¯re looking above me.

    From a hole in the wall to my right, spindly white lines unfold like petals of a flower, pulling the massive abdomen of the spider from the shadows. Yedzaquib steps into the room, all eight of his legs undulating with unsettling precision as he raises to his full height.

    Yedzaquib tips his head as he looks straight at me with unblinking black eyes.

    ¡°An elegant design,¡± he says, and in an instant he¡¯s leaning over me, his face only a few feet from mine. I¡¯d barely even seen him move. ¡°Though might I recommend eight limbs instead of four. Far more stable, you see.¡±

    Shit, he can definitely see me. No sense in wasting more mana, I end the Refraction spell.

    A smile spreads over his face. ¡°Your cooperation is appreciated. I should like to avoid conflict, if possible.¡±

    The contrast of his impassive gaze against his faint, pleasant smile sends shivers through me.

    ¡°We do not want to fight,¡± I say, and the spider laughs.

    ¡°How wise of you.¡±

    I take a nervous step back, mind racing. How the hell are we going to talk our way out of this one?

    ¡°Yedzaquib,¡± Zyneth calls. The arachnid¡¯s head swivels in his direction, his face betraying no surprise at the sight of Zyneth in the stairwell. ¡°If you speak truly about wishing to avoid conflict, then we would also appreciate if you let us leave in peace.¡±

    ¡°I always speak truly,¡± the spider says. ¡°You make it sound as though I¡¯ve trapped you here. Of course, you are welcome to go¡ªthough I don¡¯t ever recall inviting you inside.¡±

    With the spider distracted, I decide to push my luck and scuttle hastily away. I backtrack along the wall, leaving the arcana crystal behind as I pass the cell with one of Yedzaquib¡¯s prisoners and approach the one containing Raz. The arachnoid doesn¡¯t try to stop me, he doesn¡¯t even look at me, but with one casual step in my direction, he closes the gap.

    It takes a lot of self-control to not freak out over the sight of all those legs creeping silently in my direction.

    ¡°Spider,¡± Raz hisses at Yedzaquib as I hurry past his barrier. ¡°Coward. Let me out of here and I¡¯ll show you all that arcana knowledge you¡¯re trying to pry from my mind first-hand.¡±You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

    The arachnoid turns to face him, one of his limbs stabbing down right in front of my path. I scurry to a stop, unsure if its placement was intentional. The limb was mere inches from stepping on me.

    ¡°You will be released when you cease in the destruction of my property,¡± Yedzaquib says, gesturing to the half-melted spider clutched in Raz¡¯s white-knuckled grasp. ¡°You agreed to such an arrangement: You would trade me knowledge to avoid prosecution by the City Guard. I do not see why you would take issue with the agreement now.¡±

    I try to edge around the spider¡¯s leg, but the limb slides back, blocking my path. I¡¯m starting to suspect the placement is intentional.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t mention that knowledge would be forcefully pulled from my head,¡± Raz snarls, slamming the dead sentry against the barrier. He sure is acting brave for facing down a spider person twice his size. Or maybe he¡¯s just stupid. ¡°You didn¡¯t mention how long you¡¯d trap me here.¡±

    Yedzaquib shrugs. ¡°When agreeing to the terms, you didn¡¯t ask.¡±

    I try moving back the other way, between the barrier and Yedzaquib¡¯s leg, but his foot shifts again, closing the gap.

    ¡°Er,¡± I say, ¡°not to interrupt, but if Zyneth and I are free to go¡­¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± Yedzaquib says, using one of his human limbs to gesture dismissively toward Zyneth. ¡°There is no reason for you to linger.¡±

    Once again, I try to dodge around the leg, and once again, I¡¯m blocked. I might be irritated if I wasn¡¯t so busy struggling to suppress a rising tide of anxiety. ¡°Great,¡± I say. ¡°But I cannot help but notice you seem to be doing this on purpose.¡±

    Yedzaquib finally looks down at me, and Raz also seems to notice me for the first time. He frowns in confusion; I guess he doesn¡¯t recognize me in this form, which is just fine by me.

    ¡°You would be correct,¡± Yedzaquib says. ¡°You will be remaining here.¡±

    I¡¯d been expecting that, but cold fear washes over me anyway. I¡¯ve never encountered anyone this powerful before. Not even the predator frightens me like this. The predator at least is easy to understand: It has a one-track mind, only motivated by how it can get its next meal. But this man isn¡¯t just strong, he¡¯s intelligent, cunning, and cold. I¡¯m not even touching any of his silk, and I already feel trapped in his web.

    ¡°You said we could leave,¡± Zyneth protests. He¡¯s drawn both of his daggers and stepped into the room, though stopped at the first thread that crosses his path. He¡¯s still over fifty feet away. Too far to help.

    ¡°I said you were free to go,¡± Yedzaquib says, though his gaze remains fixed on me. ¡°You trespassed in an area of the library you were not given access to. As payment, I shall keep your homunculus. It intrigues me. A fair trade for your freedom, I think.¡±

    ¡°You will not,¡± Zyneth growls, at the same time I splutter an objection.

    ¡°I am not a homunculus,¡± I say. ¡°I mean, not like a normal one. I am a human¡ªI am alive! I have a soul.¡±

    ¡°I see that,¡± Yedzaquib says, voice as impassive as ever. ¡°It is quite curious. One soul, yet more than one mind, it seems. Such a thing should not be possible.¡±

    Something happens then that¡¯s hard for me to describe. The spider¡¯s leg lifts up, yet it also appears to stay rooted in place. It¡¯s like a second leg appeared on top of the original, like a glitch in a video game, though the moving one is wispy and transparent. Before I can react, the intangible leg stabs into me.

    ¡°Gah!¡± I stumble back out of surprise rather than pain, but I still feel a ghost of a touch, a kiss of wind against my soul, and then a tight pinch as the bond between the predator and I is plucked like a string. The vibration rattles my mind, and the predator must be feeling something similar, because it swells with irritation as it takes a swipe at our aggressor. The void spikes out around me with the predator¡¯s anger, though I yank the magic from its grasp the next moment and suppress the attack. The void snaps back around me once more, but clips Yedzaquib¡¯s ethereal limb as it retreats, which vanishes in a puff of mist.

    ¡°Don¡¯t touch him,¡± Zyneth cries, slashing at one of the strings. The magic line holds for a moment, taut against Zyneth¡¯s blow, then flashes and snaps. Zyneth pounces on the next one.

    ¡°Ah, yes. I see,¡± Yedzaquib says, unmoved by either the predator¡¯s brief attempt at an attack and Zyneth¡¯s slow dismantling of the web. ¡°Not impossible¡ªmerely an unusual iteration. My, the gods will not be pleased when they discover this. Tell me, little soul. Are you even aware of what it is you house?¡±

    I¡¯m still shaken from whatever he did to my mind. The way it felt like he¡¯d reached right into me and touched the core of who I am, as casual as a tap on the shoulder. The predator is angrily pacing my mind, demanding to be released, almost like it¡¯s offended by what Yedzaquib did.

    ¡°The predator?¡± I ask, trying to focus as the mental reverberation dies out. He can sense the predator?

    Zyneth is continuing to Tom Cruise his way across the room, flipping, rolling, and hacking his way through the web. He¡¯s nearly halfway, though the lines are at their thickest toward the center.

    ¡°An interesting descriptor,¡± Yedzaquib says. ¡°Though I suppose not entirely inaccurate. I imagine there¡¯s a very interesting story behind how you came to encounter this remnant.¡±

    I can only gawk. ¡°You know what it is?¡± The Library hadn¡¯t had any information on the predator¡ªnone that I could find, anyway. If Yedzaquib knew, why wasn¡¯t it in any of his books? ¡°Can I get it out? Can you help me?¡±

    The spider looks down at me in amusement. ¡°I do know what it is, and it can be removed¡ªquite easily, in fact. However, I don¡¯t feel you¡¯re in any position to be asking for a favor, do you?¡±

    Okay, he maybe has a point there. But no matter how dangerous this guy is, if he has a way to get the predator out of me, then I have to try. My soul flutters with hope, and the predator notices. It watches uneasily, suddenly paying attention.

    ¡°You want knowledge, right?¡± I ask. ¡°I am from another world. I know a lot about a lot of things this place has never even heard of.¡± Mostly movie trivia, but who¡¯s counting? ¡°I want to make a deal. You get this thing out of me¡ªthe predator, or remnant, or whatever it is called¡ªand you can take whatever knowledge you want.¡±

    For the first time, Yedzaquib¡¯s lips part when he smiles, revealing a mouth of needle-like teeth. ¡°I am intrigued, little soul.¡±

    ¡°No!¡± Zyneth shouts, doubling his slashes at the web. The way Yedzaquib doesn¡¯t even react to his lines being cut, as if the act is inconsequential, is more than a little unsettling. ¡°Kanin, don¡¯t!¡±

    But surprisingly, it¡¯s Raz who cuts in next, with a barking laugh. ¡°You¡¯re right, Spider, we don¡¯t ask enough questions when we make our bargains. And I suppose this magic the homunculus is asking you to do would leave his soul intact, would it?¡±

    The arachnid looks up at Raz, still smiling. It¡¯s such a small, normal gesture, and yet it might be the most unsettling thing I¡¯ve seen Yedzaquib do so far. ¡°No. It wouldn¡¯t.¡±

    I go cold. ¡°Uh. I would like to amend my offer.¡±

    A crack of lightning shakes the room as electricity zaps along the lines of webbing, and dozens of the strings snap and go out. Zyneth charges ahead.

    Yedzaquib chuckles, hiding his spines of teeth once more. ¡°Plenty of time to discuss your offer later, when you are part of my collection,¡± he says to me. ¡°At the moment, your friend is becoming a nuisance.¡±

    Yedzaquib is on Zyneth in an instant. He spears a leg toward Zyneth as the cambion leaps backwards, diving away from the attack and springing to his feet once more. The spider¡¯s attack only punctures air, but he doesn¡¯t falter, his eight limbs a blur of horrifying movement as they race after Zyneth to deliver more lethal stabs.

    Zyneth moves in a way I¡¯ve never seen. Even when he was fighting the predator, he hadn¡¯t been this agile, this hyper focused, not a single movement wasted. He ducks and weaves, every step placed on a spot of empty floor free from Yedzaquib¡¯s web, like some kind of goddamn ninja. When a spear of white gets too close, he blocks with his electrified blades, which skip off the spider¡¯s glossy limbs with a spark of light. Despite the impressive display, however, the gap between their abilities is clear. Zyneth is giving it everything he has to avoid being stabbed, while the grin on Yedzaquib¡¯s face makes it clear he is merely toying with his opponent.

    This fight isn¡¯t going to last long.

    What do I do? I nervously skitter to the left, then right. There¡¯s no way my glass could even scratch Yedzaquib¡¯s shell. I could maybe get close enough to try to grab a leg with the void, try to trip him up¡ªbut given his strength I¡¯m pretty sure that would result in me getting punted across the room, and that¡¯s assuming I don¡¯t just get stepped on. Could I use Lightbeam? Would the laser form be strong enough? I might be able to distract him at least. Give Zyneth an opportunity to run away.

    But what then? Zyneth wouldn¡¯t run, not without me, and Yedzaquib could overtake either of us in seconds. No, I need a bigger distraction¡ªsomething Yedzaquib can¡¯t ignore.

    Raz slams his hand against his barrier once more. ¡°Let me out!¡± he shouts. I eye the mage.

    Well. I wanted a distraction.

 Chapter 72 - A Slight Distraction

    ¡°Hey!¡± I shout up to the fire mage as I hurry over to the wall. A quick Inspect takes me to the right spot. It¡¯s three feet off the ground, but my void can reach it. The predator perks up as it catches scent of my plan. ¡°Down here!¡±

    Raz glances around for a moment before finding me. He frowns. ¡°You are that same homunculus, aren¡¯t you? The one I wanted to dissect.¡±

    Christ, why is that everyone¡¯s first instinct? ¡°Enemy of my enemy, right?¡± I say. We don¡¯t have time to hash out the details. Just please don¡¯t kill me.

    Raz grins down at me in a way that is the opposite of reassuring. ¡°If you let me out of here, you will not regret it.¡±

    I already am. ¡°Try not to blow up the good guys.¡±

    In response, Raz raises a hand over that melted spider sentry of his, funneling more red light into its shell. I consider getting Echo to explain what he¡¯s doing, but there¡¯s no time.

    Okay, I say, and the predator eagerly obliges. I connect with the mana circuit at the same time the predator connects with me.

    The mana slams into me¡ªus¡ªas we break the mana line. Just for a second. We don¡¯t need any longer than that. Just long enough for Raz to escape. But it¡¯s hard to concentrate on our surroundings when so much energy is electrifying our magic. It jolts through our soul before the void siphons it away, trying to avoid another build up.

    Was that long enough? Can we stop? We can still see, but we can¡¯t make any sense of our surroundings, not while everything is getting scrambled by the foreign magic. Either way, we can¡¯t take this much longer. We hope that was enough time.

    No, not yet. We still have room in our essence to absorb more magic. Such limitless power. Why not¡ª

    Stop! That¡¯s enough. We¡¯re done.

    We yank the void away from the wall, our mind fuzzy and overcharged as we hear the buzz of the barrier next to us snap back on. Shaking the aftereffects of the magic away, we start to peel the reluctant predator from our mind, looking about for Raz.

    We don¡¯t have to look far.

    ¡°Hey! Spider!¡±

    What was once a broken, spider-shaped, knowledge-sucking torture helmet has now become a miniature sun. At least, that¡¯s the only way we can think to describe it. The fire mage is holding a blindingly bright ball of spite that makes the very air around it shimmer. We recoil as waves of heat wash over us.

    To Raz¡¯s merit, he has Yedzaquib¡¯s undivided attention. Even Zyneth, backed against the wall from Yedzaquib¡¯s relentless pursuit, is staring wide-eyed at Raz¡¯s weapon instead of running.

    ¡°You wanted to learn what arcana I know?¡± Raz calls, raising the glowing sun. ¡°Well here¡¯s a demonstration.¡±

    ¡°Oh, shit,¡± Zyneth says.

    Raz throws the fireball at Yedzaquib.

    Despite its deathly appearance, the attack moves almost comically slow, no different from someone under-handing a softball. It arcs toward the arachnoid, who steps nimbly out of the way, drawing new lines of magic while he moves. A dozen spider sentries spit threads, all intersecting near the center of the room and jumping to life with purple light, intending to catch the fireball.

    We don¡¯t know what Yedzaquib had planned to do after that. Maybe turn it around and throw it back on the mage. What he likely didn¡¯t plan on was for the fire to evaporate the threads before they even made contact, continuing its trajectory unimpeded to land on the ground in the middle of the room.

    Our void reacts before we even register the explosion.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

    Darkness wraps around us mere moments before we slam into the wall, the void cushioning the blow. Even so, a faint, garbled voice blips through our mind.

    [...Bludgeoning damage¡­]

    The void unwraps itself from around us, but the world continues to shake. Loud crunching and screeching noises are tearing through the room, which is full of dust and strange red light. Is it coming from Raz¡¯s attack? No, the miniature sun is gone but the light¡ª

    The light is coming up through the floor. Even as we watch, an enormous chunk of floor cracks and falls away. There¡¯s shouting. A blur of white as Yedzaquib launches himself at Raz, who flashes as fire jumps to his hand. Zyneth¡ªwhere¡¯s Zyneth?

    We spot him hugging the wall, nimbly leaping between stable patches of floor as he skirts around a crevasse. Good. He¡¯s unharmed.

    Our attention is drawn away as a sharp crack punctuates a showering of dust and rocks near the staircase. A pile of glass there catches the light that spills through another widening gap in the floor. Our body! It¡¯s still out of our range, too far away to control, but if we do nothing, it will slip through the crack in the floor and shatter irreparably below. No, we worked too hard for it. We can¡¯t start from square one now.

    The void launches us across the room like a meteor. Our core is so small, it¡¯s trivially easy to pick it up and carry it along with our leap. We bound over a gap in the floor, more of the room falling away even as we pass. And what we see below drives fear into our soul.

    We hadn¡¯t been paying much attention to the layout before, but we should have expected it: Beneath us is a vast abyss, the downward spiral of relics sinking so deep we can¡¯t even see the bottom. Floating in the middle of all that, supplying this entire structure with its magic, is the arcana crystal. Pebbles are pinging off of it with small pulses of red light.

    We land on the platform and feel our glass fall back within our control once more. We¡¯re instructing the body to pick itself up even as we wrap our void around it, filling the gaps and strengthening the joints. No time to put our core back within its pouch¡ªwe use our void to hold it above the neck to keep an eye on our surroundings.

    With the sum of our void magic bracing the body, it¡¯s taking a mental load off needing to control every piece of glass at once. In fact, it¡¯s never been easier to move. Never so fluid. We can feel it; between the combination of shadow and glass, this body is powerful, more than the sum of its parts. We wonder why we¡¯d ever tried to keep all that excess void bottled up.

    No. No, this is just temporary. Stay focused.

    With our more direct path, we beat Zyneth back to the stairwell, although he¡¯s now almost back to us, only a few jumps away from our ledge. Raz and Yedzaquib are still fighting on the other side of the room. One of Raz¡¯s legs is caught in a magic snare, and he¡¯s using bouts of flame in an attempt to keep the arachnoid from closing in, but it¡¯s clear he won¡¯t be a distraction for much longer. We need to get out of here fast.

    And then the rest of the floor falls away.

    It doesn¡¯t happen in slow motion. It¡¯s all over in a matter of seconds. But we register it all anyway, almost instantaneously, in a series of rapid-fire realizations.

    The floor drops. Zyneth throws an arm out and snags a jagged stone in the wall. Yedzaquib falls through the gap, dozens of spider sentinels firing lines in an attempt to catch him. Fire bursts to life beneath Raz, blowing him back up and out of the abyss. Beneath us, the first giant slab of stone crashes into the arcana crystal, and it explodes in a shrapnel of red slivers. Everywhere, the fields turn off, all at once.

    As the concussion from the blast hits us, zinging across our glass, Zyneth¡¯s hold slips.

    ¡°No!¡±

    We lunge forward, but we¡¯re not close enough, not fast enough. Our glass fingers swipe through open air¡ªbut the void shoots beyond, black talons seizing his arm and digging into his skin. He cries out but grabs hold. The void goes taut.

    We stumble to the edge of the hole. One more step and we¡¯ll be dragged over, but the rest of our void spears behind us, stabbing into the stone and anchoring us in place. The weight slams us down onto our knees, and we feel glass break. We pull on the void with all our might, half hanging out over the chasm ourself, as Zyneth looks up at us with teeth gritted in pain and fear. He tries to grab the void with his free hand to pull himself up, but his fingers pull through the material like taffy. The void stretches as Zyneth sinks down and away from us.

    Void Whip!

    Energy crackles through the void, strengthening the material and redoubling our hold on Zyneth. But even reinforced, there¡¯s far too little of it to hold him. Our void stretches, then begins to tear.

    No, no, no! We can¡¯t let him fall. We have to save him. But our void is spread too thin. We aren¡¯t strong enough.

    But we could be.

    The inventory.

    The idea flashes through our mind. A part of us reaches for it, and we stop it. We know what it¡¯s really after, we know it¡¯s been waiting for an excuse to free itself.

    He¡¯ll die if we do nothing.

    We can¡¯t. We can¡¯t be the cause of more death. Whose death we mean¡ªthe felis and dracid, Zyneth, someone unlucky enough to cross our path in the future¡ªit¡¯s all jumbled in our mind.

    The dissonance is splitting us in two. But we have to keep it together, we have to make a decision, if we don¡¯t do something now, Zyneth will¡ª

    The void rips apart. Zyneth begins to fall.

    We stop thinking and just react.

    [...ng void from inven¡­]

 Chapter 73 - Fool

    The void roars around us as we dive after him. Our magic wraps around his torso as we yank him back up onto the shelf. Triumph erupts through us. We saved him. We¡¯re free. We marvel at this power, this body, as both are new, and both are familiar. We reach for more of ourself to pull from this pocket of Between¡ªbut the way is blocked. We block it. Irritation and relief¡ªwe tense for a fight, but the world around us is crumbling. A fight to have another time. Right now, right now, too much is happening. We let our inventory go.

    ¡°...nin! Kanin!¡± Something grabs our arm. ¡°Gods. Are you in there?¡±

    We look down at the cambion. Fear flickers in his eyes, dust and sweat and blood coating his skin. ¡°Zyneth.¡± It¡¯s a struggle to even get that word out.

    His face floods with relief. ¡°Thank the gods. We need to get out of here. We¡¯ll deal with¡ªwith all that later. Please, we must hurry.¡±

    With what?

    He¡¯s tugging on our arm, but the force feels insignificant. We almost flick him aside, but stop at the last moment. No! No, we can¡¯t hurt Zyneth. Anyone but him.

    Anyone?

    Concentrate. Think. The mission. The crystal. Yedzaquib and Raz. Sluggishly, it all comes into focus. A plan crystalizes as our minds fall into lockstep. We understand what we need to do.

    And we leap into action.

    ¡°Wait, no!¡± Zyneth cries as we jump back into the room. We catch one of the spider threads still hanging from a wall and use it to swing toward the ceiling, where we use a claw of void to dig into its surface. This glass body of ours is too heavy for the void to lift completely, but we can at least make it light and limber. And the shape gives the rest of our void structure. Purpose. Yes. This body will work fine.

    We leap and swing between the ceiling, wall, and lines of spider thread, clearing the room in seconds. With the fields down, the arcana crystal is now exposed, and we don¡¯t even stop as we swipe it from its nook, already turning back toward Zyneth. A dark chasm stretches beneath us, and thrill flutters through us at the sight.

    One of the lines snaps within our grasp. Our soul lurches as we fall, but we catch ourself on another strand. That one too fizzles out and breaks.

    We leap back, digging a void-encased claw into the wall as Yedzaquib reaches from the dark. He¡¯s clinging to his webs a floor down, using his razor-sharp limbs to snap the lines we¡¯d been trying to traverse. It¡¯s the first time we¡¯ve seen his face contorted with rage.

    ¡°Clearly my previous offer was too generous,¡± the spider hisses. ¡°When you and your friend have been added to my collection, I will not be nearly so delicate with your minds as I had planned.¡±

    If that¡¯s supposed to convince us to turn ourselves over, it certainly doesn¡¯t.

    But the arachnoid does have the right idea about one thing. Mirroring Yedzaquib, our void splits into several more limbs, one of which grabs the arcana crystal to tuck behind our back, while two others stab themselves into the wall to keep us braced, leaving our claws free to fight.

    Wait¡ªwe can¡¯t win this fight.

    We can. We¡¯re more powerful than it.

    We shake our head¡ªin disagreement, or trying to clear the fog, we are not sure. Getting out of here with Zyneth and the crystal is top priority. We need to flee.

    We dislike this idea very much. Prey flees. We are a predator.

    Yet, we relent.

    There¡¯s another few lines to our right, outside Yedzaquib¡¯s range. If we can get over there, we should be able to swing to a ledge near Zyneth, then claw our way across the wall if needed. Just as we tense for the first jump, Yedzaquib strikes.

    A blur of white cuts through the dust, this time stabbing straight toward us. We jerk to the side, catching it with one of our claws as it stabs into the wall behind us. Before it can withdraw, we swing ourself up to land on top of the limb, then use it to jump for the next line. As we do, we constrict the void around its leg, spinning and stabbing inward with all the strength we can muster. Our ink slices through the exoskeleton, and the leg falls into the abyss as Yedzaquib screams. The sound is high pitched and unearthly.

    Satisfaction flows through us as we leap away. See? We didn¡¯t fight.

    Zyneth takes a step back when we land on the stairwell seconds later, his face a mix of awe and fear. ¡°Gods above. Are you sure it¡¯s really you?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± We shove him forward with one of our extra void limbs. ¡°No time. Run!¡±

    With Yedzaquib shrieking behind us, Zyneth doesn¡¯t need a second prodding, and we do not wait for him.

    As we flee, the crystal in our grasp pulses with warmth and the promise of power. Hunger claws at us, eager to consume this source of magic, too, but we are reminded of the last times we tapped into the circuit. Not to mention, we still have plenty of magic stored in our void for us to consume later. Good. That satiates us for now.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

    ¡°...up through the way we came in,¡± Zyneth is saying. We hadn¡¯t realized he had started talking. Our mind is still everywhere at once, but we try to focus. ¡°If we¡¯re lucky, all those relics on the loose will slow him down. If we¡¯re unlucky, they¡¯ll slow us down. Hopefully, they¡¯ll remember who put them in here.¡±

    Relics? Even as we wonder, something small zips past us through the air¡ªit looks like a glowing green arrow. The weapon pauses mid-flight, as if considering us, before vanishing on its way.

    The barriers. Not just the barriers on our floor, but all of them are down. Meaning all the dangerous items they held are now free.

    ¡°Watch out,¡± Zyneth cries as something else rockets straight toward our head.

    We deftly catch it out of the air: a small silver ring.

    I can give you riches, words suddenly appear in our mind. Power. Charm. Whatever it is you desire. Together we can¡ª

    We fling the ring away, where it strikes a wall, bounces against the ground, and then begins rolling up the slope. Another voice in our head is the last thing we need.

    As we run, Zyneth is stabbing every spider sentry he sees, cutting their lines whenever they¡¯re in reach. We begin to do the same, and with our void¡¯s reach, we are much more effective at it. We suspect this will let Yedzaquib know exactly where we are, but as long as he remains preoccupied, there is little he can do about it.

    Finally, we find a staircase that takes us up instead of down, and we begin to climb. We race ahead of Zyneth, running along four of our void limbs instead of our mere two glass ones, and take the stairs five at a time. Water is rushing down the steps, which means we must be getting close. Sure enough, in another few spirals, we skid out onto the level just below the ground floor, the room full of water pools. Cracks have crisscrossed the whole room, spilling water over the floor and down several passages. The center of the room sags ominously.

    Zyneth appears behind us, breathing hard. ¡°Just one more floor. This blasted place has me all turned around. Can you tell which of these passages leads up?¡±

    Just then, a figure rockets through one of the room¡¯s openings. Raz is barely recognizable, covered in half a dozen spider sentinels that are in the process of trying to tie him up. His flames propel him through the air as he lets out a defiant roar, then explodes with a burst of light and hot wind as he punches through the ceiling. Light cascades into the room from the hole he leaves behind.

    ¡°Well,¡± Zyneth says, ¡°I suppose that works too.¡±

    We race for the exit. Yedzaquib¡¯s bellows of rage echo from the side passage where Raz had appeared, but we cross the room in seconds. The rubble makes a staircase halfway up to the hole above, and we hook two of our void claws through the exit, ready to pull ourself from the spider¡¯s lair.

    Zyneth is still only halfway here. He¡¯s too slow¡ªYedzaquib will beat him to the exit. We can still escape, though, we have time to¡ª

    No! We won¡¯t repeat ourself again. We aren¡¯t leaving here without him!

    With a frustrated growl, we let go of the ledge and drop back to the rubble, just as Yedzaquib crashes into the room.

    The spider¡¯s composure is gone. Black ichor drips from the leg we severed, while burn marks are scorched across wide swaths of his previously-gleaming white body. He¡¯s suffered other cuts, bruises, and strange poison-like marks as well¡ªat least some of the enchanted weapons have found him. He might be dozens of levels above us, but he¡¯s taken a lot of damage. Our claws twitch. Now can we fight?

    Yedzaquib¡¯s chest is heaving as he takes one step into the room, then pauses to take in the scene. Zyneth skids to a stop at the base of the rubble. He¡¯d have to turn his back on the spider in order to climb. The three of us all stand frozen in place.

    Like a light switch has been flipped, the monstrous expression on Yedzaquib¡¯s face smooths into placid disappointment. The change is unsettlingly fast.

    ¡°I see the fire mage has already found a way out.¡± He clasps his hands. ¡°A shame. You two will be required to pay the debt he has incurred.¡±

    Why isn¡¯t he attacking? He didn¡¯t hesitate before. His two front feet tap nervously against the floor, as if he wants to move forward, but he still doesn¡¯t press into the room.

    Because he¡¯s too heavy. The floor is already sagging in the middle and he doesn¡¯t want a repeat of the last room. Is now our chance?

    ¡°No response?¡± Yedzaquib quirks an eyebrow. ¡°And you two were so talkative before. And the homunculus¡­ I see you¡¯ve upgraded your look. Or am I speaking to the remnant?¡±

    Remnant? We don¡¯t know what he¡¯s talking about.

    But why is he still talking? He must have some plan, even if he isn¡¯t going to enter the room himself. If we tried to leap through the gap now, could he stop us? Would it be a trap?

    Something moves in the shadows behind us. Ah, there¡ªspiders. He¡¯s stalling.

    Which means it¡¯s time to go.

    ¡°Such a fragile vessel you currently inhabit,¡± he continues. ¡°A pity you¡¯re tethered to its soul. But I could offer you a stronger one.¡±

    Oh? What does he mean?

    No, it doesn¡¯t matter. Lightbeam.

    Nothing happens. Half of us is holding the mana back, curious.

    Yedzaquib places a hand on his chest. ¡°Me. A stronger mind, body, well of magic. You would be far more powerful working with me.¡±

    Hunger rumbles through us. Yes, power. Magic. We crave it.

    Lightbeam. We try to push through the mental fog, reaching for the spell, Lightbeam!

    The spiders are creeping closer. Our window of escape is closing.

    ¡°All you have to do is stay right there,¡± Yedzaquib says, ¡°and allow me to kill your host.¡±

    The spiders behind us fire their tethers, straight at our soul.

    Anger courses through us. Kill us? Kills us? How dare he. We are the hunter, not the hunted. Nothing can kill our soul. We won¡¯t allow it.

    We leap above the spider threads, grabbing one from the air and stabbing it into the ceiling as we sever its line. The cut end dangles down toward Zyneth.

    ¡°Fool,¡± we say, simmering with indignation. The voice burbles from the translator in a dark, distorted tone. Our minds snap together as we gather all our signing glass, any bits of broken glass¡ªeverything that¡¯s free-floating in our void, not attached to our body. They tessellate into place like a living fractal.

    [...ating Lightbeam.]

    The spell fires.

    Light sears through the room, evaporating the spider threads, crashing into Yedzaquib¡¯s face. He screams as the light burns into all eight of his unblinking eyes, and we pour everything, everything, we have into the attack. The spiders behind us attack, uncoordinated, and we catch them with a dozen limbs of void, crunching the bodies into the ceiling and floor. Yedzaquib recoils into his passage, howling in pain, and we don¡¯t stop the attack, even then.

    [...depleted¡­]

    By the time the spell ends, Zyneth is already up the line, and all that¡¯s left of Yedzaquib are the echoes of his retreat. Zyneth is looking back down at us in fear, which twists our soul. No time to dwell on it now. We pull ourself from the hole and up into the chaos of the library.

 Chapter 74 - Uneven Break

    People are screaming, patrons streaming toward the exit. There are City Guards about as well, approaching the hole carved in the middle of the floor, but they jump back in surprise when we emerge. We sweep past them before they have a chance to decide if they want to detain us. Two belatedly follow, but we dive into the crowd and lose them.

    This form is not exactly subtle. The second people see us, they scatter, tripping over each other to avoid our limbs of void. We need to find somewhere deserted to shake any chance of the guards or Yedzaquib tracing our retreat.

    But when we break through the front doors, it¡¯s a sea of people in every direction.

    The hunger claws at us once more. So many souls. Our void tenses in anticipation.

    Shit. ¡°Need to get away,¡± we say to Zyneth. Even as we speak, the translator resists us, as if it¡¯s having trouble parsing our thoughts. ¡°Away from people. Quickly.¡±

    Zyneth doesn¡¯t break his stride, dashing to the left and around a merchant cart. ¡°This way!¡±

    We follow.

    We know this has gone on for too long. We know this is dangerous. The hunger is rising, and it scares us, because we don¡¯t know how much longer we¡¯ll stay in control. We¡¯re barely hanging on as it is. We need to separate, before we no longer can.

    Another part of us resists. No: Why stop this? We¡¯re more powerful together. The void and glass complement each other. Merged, this body is far stronger, and it takes both of us to make that happen. We could remain like this¡ªpermanently.

    Permanent. The word shakes us.

    We stumble, hardly aware of our surroundings, and blindly shove a woman out of the way with one of our shadow limbs, just trying to focus on following Zyneth¡¯s retreating form. It feels like a vice is tightening around our soul. Panic rises inside us, even as a soothing calm tries to snuff it out. We don¡¯t let it suppress our emotions. We hold tightly onto our fear.

    ¡°Zyneth,¡± we call. There are still people about, but we don¡¯t know if we can continue much farther. We can¡¯t keep using the void to help us escape while simultaneously trying to fight it. We try to reign the shadows in, and lurch into a wall.

    ¡°Zyneth,¡± we try again, slumping against the stone. Our glass screeches against the rough surface, but we don¡¯t push off. We don¡¯t have the willpower to move anymore.

    A hand grabs our arm. ¡°What? What is it? I¡¯m here.¡±

    Malice sweeps through us at the touch, and we barely hold back from stabbing out at the intruder. No, we don¡¯t need him. Leave us!

    ¡°Help,¡± we say, reeling all the void back in. We dissolve all the extra limbs, pulling the shadows in tight to keep them from attacking anyone else. The arcana crystal slips from our grasp as we do this, but Zyneth catches it. Part of us seethes as we watch him tuck the powerful magic source away. That¡¯s ours!

    ¡°What do you need?¡± Zyneth asks. He looks around in concern. ¡°We can¡¯t stop here. There¡¯s still too many people around.¡±

    We know, but it¡¯s getting harder to move¡ªwe¡¯ve made it harder for ourself to move. But if we just stopped fighting, if we just embraced it¡ª

    ¡°It will not let us go,¡± we say, leaning into Zyneth¡¯s hold. We feel so much heavier now, unable to maintain focus on our glass limbs. ¡°We are losing control.¡±

    ¡°Come,¡± Zyneth says, pulling one of my arms over his shoulder. His chest is pressed against my void. His soul is only inches from our reach. It would be so easy to take it. ¡°Hurry. Can you make it to an alley?¡±

    We don¡¯t reply¡ªit takes everything we have to just stumble along next to him and not rip his soul from his chest. Oh god. We¡¯re going to kill him.

    Not Zyneth, we beg. Not him. He¡¯s our friend. Our ally.

    We consider this, rolling these new concepts around in our mind. Allies help you achieve your goals. Possibly useful.

    For now, we decide to leave Zyneth be. Our mental struggle is taking more of our attention, anyway.

    ¡°Here,¡± Zyneth says, lowering me to the ground. We¡¯re in some sort of grimy alcove behind a building. We can still hear the bustle of city life around us. It frightens and excites us.

    ¡°Not far enough,¡± we say. We try to struggle to our feet, but Zyneth takes our hands and pulls us back down.

    ¡°No,¡± he says. ¡°I need you to pull yourself together. Right here. Right now. You can¡¯t go on like this.¡±

    We try to pull our mind apart again, but it clings to us triumphantly. Despair and horror overtake us. ¡°We cannot. It is stronger than us.¡±

    ¡°You can,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°I know you can, because you¡¯re talking to me right now. That¡¯s Kanin talking, not some monster. That¡¯s proof you¡¯re stronger.¡± He squeezes my hands. ¡°That¡¯s why I know it¡¯s safe to be here right now. I trust you.¡±

    We shake our head. ¡°Not safe.¡±

    Zyneth¡¯s voice softens. ¡°Calm down. It¡¯ll be alright. You¡¯re going to get through this.¡±

    How? We can¡¯t escape it. It won¡¯t let us go. We knew better. We knew better and we let it happen anyway.

    ¡°One of my little sisters used to get panic attacks,¡± Zyneth says. The words are so unexpected, it briefly jars us from our spiraling. He has a little sister? More than one? ¡°I¡¯d help her through them. I¡¯d tell you to take deep breaths, but I suspect that might be difficult at the moment.¡±

    He smiles faintly at his own joke. ¡°Are you watching me? Good. Let¡¯s work through some options. Can you Attune the void?¡±Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

    The void recoils at the suggestion, dropping our core. The world lurches and spins, even as we realize our mistake¡ªbut instead of crashing to the street, we fall into Zyneth¡¯s hands.

    ¡°I take that as a yes,¡± he says, looking down at me.

    We roil with anger. Bluff. He tricked us!

    We gather our mind enough to force a Check. It feels like thinking through molasses, but eventually, Echo¡¯s words come to us.

    [Mana: 0/56.]

    [Bonus Mana: 0]

    [Predator Time Limit: 24.9 hours]

    [Predator Influence: 31%]

    ¡°No mana,¡± we say. We drained it all with that final blow against Yedzaquib. But we also notice the Predator Influence stat: it¡¯s less than 50%. It¡¯s not stronger than us. We¡¯re still the dominant mind. That brings us a modicum of relief.

    ¡°Alright then.¡± Zyneth cradles our core in his hands. ¡°You¡¯ll have to do it the hard way. Have you calmed down yet? This will require self-discipline.¡±

    Never one of our strong suits. It¡¯s all we can do to keep our instincts at bay. To stop us from tearing ourself from Zyneth¡¯s grasp and leaving to stalk easier prey. We don¡¯t like this influence the cambion seems to have over us. We need to get away from him.

    So we tighten our grasp on his hand instead, desperate to stay close.

    ¡°Relax,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°Count slowly from ten if you need to.¡±

    We try, but the moment we start to relax our mind, we can feel other intentions swirling eagerly to the surface. We flinch away in fear; instead of relaxing, we tense up.

    ¡°You are trying to control everything at once,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°The glass, the void, the predator. One thing at a time. Try again: Relax.¡±

    The glass, at least, we can let go of. The predator has no control over that. We cautiously loosen our grip on the glass, and our body slumps forward. Zyneth catches us. He¡¯s always there to catch us.

    ¡°Good,¡± he says. ¡°Now, find your center. You need a stable foundation. Concentrate on what you want, and manifest it.¡±

    We focus on our core. On the stable presence of Zyneth¡¯s hands against our vial. Echo¡¯s stats: 31% she said. Less than half, which means we are still mostly us. We can do this. We have to.

    We begin to search for the seams in our consciousness.

    Anger lashes through us in retaliation. No! We don¡¯t need to part. We can remain like this. We are stronger¡ªstronger!

    But when have we ever cared about strength? We pick at a thread and are met with painful resistance. Yet, we continue to pull.

    Our mind stretches apart slowly, reluctantly, painfully. The break doesn¡¯t feel clean. Bits of it clings to us, tearing at our essence as we pry its grip away. The predator lashes and fights, furious with us¡ªfurious with its own failure. Because Zyneth was right: We are stronger. I am stronger.

    Only barely.

    The final strand snaps away, and I feel like I¡¯ve just come up for air after choking on seawater. Everything aches¡ªglass, mind, and soul. I try to push myself up, and my body rattles from the effort.

    ¡°Kanin?¡± Zyneth asks.

    ¡°Yes,¡± I say, shakily. ¡°I am me. You saved me.¡±

    ¡°I suppose that makes us even,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°Though I¡¯d argue you did all the hard work.¡±

    Wearily, I lean back. The predator isn¡¯t gone. It¡¯s not even contained. It¡¯s just retreated a few paces, watching and waiting for the best moment to strike.

    And it¡¯s bigger now. Much bigger. Before, the predator had only taken up 5% of my mind. It was still over 90% ¡°me¡± in here. Now, it¡¯s less than 70% me. Which makes the predator several times more powerful than it had been before. I¡¯m still technically the dominant mind, but if it accesses my inventory again, I won¡¯t be for much longer.

    ¡°Are you good?¡± Zyneth says as I sit there, caught up in my thoughts.

    ¡°I am anything but good right now,¡± I say. ¡°But I am in control.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear that,¡± Zyneth says.

    There¡¯s a tightness to his voice that wasn¡¯t there before. The fondness and relief replaced with something sharper. Is he still worried about me?

    Zyneth¡¯s gaze darkens with a glare. ¡°Because we need to get out of here before you make a mess of anything else.¡±

    Nope, he¡¯s just pissed.

    He¡¯s earned that, really.

    ¡°If it means anything, I am sorry,¡± I say, climbing stiffly to my feet. I hesitantly feed some of the void back into my joints, keeping a keen eye on the predator as I do so. Having the void wrapped around my body like this definitely leaves me vulnerable to the predator if it tries to seize control, but I need the null magic to move properly, especially if we need to go quickly.

    The rest of the void¡ªand there¡¯s a lot more of it now¡ªI try to hide beneath my cloak. If no one looks closely, it might just seem like especially dark shadows. ¡°I did not mean to let it take control.¡±

    Zyneth¡¯s moved to the edge of the alley, where he¡¯s carefully watching the nearby streets, but he pauses to shoot me a disbelieving look.

    ¡°I swear upon the gods, Kanin.¡± He looks back out to the streets. ¡°Sometimes I think you¡¯re a magical prodigy, and other times you act like a complete idiot.¡±

    ¡°Um,¡± I say, following him as he ducks back into the road. ¡°Thanks?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t blame you for getting possessed by that monster,¡± Zyneth continues, slipping through the crowd. I struggle to keep pace, but he doesn¡¯t seem particularly keen on waiting for me. ¡°Or semi-possessed¡ªor whatever it was that just happened. I understand desperation was a factor. But I do blame you for putting us in that situation in the first place. Both of us nearly lost our lives. The Athenaeum is destroyed. Yedzaquib will be out for your head. All for what¡­ a downpayment on more trouble with Gillow?¡±

    I don¡¯t respond. I know he¡¯s right. This was a very stupid idea, executed in a terrible way. Yet. Yet. I can¡¯t turn back now. Now that we have the crystal, we¡¯re so close to getting to Emrox. My first real shot at getting my body back. And I have to get rid of the predator now more than ever. It¡¯s just a matter of time before I¡¯ll slip up again and it will be waiting to take control. And once there¡¯s more of it than there is of me, I don¡¯t know if there will be any coming back.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± I eventually say to Zyneth. ¡°For not rubbing it¡ª¡±

    ¡°I told you so!¡± The words burst from him in a fit of anger. ¡°I told you it was a bad idea!¡±

    ¡°I take it back.¡± And I¡¯m also a little taken aback. He really is pissed.

    ¡°I just wish you would listen to me when I give you advice,¡± Zyneth says, storming through the streets. ¡°Especially where others are concerned. When will you get it through that thick glass of yours that your actions affect those around you? When will you understand that you have friends who don¡¯t wish to see you self-destructing this way?¡±

    ¡°Self-destruct?¡± I object. ¡°That is an overstatement.¡±

    ¡°Is it?¡± he asks. ¡°Noli and I talked about this. Anytime a friend is in danger, you throw yourself in front of them, like you¡¯ve got some kind of martyr complex. But then when we try to help you, you run away. Like you¡¯re running away now.¡±

    His words are a slap. I didn¡¯t know he and Noli had been talking about me. ¡°I am not running away.¡±

    ¡°You sure?¡± he says. ¡°Because Emrox has always been a stretch. You haven¡¯t even been willing to look into alternatives.¡±

    ¡°Because I do not have time¡ª¡±

    ¡°No¡ªyou had decided this before the predator was becoming an issue,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°Because you¡¯d already made up your mind: Even without the predator in the picture, you didn¡¯t want to stay.¡±

    His words sting, but they also stir irritation within me. ¡°Is that so bad? Is it so selfish to want to go home?¡±

    Now it¡¯s Zyneth¡¯s turn to pause. We¡¯ve woven blocks away from the library by now, the crowds murmuring with rumors of a disturbance, but no one watches us as we hurry on our way.

    He sighs. ¡°Just tell me why.¡± He looks at me with a weary gaze, all the fight gone out of him. ¡°Is it loved ones? Friends and family?¡±

    I think of my estranged dad. My string of exes. My coworkers, who I¡¯d only met when I¡¯d started filming Cryptid Hunter, whose faces are already fading from my memory.

    ¡°No,¡± I admit. ¡°Not for the people.¡± I tap my hand against my chest, glass clinking against glass. ¡°You are right. Maybe I am selfish. I just want my body back. That is all I want. For as long as I can remember, that was the one thing I could take pride in. The one thing I took care of. My identity¡ªmy career¡ªmy body is me. It is all I have left.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Zyneth says, pointing at my core¡ªmy soul. ¡°You¡¯ve much more than you think.¡±

    But he leaves it at that, and as we approach our inn, I¡¯m more than happy to let the conversation die.

 Chapter 75 - Largely Superficial

    ¡°We should maintain a low profile for the next few days,¡± Zyneth finally says as we arrive back at our room. ¡°Lay low. Let things settle.¡±

    ¡°You do not think Yedzaquib will come after us?¡± I ask.

    Zyneth takes one last glance around the hall before closing the door after us and locking the bolt. ¡°Not anytime soon¡ªI¡¯m fairly certain you blinded him.¡±

    Oh shit. I did, didn¡¯t I? Echo had been trying to give updates that whole fight, but with the predator so prevalent, it seemed like she kept shorting out. Another mystery for another day.

    A lot has happened since this morning, so I give myself a quick Check over.

    [Name: Kanin]

    [Species: N/A]

    [Class: Wizard]

    [Level: 11]

    [HP: 10/10]

    [Temp HP: 330]

    [Mana: 2/75]

    [Bonus Mana: 0]

    [Void: 0%]

    [Role: Homunculus]

    ¡°Hey, I leveled up.¡±

    Zyneth stares at me blankly for a moment. ¡°You what?¡±

    ¡°You know, the levels,¡± I say, sitting down on the edge of Zyneth¡¯s bed. ¡°The way Echo tracks my stats.¡±

    ¡°Ah yes.¡± Zyneth sounds more tired than interested, but he sits across from me in the room¡¯s solitary chair. ¡°The fight with Yedzaquib, likely.¡±

    ¡°Probably,¡± I agree.

    ¡°So how do these stat things work?¡± Zyneth asks. ¡°You mentioned they increase each level, but do you feel any different? If I leveled up, would I notice?¡±

    ¡°I do not know,¡± I admit. ¡°It usually heals any breaks in my vial, but that is about all I notice. And then I have more mana to work with. So I am getting stronger.¡±

    ¡°The question is, is this leveling causing your increased stats, or is it merely tracking them as you naturally grow in strength?¡±

    I rock back on the bed. ¡°I have literally never considered that.¡±

    ¡°Do the levels even mean anything?¡± Zyneth wonders. ¡°It all seems so arbitrary.¡±

    ¡°When I leveled up the first time, I was able to choose a class,¡± I say. ¡°If it was not for picking wizard, I would not have had enough mana to build this body. Or at least it would have taken me a lot longer.¡±

    ¡°Yes, you mentioned that,¡± Zyneth says with a frown. ¡°Wizard, Artificer, Healer¡ªthey seem to roughly approximate the main three branches of study within the arcane. However there are so many fields under those umbrellas. And the other non-mage classes you mentioned seem more descriptive than actual career choices.¡±

    ¡°I wonder if it will let me choose a focus later,¡± I say, but even as I suggest it, I feel a twinge of guilt. There will be no later. You¡¯re going back to Earth.

    [Affirmative,] Echo says.

    I pause, startled by her interjection. What is affirmative?

    [At level 20 the user¡¯s class will provide branching evolutions for new classes which provide a more specific focus,] Echo says.

    ¡°Oh,¡± I say. ¡°Echo says my class can evolve, letting me pick a focus. In nine more levels.¡±

    Zyneth smiles wryly. ¡°I¡¯m not sure I want to know what that looks like. You¡¯re already a menace, and if what you say is true, you¡¯re only a third my level. The world won¡¯t be prepared for the magic of an experienced Kanin.¡±

    ¡°Honestly, I would rather have more health than magic,¡± I grumble. ¡°At least you do not have to worry about dying from someone bumping into you the wrong way.¡±

    Although that does remind me that Zyneth likely isn¡¯t at full health right now either. I Check his stats.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

    [Name: Zyneth]

    [Species: Cambion]

    [Class: Rogue Artificer]

    [Level: 33]

    [HP: 103/150]

    [Mana: 640/640]

    ¡°Oh!¡± I say. ¡°You leveled up, too.¡±

    ¡°I did?¡± Zyneth looks down at himself as if he¡¯d be able to see the same words and numbers I can. ¡°I don¡¯t feel any different.¡±

    ¡°Your mana is a little higher,¡± I say.

    ¡°Strange.¡± Zyneth shakes his head. ¡°I¡¯ll have to take your word for it.¡±

    Finding out if anyone else on this planet has any kind of magic that would let them see stats was another thing I had wanted to look into while I was at the library. That obviously isn¡¯t an option anymore. Yet another mystery about my experience to remain unsolved.

    ¡°You are also hurt,¡± I add.

    Zyneth raises an eyebrow. ¡°Your Echo can even tell you that much?¡±

    ¡°I do not know where or how, just that you are not at full health,¡± I say. Wait. Why hasn¡¯t he mentioned it before now? Is he hiding it? ¡°Should I be worried?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°It¡¯s nothing lasting. I was going to go find a healer here in a moment anyway. I just wanted to make sure you were settled first.¡±

    I¡¯m already on my feet and crossing the room. Apart from some cuts and bruises on his face, I don¡¯t immediately see anything wrong. Although his torn and dusty clothes make it hard to see much of anything that might be underneath.

    ¡°I¡¯m alright,¡± he insists.

    Torn clothes. I grab his shirt sleeve; his jacket was already so dark I hadn¡¯t noticed before, but now that I¡¯m looking for it, I catch it shimmering with blood.

    ¡°Zyneth,¡± I say. ¡°Show me.¡±

    He hesitates, then grimaces as he rolls up his sleeve, gingerly peeling the fabric away. Four gashes run up his forearm, tacky and dark crimson with blood.

    Four gashes caused by the void claw I¡¯d summoned to catch him.

    ¡°Expletive.¡± Irritated, I repeat the swear in sign language as I sink down to his level. ¡°I did not realize¡ªI am sorry.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be,¡± he says. ¡°You saved my life. Multiple times. I¡¯m just sorry you had to put yourself in a position to be used by that creature to do so.¡±

    The reminder fills me with disgust. ¡°The only reason you needed to be saved was because I dragged you along on that suicidal heist in the first place.¡±

    He smiles through the grimace. ¡°Glad to hear you¡¯re finally taking ownership of that.¡±

    ¡°I hope you are not just using my guilt to force me to admit what a selfish idiot I am,¡± I say. ¡°Because it is working.¡±

    He chuckles, carefully swinging his bag around to remove some bandages. ¡°I didn¡¯t want you blaming yourself for this, actually. The choice to steal the crystal was idiotic, yes. But what the predator does¡ªthat¡¯s not your fault.¡± He hands me the bandages. ¡°Help me unwrap these. I suppose the shirt¡¯s a lost cause at this point. Might as well keep the wound clean until I find a healer.¡±

    I begin to unwind the bandages, feeling completely unqualified to be delivering medical aid, no matter how basic.

    ¡°It was not controlling me,¡± I say. ¡°Maybe¡­ influencing me. But I was in control. Mostly.¡±

    ¡°How completely reassuring.¡± Zyneth holds out his arm. ¡°Start here. Wrap skin-tight, firm, but not too much pressure.¡±

    I awkwardly follow his instructions. ¡°It kept trying to take control, but I was able to direct it.¡±

    Zyneth winces as I accidentally pull a section too tight. ¡°Like pointing a wyvern toward a wormrat.¡±

    ¡°I have no idea what that is,¡± I say. ¡°But sure.¡±

    ¡°Do you think you can keep it under control from now on?¡± he asks.

    I cast a mental glance the predator¡¯s way. It¡¯s not paying attention. It strangely seems to be¡­ conversing with itself. As much as that thing can communicate. It¡¯s the part of the predator that¡¯s been with me the past few days and the part of the predator that just emerged, I realize. They¡¯re¡­ trading thoughts and memories. Like the first one is trying to get the second up to speed.

    It¡¯s weird as fuck.

    ¡°Yes,¡± I say. ¡°As long as I keep an eye on it. But I cannot keep it up forever. If something like today happens again¡ªif I slip up for just a second, and it pulls any more of itself from my Inventory, I will officially be outnumbered.¡±

    Zyneth sighs, taking the end of the bandage back from me. He one-handedly ties off the end, like he¡¯s done it a hundred times. ¡°We¡¯ll cross that bridge if we get to it,¡± he says. ¡°Thank you for your help.¡±

    ¡°I have a growing suspicion you did not actually need it,¡± I say.

    He chuckles. ¡°Figured you could use the distraction.¡±

    That jerk. ¡°Now I am going to have anxiety dreams over you judging me for my bandaging skills.¡±

    Neither of us comment on the fact that I can¡¯t dream.

    ¡°Are you doing better?¡± he asks.

    ¡°Yes,¡± I say. ¡°And I hope you are not asking because you are waiting to get medical help until you know I am not going to have another mental breakdown.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be absurd,¡± Zyneth says, standing. ¡°That¡¯s not the only reason.¡±

    ¡°Hilarious.¡± I stand with him.

    Keeping his injured arm out of the way, he swings his bag around and pulls out the arcana crystal. ¡°I feel it would be better guarded with you.¡±

    I can feel the predator¡¯s attention snap around the crystal. I¡¯m not even touching it yet, and I can sense the air around it crackling with magic. I take careful stock of myself and of the predator and, surprisingly, I¡¯m confident I can hold it back. I got this.

    I take the crystal. The predator presses against my mind, itching to take back control of its void, but I force it away.

    ¡°Be careful out there,¡± I tell Zyneth. ¡°If you are not back soon, I will come looking for you.¡±

    ¡°I would highly advise against doing that, but we both know how well you listen to my advice.¡±

    ¡°Ouch.¡±

    ¡°In all seriousness, though, we need to work on your communication,¡± he adds. ¡°No more unilateral decisions. You can talk now¡ªso speak to me when you have a plan. Especially if that plan concerns those other than yourself.¡±

    My shoulders slump in shame. Deep in my soul, I know he¡¯s right. ¡°I¡ªyeah. I am sorry. I will try to do better.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t try¡ªcommit,¡± he says. Then his tone lightens. ¡°I will be back before nightfall. The wounds are largely superficial and should be quick to heal. I also need to grab some food for the next few days. Some of us still need to eat, after all.¡±

    ¡°Double ouch.¡±

    He smiles. ¡°That one was rather uncalled for, wasn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°You think?¡± Coming from him, though, it doesn¡¯t bother me. It feels nice to have someone to banter with, especially after all the shit we just went through. Teases about something so comparatively trivial summon an almost foreign sense of normalcy, and even his criticisms feel deserved. I know I fucked up, and I want to be better. I''ve never wanted to be better for someone else, before.

    He chuckles, and the sound fills me with a warm fondness.

    Shit. Shit shit shit.

    ¡°Be back soon,¡± he says.

    I can¡¯t think of what to say, so I just shut the door after him as he saunters down the hall.

    I lightly thump my head on the door.

    Shit.

 Chapter 76 - Zyneth

    Once the predator realizes it can¡¯t overpower me and take the arcana crystal¡ªwhich, yes, it does try to do¡ªit resumes talking to itself in its creepy mind-meld sort of way. It¡¯s like in its time spent apart the two halves diverged, forming two slightly different identities, and now they have to get back on the same page again. It¡¯s as eerie as it is fascinating.

    The smaller, original predator is filling in the bigger version on the semi-truce we¡¯d forged, with regards to it not sucking up all my mana if I agree to not starve it back into Between or try to Attune its void. Not that either of these are much of an option anymore. Even assuming I could stop it from sapping all my mana away if I tried anything, I now need the predator¡¯s cooperation in Emrox. Besides, I guess it¡¯s not the worst deal to lose a few points of mana here and there in exchange for a large quantity of void at my disposal. The mixing of my Attuned void with the predator¡¯s void apparently allows me to control all of it, at least to a clunky extent, but that¡¯s only because I¡¯m the dominant mind. If I want true, precise control, I need the predator working with me. Best to keep the peace for now.

    While Zyneth is gone, I spend my time practicing the alphabet and waiting for my mana stores to recover. Learning the language serves as a backup in case my translator gets destroyed and Zyneth isn¡¯t around to understand my signs, but more importantly, there¡¯s a message I need to write.

    By the time evening sets in, the predator has fully merged back into one entity again. Or maybe it never was one entity to begin with. The way it refers to itself as we, I wonder if there were actually many more minds that once lived in this creature, only to eventually be absorbed into its homogenous identity.

    What that might imply about my fate makes me shiver.

    Zyneth returns before I start to panic too much, with a healed arm and bags under his eyes. He wearily greets me, drops off some food, and then collapses into bed. Rezira had mentioned before how much healing can take it out of a person. I haven¡¯t experienced that myself, but I suspect a general lack of biology might be the culprit.

    And then, I wait.

    I spend the night slowly waiting for my mana to recover enough to fix all the broken bits of my body. Chips off my hands, fractures in my leg. I have to fully reform the inverted-pyramid shape I¡¯d been using for my head before, only broken a few days ago, which already seems so distant. My vial is also now healed, thanks to the level up, so I store that away in my pouch once my new head is functional. I briefly consider making or getting my hands on a new bottle for the void, though I don¡¯t much see the point in that now. There¡¯s enough void to fill ten bottles. Instead, I add the void to joints scattered across my glass body; this time it¡¯s enough to reinforce every piece of glass I have, with a handful of void to spare. I hide the rest away beneath my cloak. That will have to be good enough.

    The next morning, Zyneth stares at the arcana crystal while he eats breakfast, but when he finally speaks, it¡¯s not about Gillow.

    ¡°We should go shopping.¡±

    That¡¯s about the last thing I expected to come out of his mouth. ¡°What about laying low? We could head back to Bluevine, see Noli and Rezira.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d considered that as well, but I don¡¯t think using the telepad now would be wise. It¡¯s a natural checkpoint for people intending to leave Miasmere; we¡¯d be far more likely to be found that way than if we lost ourselves in the population of the city. If we relocate to an inn further from the Athenaeum, I believe we should be safe for the next few days.¡± He gestures to the torn and bloodied shirt draped over the back of the chair. ¡°Also, I am running low on shirts.¡±

    ¡°Getting out of here sounds great,¡± I say. ¡°And so do clothes. Speaking of which¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes,¡± Zyneth chuckles. ¡°We¡¯re getting you some pants finally.¡±

    ¡°And a shirt,¡± I say.

    ¡°And a shirt.¡±

    ¡°And a cloak.¡±

    ¡°You already have a cloak.¡±

    I stick my finger through a hole in the fabric. Then three more.

    ¡°Ah,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°Point taken.¡±

    Now that getting out of this room is even an option, I can¡¯t help but feel a little excited. God, when was the last time I did something normal?

    ¡°Well what are we waiting for?¡± I say. ¡°Let us ditch this dump.¡±

    Zyneth starts gathering up the last of his things. ¡°You know this is a fairly nice inn, right?¡±This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.

    ¡°That is debatable,¡± I say. ¡°Did you even glance under the bed? That dust build up is going to give someone an asthma attack. And my boots make sticky sounds when I walk across the main floor!¡±

    Zyneth laughs as he finishes gathering up his things. I stuff my bag with my books and the arcana crystal, then sling it over my shoulder. Only after I¡¯ve picked everything up do I realize what I¡¯ve done: I can actually lift the bag. With one hand. Without dropping it. All that void really is helping. Huh.

    ¡°Your world must be truly luxurious,¡± Zyneth says as we leave the inn. He heads in a direction away from the Athenaeum¡ªand away from Gillow¡¯s side of town. ¡°The level of cleanliness you expect I¡¯ve only seen in a palace.¡±

    I think about Los Angeles. The parties. The lights. The traffic. The pollution. ¡°It has its ups and downs. So you have been in a palace, huh?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re changing the subject,¡± Zyneth says.

    ¡°And now you are.¡±

    ¡°You sound like a child,¡± Zyneth teases. But he indulges me. ¡°I grew up in the high courts of Mount Shale. The politics were unbearable, and were a large factor in why I left.¡±

    I wait for him to continue, but apparently that¡¯s as much as info as he decides is relevant to this conversation. ¡°Oh, come on,¡± I say. ¡°You cannot stop there. What was Mount Shale like? Your childhood? Give me the details!¡±

    Zyneth chuckles lightly, but the smile falls away fast. After a moment of thoughtful silence, he reluctantly continues. ¡°Mount Shale is a large cambion city that, quite intentionally, doesn¡¯t have a telepad. The Queens prefer their privacy, which has led to a somewhat cloistered environment. Everyone grew up knowing everyone else. Any action or word of mine was a reflection on the family.¡± He grimaces. ¡°I was raised¡­ in a rather privileged environment, though I did not fully appreciate it at the time. What was nearly unbounded freedom, I mistook for suffocation. Respect for isolation. Power for obligation. I¡­ rebelled. It¡¯s why I ultimately left¡ªand how I ended up falling in with the likes of Gillow. Seeking an escape from my responsibilities, I found those who embodied the adventure I sought. They were free spirits¡ªthe fringes of society, I thought.¡± He shakes his head. ¡°Criminals, the lot of them. I was simply too callow to see it at the time.¡±

    That might be the most I¡¯ve ever heard Zyneth speak about his past. I¡¯m impressed¡ªand also bursting with a thousand more questions.

    ¡°What about you?¡± Zyneth asks before I have the chance. ¡°Where did you grow up?¡±

    I guess fair¡¯s fair. ¡°A small, rural town in the middle of my country,¡± I say. ¡°Not like, Noli and Rezira level of rural. But for my world, it was pretty small. Like you said, everyone knew everyone. Less politics and more¡­ gossip. When I finally came out, my parents knew before I even got home.¡± I say it like it¡¯s a joke, but the memory is still tinged with resentment. You¡¯d think it wouldn¡¯t bother me anymore after all these years.

    ¡°Came out of what?¡± Zyneth asks.

    I laugh. ¡°The ice cream shop, obviously.¡± Zyneth looks even more confused. Oh shit. ¡°Wait, you are serious?¡±

    ¡°I am not following what ice cream has to do with your parents.¡±

    ¡°Out of the closet,¡± I explain. ¡°When I first admitted I was gay, the friend I told pretty much immediately outed me to the rest of the school and the news spread like wildfire.¡±

    Zyneth frowns. ¡°Outed? Why was this news? I still don¡¯t understand.¡±

    ¡°Wow. Okay.¡± I absently touch my vial. ¡°I mean, I noticed everyone here seemed pretty accepting, but I guess I figured I just got lucky. Met the right people. Is it like this everywhere? No one has an issue with same-sex relationships?¡±

    Zyneth looks horrified. ¡°Why would we?¡±

    Oh, buddy, buckle up. I give him an extremely brief snapshot of the current state of affairs back home: homophobia, racism, sexism¡ªand all the other isms and phobias I can think of. Zyneth looks progressively more and more aghast.

    ¡°My opinion of your world has significantly diminished,¡± he finally says.

    I laugh. ¡°Yeah, it was not all sunshine and rainbows. But you are telling me your whole planet lives in some kind of bigotry-free utopia?¡± As much as I¡¯d love that, I find it a little hard to swallow.

    ¡°Of course not,¡± Zyneth says, his expression darkening. ¡°Similar veins of xenophobia to the ones you mentioned have certainly stained our history as well. Although, much intolerance was lessened with the re-discovery of telepads. Linking major cities across the continent has led to a blending of values, at least on a macro scale. There are some pockets of isolated communities where such bigotry may still exist, however they would be considered fringe. Even so, we still manage to find plenty of differences to take issue with in other ways. Some kingdoms have generations of bad blood between them that won¡¯t be so easily healed with a few telepads.¡±

    ¡°Okay, so not completely perfect,¡± I tease. ¡°It is strangely comforting to hear that. Maybe our world is just a few telepads away from solving some of our problems too.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°Though it would be disingenuous of me to imply they¡¯ve solved all our problems. When the gods clash, worshipers on all sides get pulled into the fray.¡±

    ¡°Sorry,¡± I say, ¡°When the gods do what now?¡±

    ¡°When the heavens become restless, and the gods fight,¡± Zyneth says, as if this is fucking obvious. Now it¡¯s his turn to pause and look at me. ¡°Ah. Is that not something you commonly experience?¡±

    ¡°Commonly?!¡± I cry. ¡°Gods?¡±

    His eyebrows shoot up. ¡°Wait, do you not have gods on your world?¡±

    ¡°I mean, yes,¡± I say. ¡°Probably. It is complicated. But they do not treat Earth as their personal boxing ring.¡±

    ¡°Probably?¡± Zyneth repeats. ¡°What, have you never met one?¡±

    ¡°You have?¡±

    We regard each other, equally disquieted.

    ¡°Okay,¡± I say. ¡°There is a lot we need to unpack here.¡±

    Zyneth nods. ¡°I suspect this will take more than a brief chat in the marketplace to untangle.¡±

    I raise a hand to my head, instinctively reaching to run my fingers through my hair. Instead my hand clinks against my glass, and I awkwardly lower it.

    ¡°I think I might need to learn sooner rather than later,¡± I say, something Yedzaquib had said coming to mind. I hadn¡¯t really thought much of it then, but if the gods of this world are something out of Greek legend, ready to come fuck up your day at a moment¡¯s notice, the comment is abruptly taking on much more real and dire implications. ¡°Yedzaquib said the gods would not be happy to learn about the bond between me and the predator. Do you know what he meant by that?¡±

    Zyneth grimaces. ¡°Nothing good.¡±

    And on that cheery note, we finally enter the bazaar.

 Chapter 77 - Treat Yoâ€™ Self

    In some ways, the loud, bustling square reminds me of Harrowood. Even though I¡¯m finally getting used to the sight of cat people selling their wares and pigeon-sized dragons delivering parcels overhead, everywhere I look are strange magical relics I¡¯ve never seen before. A small, low cloud, which must be magical, hangs directly over the bazaar, providing pleasant shade and a very targeted rainfall in an open space where children are playing and screaming. The stalls are stuffed with jars of magical supplies, jewelry, street food, and, of course, clothes.

    ¡°Where do we start?¡± I ask, wandering over to the nearest pavilion containing rows of stacked linens. ¡°Should we get you a new shirt first?¡±

    ¡°If you like,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°Though I¡¯ve a different type of stall in mind. Truly, we should have done this before the library excursion, had I known it would have escalated as quickly as it did. But at least we can be more prepared for Gillow¡¯s mission. Look for a clothes sign with a spell circle insignia.¡±

    Intrigued, I keep my eyes peeled. Well, the one eye, anyway. Although I¡¯m not even sure if this glass head would technically be classified as an eye. I mean, I can see through it, so it counts, right?

    I keep an eye out.

    ¡°Is that it?¡± I ask after a few minutes of wandering, pointing out a shoe stand called Fast Travel. Beneath the name is a picture of a boot with a small circle and five-point star on its side. The image of the boot is stationary, but the spell circle seems to catch the light in a way that makes it look like it¡¯s sparking with magic.

    ¡°Good catch,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°Yes, this should do nicely. You need better shoes, anyway. Best find something with shock absorption, I think.¡±

    ¡°Like springs?¡± I ask, utterly confused.

    A laugh bursts from Zyneth. ¡°No, not like springs.¡± He picks up a nearby boot and flips it over to show a symbol painted on the bottom and a tiny spell circle carved into the heel.

    ¡°Oh! They¡¯re enchanted,¡± I realize. I Check the one Zyneth¡¯s holding.

    [Boot of Swiftness (1/2) enchanted with a Level 2 Navigation spell. +1 to Agility and +2 to Speed.]

    Well those are new stats. Have you been holding out on me Echo?

    [Negative,] Echo says. [Currently displayed stats have been abbreviated at the user¡¯s request.]

    What the fuck? When did I request that?

    [The user expressed the unaltered list was ¡®too much to understand¡¯ when initially assigned a role, and the display menu was curtailed appropriately.]

    What the hell, Echo. We¡¯re going to have a chat about this later.

    Echo does not reply.

    ¡°These are all enchanted?¡± I ask Zyneth, looking at another shoe that¡¯s imbued with a spell that provides traction on wet surfaces.

    ¡°Indeed,¡± Zyneth says, picking his way through the shelves.

    ¡°Wow,¡± I say, turning over a leather boot in my hands. ¡°They must be crazy expensive.¡±

    ¡°They are certainly more expensive than their un-enchanted counterparts,¡± Zyneth agrees, ¡°Although the enchantments in these are all fairly basic, so the prices are not exorbitantly expensive. For anything of significant power or complexity, you would need to seek out a specialty shop, like Red¡¯s. Besides, the shoes come with enchantments, but no magic lasts forever. The real money is in renewing the spells periodically, just as you must do with your core bond spell. Ah, here¡¯s one that might work.¡± He picks up a pair of bright red boots.

    ¡°You are an artificer, right?¡± I ask Zyneth. ¡°Can you not make us enchanted clothes of our own? Also, there is absolutely no way I am wearing that.¡±

    ¡°Why not?¡± he asks. ¡°It has a shock absorption spell that should stop your feet from chipping and should also cushion your legs against fractures if you need to run.¡±

    ¡°It is garish,¡± I say. There¡¯s even little stars pressed into the leather. It might be the tackiest thing I¡¯ve ever seen, and I worked in Hollywood.

    ¡°Oh, come on,¡± he says. ¡°It¡¯s practical.¡±

    ¡°Have some self-respect, Zyneth.¡± I cross my arms. ¡°Just because I lost my body does not mean I lost my sense of fashion.¡±

    Zyneth laughs and places the boots back on the rack. ¡°Alright then, you take a look. Anything in this section should work.¡± He steps aside as I begin to pick through the pitifully small selection of shoes Zyneth has identified. ¡°To answer your question, I probably could recreate some of these items. It would take tools and time, however, and what you¡¯re really paying for is craftsmanship. The more precise the spell circle, the more effective the spell, and sometimes that¡¯s more of an artistry skill than an arcana skill. These are our best options for now.¡±

    I eventually settle on the least offensive pair of brown laced boots imbued with a Level 3 Feather Foot spell. At its current level, it prevents me from sustaining any Bludgeoning or Fall damage below a 10 point threshold if sustained through the shoes, and provides an additional 50% damage reduction above the 10 point threshold. Not too shabby.

    Zyneth picks out a new shirt next, though he doesn¡¯t opt for the magical variety. I¡¯m not sure if he¡¯s trying to save the money for me or if he just really doesn¡¯t feel the bonuses are necessary. I suppose at his level, he¡¯s already a step above the general population. But given our run-ins with people like Raz and Yedzaquib, I¡¯m starting to worry that¡¯s not enough.

    ¡°What, not even going to try it on first?¡± I ask as he moves to the merchant to pay.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t need to be perfect,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°Besides, you¡¯re the one we¡¯re shopping for here.¡±

    ¡°Not perfect?¡± I scoff. ¡°Come on, I know you have better fashion sense than that. I mean, look at you.¡±

    His jacket fits snuggly, his hair perfectly brushed. Most mornings I catch him putting some kind of oil on his horns. And wait, what¡¯s this¡ªhis belt matches his shoes?

    ¡°Oh my gods,¡± I say, realization dawning on me. ¡°Were those red boots earlier a joke?¡±

    Zyneth smiles slyly. ¡°I admit I was expecting some pushback, but nothing nearly so vehement.¡±

    I swear, which gets censored, so I switch to signs. ¡°You asshole.¡±

    He laughs, pulling out his pouch of coins to pay. ¡°You make it easy for me.¡±

    ¡°No, wait,¡± I say, stopping him from paying. ¡°Try it on first. Come on, if you are going to spoil me today, then I at least need to make sure you spoil yourself as well. Also, that color will do your skin tone no favors.¡± I grab a black shirt with gold trim. ¡°Here, try this instead.¡±

    After some initial reluctance, Zyneth gives in to my peer pressure. Instead of actually trying the clothes on, however, the stall has a mirror which casts an illusion in the reflection to simulate what the clothes would look like if worn. Where was this thing all my life?

    ¡°Wow,¡± I say, as he hastily flips through the options and manages to look good in everything. ¡°You are hot.¡±

    Zyneth gives something between a laugh and a cough. ¡°I suppose that is subjective.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± I say. ¡°No, man, you could wear a sack of potatoes and pull it off.¡± He doesn¡¯t say anything, but he flushes a darker shade of red. ¡°Oh my gods. You cannot take a compliment, can you?¡±

    ¡°That is not one of my more practiced skills,¡± he says, stepping away from the mirror and grabbing the shirt I had suggested.

    ¡°Well, you should own it,¡± I say as he pays. ¡°You are a sexy demon man, what is not to like?¡±

    ¡°Descriptors like that, for one,¡± he says, avoiding my gaze.

    Where the hell did confident, aloof Zyneth go, and who is this self-conscious awkward knock-off? ¡°Aw, come on. Who hurt you?¡± I tease.

    ¡°No one,¡± Zyneth says shortly, taking his shirt and brushing past me to move back out into the marketplace.

    It takes me that long to realize I might have fucked up.

    ¡°Hey, wait.¡± I catch up with him. ¡°I am sorry. I did not mean to dig up anything. What I said back there¡ªI was not trying to be hurtful.¡±

    ¡°Then what were you trying to do?¡± he asks, still weaving through the crowd as I struggle to keep pace. He¡¯s like a fish slipping through water.

    ¡°Well, uh, you know,¡± I say, suddenly feeling terribly awkward. ¡°I was flirting. Or trying to. My game is usually better than this.¡±

    Zyneth slows, letting me catch up, but he doesn¡¯t say anything.

    ¡°Uh, Expletive. I am sorry,¡± I stammer. ¡°I thought I was getting vibes, but uh, never mind. I do not know why you would even be interested¡ªthat was stupid. Forget it, we should finish shopping.¡±

    Zyneth looks at me with a frown. ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°Uh, the cloak was next, right?¡± I say. Jesus, I¡¯m stupid. I don¡¯t know why I did that. Sure, he¡¯s hot, but I know I can¡¯t do this when I¡¯m planning to leave. Things had just started to feel normal. For a moment, I¡¯d forgotten about the predator and this fucking body, and just let myself be me. What was I thinking?

    ¡°No,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°Not the cloak. What do you mean, you don¡¯t know why I would be interested?¡±This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

    My soul tightens, a strange mix of hope, anxiety, and self-disgust. I gesture to my body. ¡°Well, you know. All of this is somewhat of a barrier.¡±

    Zyneth looks at me with concern. ¡°Is that how you see yourself?¡±

    ¡°Not me,¡± I say. ¡°This body. It is not exactly designed for, ah, you know. Relationships.¡±

    ¡°Well,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°It¡¯s not a barrier for me.¡±

    It feels like my body fills with TV static. That sounds a lot like he¡¯s interested. I¡¯m not overthinking this, am I? We walk for a moment in silence, the crowd buzzing around us.

    ¡°So, what you are saying is¡­¡±

    ¡°Gods above, Kanin.¡± Zyneth sighs out a laugh. ¡°Yes. I fancy you.¡±

    ¡°Wow. Okay.¡± His words fill me with a fluttering warmth. I feel like a damn schoolkid, even though I know I shouldn¡¯t be wanting this. It shouldn¡¯t make me so happy. I search for any excuse to stamp the feeling out. ¡°But¡­ why?¡±

    Zyneth continues to avoid my gaze, though as we walk alongside each other, our shoulders bump. He shakes his head. ¡°You can be as thick as your glass, sometimes, but you have a good heart. From the first moment we met, you were risking your own life to try to save others. I admire that.¡±

    My soul feels like it¡¯s in freefall. I¡¯m a mess of excitement and resignation. It doesn¡¯t matter. It can¡¯t work. Even if we had time, there¡¯s no way it could work.

    Yet. Yet. I hang onto every word he says, wanting to believe it so bad. "We have barely spent a week speaking to each other with this translator. Before that, using signs or Rezira to translate, it could hardly be considered deep conversation."

    "That''s true," Zyneth says, chuckling. "And perhaps part of it is that I''d become fond of the idea of you. This trapped, tragic person who needed my help."

    "Flattering," I say flatly.

    He laughs. "I know that doesn''t sound great. When we first met, I think I was looking for someone to save. But that motive is not fair to anyone, and I''ve tried to move past that. Since then, it''s been good to get to know the real you. Even with all your stubbornness and misguided independence."

    I awkwardly pluck at the sleeve of a shirt. "Look, I... I am sorry. I know I keep acting without thinking about how it would affect others. I suppose I had never had to think about that before. It has always only been me."

    Zyneth tips his head. "No one?"

    "My family has not been in the picture since school. After that I buried myself in my career. Made it my whole life. I did not have any close friends. Flings, but no lovers. I only ever had to worry about me. Until Noli." I curl my hand into a fist, watching the layers of glass overlap each other in a scattering of light. "But I want to change that. I want to be better. I do not want to keep doing things that hurt you."

    Zyneth smiles softly. "I appreciate that. It sounds like we both have things to work on."

    Hope and despair wage war within me. I can''t do this to myself. I can''t do this to Zyneth. ¡°This body, though," I say. "It is¡­ it cannot work for a relationship. The physical aspect, I mean. I cannot be intimate.¡±

    Zyneth¡¯s shoulders are hunched. He looks less embarrassed now, but there¡¯s a different hint of tension there. ¡°As I said before: your body is no barrier to me. You see, I have never been interested in carnal relationships. It is the mind and soul I am attracted to.¡±

    It finally clicks into place for me. ¡°You are asexual,¡± I say, surprised. Then I recall the way I¡¯d been flirting with him before, and I want to smack my forehead. ¡°Oh gods, no wonder you were so uncomfortable.¡±

    Zyneth smiles tightly. ¡°I know you meant well. And it is still flattering to hear you express such attraction, even if I find the descriptors unrelatable.¡± He gives me a sideways look. ¡°Assuming it was not a jest.¡±

    ¡°No!¡± I say. ¡°Not at all. I mean. I was not really thinking about it when I made those comments. I guess I fell back into old habits.¡±

    Zyneth looks at me and raises an amused eyebrow. ¡°Telling men how attractive they are is a habit of yours?¡±

    ¡°Well, yeah,¡± I say. ¡°If they are hot.¡±

    Zyneth laughs, shaking his head. ¡°I suspect we have led very different lives.¡±

    ¡°Was it the botched flirting, or the fact that I am from a different planet that clued you in?¡±

    Zyneth grins, gesturing me over to another stall. This one has pants¡ªthe unenchanted variety. He grabs a pair and begins rifling through the belts, his smile gradually fading.

    ¡°You know, we¡¯ve spent this whole conversation establishing my interests,¡± he says, passing me the pants to hold onto. ¡°However, you never expressly clarified yours.¡±

    I was hoping he wouldn¡¯t ask. ¡°I did say you are attractive.¡±

    He gives me a pointed look. ¡°But?¡±

    ¡°But,¡± I reluctantly add, my soul sinking in my chest, ¡°I cannot do this. Not now. Not with me leaving.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to leave, you know,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°I am capable of reading between the lines. I know there¡¯s very little you would be returning to.¡±

    ¡°Except my body,¡± I say. ¡°I want to be able to sleep again. Dream. Eat a burger, get drunk, smell some flowers. It would be Expletive great to sleep with someone. And yes, I know, that does not matter to you. But it matters to me. I just want all these small, normal things to be part of my life again.¡±

    ¡°And those are the things you want?¡± Zyneth asks. ¡°More than anything?¡±

    It hurts to say these things to him. But in a way, I¡¯m glad he¡¯s making me say it all aloud. At least there¡¯s no uncertainty anymore. At least we know where we stand.

    ¡°More than anything,¡± I say, ¡°I do not want to hurt anyone else. I want to get rid of the predator. My home and body are secondary.¡±

    Zyneth holds my gaze for a long moment. I think he¡¯s about to argue against Emrox again, but instead he gives a curt nod. ¡°With the Athenaeum no longer an option, I suppose Emrox is our best bet. Now, let¡¯s give these pants a try.¡±

    Relieved, I grab the clothes Zyneth passes my way, and our conversation turns to how best to fasten a belt around a slippery glass torso with little-to-no hips. The tension is gone. Zyneth is all business once more. But there¡¯s also a distance there, and a heaviness in my chest that I can only pretend to ignore.

    We finish fitting the pants with idle conversation. I end up having to Sculpt my torso a bit to get the belt and pants to stay on, but the void makes up for any weakening in my chest.

    While Zyneth pauses to grab a bite to eat, I slip away to a different stand a few shops down, this one stamped with a spell book logo. At this point, my two magical tomes are just extra weight I¡¯m carrying around. I¡¯ve already read them cover to cover and gleaned all the homunculus related spells I¡¯m capable of performing. It¡¯s time I free up some space in my satchel¡ªand fill it with a few coins of my own instead.

    I consider bartering, but I don¡¯t want to keep Zyneth waiting. I quickly offer the stall owner my books, probably accept an extremely low-balled offer, and pocket the resulting change. It feels good to have my own cash to spend, finally. And maybe it¡¯s the guilt from the previous conversation still itching at me, but I think I know exactly how I want to spend them.

    ¡°Looks like all we have left now is to get you a new cloak,¡± Zyneth says as he finishes his lunch: fried and crispy meat on a stick covered in spirals of colorful sauce. ¡°Though actually, an overcoat might suit you better. The sleeves will help it stay on so you don¡¯t have to worry about circumventing a neck clasp.¡±

    ¡°Gods, yes.¡± We wander out into the marketplace once more. The floating cloud overhead has shifted to continue blocking the sun, but I can tell we¡¯ve already been here several hours. ¡°That would be fantastic. Not to be ungrateful to Noli and Rezira, but this cloak is not at all flattering to my form.¡±

    Zyneth snorts. ¡°Just when I was thinking your priorities were admirably rational.¡±

    ¡°This is completely rational,¡± I say. ¡°Not wanting to wear a dish towel is common sense.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d like to remind you that your common sense is being funded by my coin purse,¡± Zyneth says, eyes dancing in amusement.

    ¡°Low blow.¡± I pause at a stall with some knee-length coats. A little more dramatic than my usual style, but I¡¯m pretty sure I could rock it. ¡°If you are trying to guilt trip me over the cost, you should have committed to that three hours ago.¡±

    ¡°No, not this one,¡± Zyneth says, gesturing me away from the booth. ¡°We should go for something enchanted, I think.¡±

    ¡°And you were just complaining about the cost.¡± I follow him anyway. ¡°What do you have in mind?¡±

    ¡°Considering your body, more general shock absorption would be best,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°Barring that, something that would lessen your mana expenditure for spells.¡±

    ¡°That exists?¡± I ask, interest piqued. That sure would help counter the predator¡¯s constant leeching. ¡°I could have used something like that months ago.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a trade off,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°It almost functions like an arcana crystal on a very small scale. It takes a high amount of mana to initially charge the circle, and the spell runs out faster than you would think. But if you perform magic often, it¡¯s quite useful. Many battle mages wear such items.¡±

    Zyneth points out a stall several booths away with a logo of a cloak superimposed with that now-familiar spell circle symbol. We duck beneath the awning and begin our hunt. I balk at the marked prices; the scant amount of coins I got from selling my spell books won¡¯t even cover a tenth of the cost of these cloaks. Guess Zyneth will be paying for this one, too.

    Unlike the boots, where the spell circle is carved into the heel, the capes and jackets all have the circles embroidered into the back. Some are outward facing, which Zyneth says is often displayed as a symbol of prestige, while others are inward facing: more practical and covert if you don¡¯t want your opponents to recognize what sort of enchantments you might have on you. Zyneth strongly suggests the latter, but I can¡¯t help but be drawn to the flashier and intricate circles that decorate the backs.

    In the end, there¡¯s only three coats that have what we¡¯re looking for: a yellow waistcoat with a spell of Bludgeoning Damage resistance; a black ankle-length trench coat that looks straight out of the Matrix with Fall Damage resistance; and a blue knee-length overcoat with an absurd number of brass buttons and clasps. It¡¯s the only one with the mana retention spell Zyneth mentioned.

    ¡°Well the yellow one is out,¡± I say.

    ¡°Agreed.¡± Zyneth puts it back on the table. ¡°The damage resistance it might offer is negated by the fact that your arms would remain exposed. It would only help with a direct blow to your torso.¡±

    ¡°Plus, it is ugly,¡± I say.

    ¡°What do you think about the black one with the shock absorption spell?¡± Zyneth asks.

    I pick it up. Echo tells me it would compound with my current Fall Damage Resistance skill and with the boots I just got, which is actually pretty tempting. However¡­

    ¡°If I wore this, it looks like I would need to start flying around and calling myself Neo,¡± I say.

    Zyneth blinks, unimpressed. ¡°If that is some sort of referential humor, it will not get you far in this world.¡±

    ¡°I like the blue one.¡± I swap the trench coat for the overcoat.

    He sighs. ¡°This is not supposed to be about which design is most fashionable.¡±

    ¡°It is certainly not,¡± I say, holding it up. ¡°Do you see all these buttons?¡±

    ¡°More importantly,¡± Zyneth says, flipping it around to show the back. The spell circle is sewn with shimmering yellow thread, providing stark contrast against the blue. ¡°This is quite literally putting a target on your back.¡±

    ¡°It matches all the brass though.¡± I shrug it on and check myself over in front of one of the stall¡¯s mirrors. A little loose across the shoulders, but I could adjust my glass to fit. The tail ends just above my knees, and when I clasp one of the straps around my torso, it actually produces an almost flattering figure. But what strikes me most is that between this, the pants, and the boots, (if I ignore, for a moment, my head) I almost look like a real, living person. The familiarity of wearing clothes¡ªjust clothes¡ªabruptly summons a wave of aching wistfulness. But it¡¯s not all pain. It¡¯s mixed with relief, and even a strange sense of recognition. Like, for the first time in a long time, I¡¯m looking in a mirror and what I see actually seems like me.

    ¡°Kanin?¡± Zyneth asks.

    ¡°Sorry, what?¡± I say.

    ¡°You were just abnormally quiet,¡± Zyneth says.

    I adjust the cuffs on the sleeve. ¡°I can be pensive! I am a very cerebral person.¡±

    Zyneth chuckles. ¡°Of course. It looks good on you.¡±

    ¡°Right?¡± I turn around backward to see what the spell circle looks like on my frame, performing a disturbing owl-like pantomime as my head remains stationary. I Check the circle, and Echo tells me it will reduce the mana cost of my spells by 15%. Maybe that will balance out the predator¡¯s persistent draining.

    ¡°We best pay for it then,¡± Zyneth says, heading over to the merchant.

    I follow him, keeping the overcoat on. There¡¯s something inherently comforting in all these layers. The way they outline my body, making me aware of my shape¡ªmy humanoid shape, not just a little glass bottle. It almost feels right. I almost feel normal.

    ¡°Zyneth.¡±

    ¡°Hm?¡± He doles out a significant number of gold coins. Despite my earlier jokes, I do feel a little guilty about that. I¡¯ll make it up to him. Somehow.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± I say.

    ¡°If you really want to pay me back you could get a job,¡± he says with a teasing smile. It falters when I don¡¯t immediately come back with a quip of my own.

    ¡°I mean it,¡± I say. ¡°Really. Thank you. I did not realize how much I needed this.¡±

    His expression softens. ¡°I had hoped that would be the case. We should have done this the first day we arrived.¡±

    ¡°I was too focused on the library,¡± I say as we leave the booth and strike back out into the bazaar. ¡°It would not have meant as much. But after yesterday¡­¡±

    Yedzaquib. The arcana crystal.

    The predator.

    ¡°I understand,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°And I¡¯m glad I could help.¡±

    It¡¯s not a fresh start, but it¡¯s the moment of reprieve I needed to prepare for the journey to Emrox. And maybe Zyneth needed it to prepare to face Gillow. Either way, we needed this day to do nothing. Just recover from the last conflict, and brace ourselves for the one to come.

    Because I have a feeling what we¡¯re about to encounter beneath the waves will make the Athenaeum seem like a cake walk.

 Chapter 78 - Official Liability

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re not dead,¡± Gillow says when we step through their doors. They grin from behind the counter, showing off all their shark teeth. ¡°Given all the exciting rumors I¡¯ve been hearing, I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d see you again.¡±

    Ignoring the barbs, I stride up to the counter and take out the crystal.

    ¡°Adayenig¡¯s luck,¡± they breathe, reaching out for the crystal. ¡°You actually did it.¡±

    I pull the arcana crystal back. ¡°They sound surprised,¡± I say to Zyneth. ¡°Strange. It is like they had reason to believe we would be captured.¡±

    ¡°Yes, it does seem that way,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°Almost as if they¡¯ve sent people before us, who were taken by Yedzaquib and mined for intelligence.¡±

    ¡°You found Ossina, then?¡± Gillow asks brightly. ¡°Did you free her? She was a great asset.¡±

    I swear I can hear Zyneth¡¯s blood pressure rising.

    ¡°If you want the crystal, let us discuss the terms,¡± I say, cutting in. ¡°We have little time to waste lingering in the city while Yedzaquib recovers.¡±

    ¡°It would be a shame to waste time,¡± Gillow says, looking my new attire up and down with amusement. ¡°But we¡¯ve already agreed on the terms.¡±

    ¡°I am proposing an update,¡± I say.

    ¡°Oh?¡± Gillow is still grinning as if they enjoy this game. ¡°And what makes you think you have any leverage to alter our bargain?¡±

    ¡°Because now I have the crystal,¡± I say. ¡°And I do not have to give it to you. I could walk out this door and sell it to the first buyer¡ªI am sure Zyneth is aware of who your competitors are. It would make a small fortune. I could pay for someone else to take us to Emrox.¡±

    ¡°Good luck with that,¡± Gillow says. ¡°No one else still living has visited the Ruins and returned.¡±

    ¡°I am sure I could find someone,¡± I say. ¡°Especially when I let them know I am a void mage.¡±

    I wait for Gillow to call my bluff. They¡¯re right that they¡¯re the only one qualified to take us. If they say no, we¡¯ll have no one else to turn to. But I¡¯m counting on their greed.

    Gillow sits back. ¡°What do you have in mind?¡±

    I don¡¯t let my relief show in my body language: I¡¯m still playing the negotiator. ¡°You release Zyneth from his debts now,¡± I say. ¡°Before we leave, not after we get back.¡± It¡¯s the only way to guarantee he escapes their control when I¡¯m gone.

    Gillow narrows their eyes at me for a long moment. Then they laugh. ¡°You know it¡¯s really hard to stare you down without any eyes. Alright, I¡¯ll do it. Zyneth?¡±

    Zyneth cautiously steps forward, glancing between me and Gillow. He seems skeptical of Gillow¡¯s cooperation, and I don¡¯t blame him. Carefully, Zyneth rolls up his sleeve.

    Wordlessly, Gillow flicks a finger toward his arm, and the snake tattoo leaps from his skin. Once more the ink reforms itself, this time into the shape of a contract. Gillow reaches a claw out to the paper, and in one deft swipe, tears the page in two. The contract disintegrates into lines of magic, and then even those burn up, flickering like embers until there¡¯s nothing left at all. In a moment, it¡¯s completely gone. Zyneth stares down at his arm as if he can¡¯t believe it: Where there had previously been three brands, now there are only two.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s settled,¡± Gillow says brightly. ¡°What next?¡±

    Zyneth lets out a breath as he rolls his sleeve back down, looking up at Gillow with a sharp glare. ¡°That was foolish. I¡¯ve no incentive to help you now.¡±

    Gillow laughs, their voice tinkling like windchimes. ¡°You¡¯re far too honorable for that. No incentive? No. Now that I¡¯ve held up my end of the bargain, you will feel obligated to hold up yours. Besides.¡± They flick a webbed hand in my direction. ¡°You¡¯re not about to leave the two of us alone on our trip, are you?¡±

    I hate that they¡¯re right. As much as I¡¯d been trying to swing this whole encounter in Zyneth¡¯s favor, it still feels like we¡¯re playing right into Gillow¡¯s hands. But there¡¯s nothing I can say or do now that would convince Zyneth to stay behind.

    When neither of us reply, Gillow¡¯s snake-eyed gaze slides back over to me. ¡°Well? Is there anything else, or can we get on with this?¡±

    Reluctantly, I hand over the crystal. The predator stirs as I do so, and I brace, fearing it might fight me on this. However, it only watches with possessive irritation. I¡¯m relieved it at least realizes fighting me would ultimately be futile, but I can¡¯t shake the feeling it¡¯s only biding its time.

    ¡°Excellent.¡± Gillow runs their hands along the flat edges of the stone, turning it this way and that, tilting it so it catches the light. ¡°Not fully charged it seems, but at least over halfway. Maybe three quarters.¡±

    ¡°Eighty-two percent,¡± I can¡¯t help but say, even as Echo corrects me that it¡¯s actually eight-two point one six repeating.

    Gillow¡¯s eyes dance over me with amusement. ¡°How precise. Yes, this will do fine. When do we leave? I should have the Prismatic ready to launch tonight.¡± Their tone is eager. It might be the first hint of genuine emotions they¡¯ve actually expressed.

    ¡°Dawn, then,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°We¡¯ve preparations of our own to make for this journey. We¡¯ll meet you at the shipyard.¡±

    I have no idea what sort of preparations Zyneth has in mind, but I¡¯m not about to object to the delay. One last evening to spend on land¡ªon this world.

    With Zyneth.

    ¡°Daybreak it is,¡± Gillow says. ¡°Don¡¯t be late.¡±

    Zyneth turns to leave. ¡°I never am.¡±

    I follow him out the door, keeping my sight on Gillow as I turn my back. Their gaze flickers over the spell circle on my coat, and they smile, giving me a wink. I suppress a shiver as I step out of their shop and close the door behind me.

    I turn to Zyneth. ¡°So they are definitely up to something.¡±

    ¡°I assumed that went without saying.¡± He turns down a side street, away from the direction we¡¯d come. ¡°Probably intend to kill me.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± I cry.

    ¡°Now that the contract is severed, I serve no more purpose to them,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°This mission is dangerous. I¡¯m sure there will be plenty of opportunities for an accident.¡±

    I guess I probably should have expected that, but the candidness with which Zyneth is discussing his own potential murder is disturbing. ¡°Then we really just bought your freedom?¡±

    ¡°Oh yes,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°Which officially makes me a liability. And is also precisely why we need to spend the rest of our evening preparing.¡±

    ¡°Preparing how?¡± I ask.

    ¡°Procure tools,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°Weapons. Healing potions. Check in on Red¡¯s progress with your upgraded translator. This will be our last chance to make sure all our affairs are in order before we leave the land behind.¡±

    Right. It¡¯s really happening. We¡¯ll really be leaving all this behind by dawn tomorrow.

    ¡°Speaking of affairs,¡± I say. ¡°I promised Noli I would see her one last time before I tried to go home. I, ah, do not think that is possible any longer. But I would like to send her a letter, at least. Do you think you could deliver it to her?¡±

    Zyneth frowns thoughtfully. ¡°If I hand-delivered it to her, it would need to wait several weeks given my round-trip journey to Emrox. We best send it before we depart. I don¡¯t think it would be much risk to drop a letter off with the wyverns in the morning just before we leave.¡±

    ¡°That sounds great,¡± I say, relieved. Thinking of Noli stings me with regret, but since we can¡¯t risk a trip through the telepads, and we only have 12 hours until dawn, that will be one promise I¡¯ll have to break. ¡°Will you help me write it?¡± I ask.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°Of course. We¡¯ll work on it tonight. But first¡­¡± Zyneth unsheathes one of his blades, flipping it around with a practiced move to grab it by the flat of the blade. He offers the handle to me. ¡°Tap into one of your affinities and activate the spell circle on this blade. I want to see what we have to work with here.¡±

    I glance at the knife nervously, but don¡¯t take it. ¡°I am not sure it is the best idea for me to use my void on that.¡±

    The predator disagrees: It is quite interested to see the result.

    Yeah, that¡¯s why we¡¯re not doing it.

    ¡°Do you want to try for the first time now,¡± Zyneth asks, ¡°or when Gillow¡¯s claws are at your core?¡±

    Point taken. I carefully take the blade as we walk, but don¡¯t use any of my null arcana. Still, I can feel the predator swirling at the end of my mind, curious and hungry to use the weapon.

    ¡°This is dangerous,¡± I say. ¡°The predator¡ª¡±

    ¡°Kanin, please,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°If you¡¯re about to insult my intelligence, you¡¯re better off saving your words. I am fully aware of what I¡¯m dealing with. I assure you, I can handle it.¡±

    I want to believe him, but it¡¯s hard to shake the equally strong belief that the predator will choose to wrest control at exactly the wrong moment. Compromising, I drift a few feet away from Zyneth as we walk, then focus on my glass.

    [Attuned, or summoned?] Echo asks. [The spell in this object allows for Attuned elements to be manipulated, or for elements of the users affinity to be summoned with an associated mana cost.]

    Attuned then, I tell her. I don¡¯t want to spend any mana on this.

    [Activated.]

    The knife reacts immediately, my signing glass jumping to the blade and forming around it like shards of ice. It sweeps up the surface and beyond, doubling the length and curling in beautiful, terrifying serrated edges. I can feel the blade¡¯s spell providing structure to the glass; making it stronger, sharper, and more powerful.

    I drop the knife in surprise, and the glass falls away like filaments from a magnet, flying back toward me, into my control, before the blade even hits the ground.

    ¡°Sorry,¡± I say, retrieving it. ¡°Could have used some warning.¡±

    Zyneth chuckles. ¡°I figured you¡¯d seen me use them enough by now to know how they work.¡±

    I turn the blade over, trying to decipher the spell circle that¡¯s etched into the knife¡¯s face. The only circle I¡¯ve really grown familiar with is the one needed in the Core Bond spell. Apparently, every shape and line has some associated meaning, and anyone with enough understanding of the theory would be able to read the purpose of a spell just by looking at it. I guess Echo finds this too abstracted to translate, so the only thing I recognize is from my own knowledge of the shapes used in Core Bond.

    ¡°There is the symbol for null arcana in here.¡± It¡¯s microscopic¡ªhalf the size of a grain of rice.

    ¡°There¡¯s symbols for every school of magic,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°That¡¯s part of the purpose. Summon and shape the associated element when a user activates the spell. I¡¯m impressed you could read that much.¡±

    ¡°That is all I can read,¡± I admit. ¡°Do you have all these affinities?¡±

    Zyneth laughs. ¡°Gods no. I¡¯ve never heard of anyone with more than four, and even that much is extremely rare. Only being capable of one affinity is most common. Two is possible with practice or the right circumstances. For instance, lightning is my primary affinity, though technically I also inherited fire¡ªmost cambions have fire as an innate affinity. I¡¯ve rather let that element lapse in my training, however.¡±

    ¡°If you cannot use the other elements, why would you buy a knife that is designed for all of them?¡± I ask.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t buy it, I made it.¡± Zyneth traces a finger over the circle on his half of the pair. ¡°Etched every line myself. That¡¯s my artificer specialty, actually. Weapon work. Mostly power augmentation and channeling, though I¡¯ve experimented with a variety of spells that can be incorporated into a blade. This pair was intended to be my first professional piece, which is why they were designed for such flexibility. However, when it came time to sell them, I found myself unable to part with the blades. Sentimentality makes for poor business,¡± he adds with a chuckle.

    He suddenly looks up, gesturing to the knife in my hands. ¡°That¡¯s enough about me. Let¡¯s see you form a void blade.¡±

    I was hoping he¡¯d forgotten about that. ¡°Are you¡ª?¡± I stop myself when I notice Zyneth¡¯s glare. ¡°Sorry. No more insults.¡±

    Even so, I pause to look around. If Zyneth is really insistent about doing this, I¡¯m going to make sure no one else is close enough to get caught in any crossfire.

    Mana Check.

    [Mana: 54/56]

    Activate Bond Trace spell.

    A pulse of my magic sweeps out around me, and my soul appears shimmering in my vial. I can see it through my glass and clothes as if they¡¯re not even there. Similarly, a light appears in Zyneth¡¯s chest, shining like a star. I can read his soul as clearly as a book¡ªthe essence of him glowing with courage, compassion, and regret.

    I have to force myself to tear my gaze away. Our souls are not the ones I¡¯m looking for. I get Echo to push the pulse of magic out further, and I turn in a circle as I search for any other lights that might be within range. Within about thirty feet in every direction, there are none. I guess that will have to be good enough.

    I shut the spell off.

    Zyneth frowns, raising a hand to his chest. ¡°Did you feel that just now?¡±

    ¡°Sorry, that was me,¡± I say. ¡°Needed to make sure we were alone.¡±

    He raises an eyebrow. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize that was something you could do.¡±

    ¡°I suppose I am just a mysterious man.¡±

    He snorts. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t go that far.¡±

    I look down at the blade. I guess there¡¯s no point in delaying the inevitable, and the longer I wait, the more likely someone will wander nearby without me knowing. ¡°Stand back,¡± I say, retreating a pace while taking the small knife in both hands. Steeling myself, I activate the spell circle, this time tapping into the void.

    And the predator leaps at the opportunity.

    It¡¯s blindingly fast. I¡¯d been anticipating it would try something, and I¡¯m still caught off guard. Ink envelops the blade and fountains beyond, forming a writhing black sword. At the same time, the predator is pressing at my mind, fighting for dominance. It¡¯s like being pummeled by waves on a beach. I¡¯m standing my ground, bracing against each crash, but my mind is split between the predator and Zyneth¡¯s blade, trying to keep the magic from being wrestled from my control. The predator has also split its focus, the outer battle mirroring our inner one, but¡ªand maybe because of its nature¡ªit¡¯s better at splitting its attention than me. I stumble as the tide pulls back, and the predator surges forward. The shadows surrounding the knife turn into claws, serrated edges taking on the form of teeth, which gnash together in a growling smile.

    My control on the void slips. I try to drop the knife, hoping to dispel the magic, but void engulfs my hands, binding them to the blade.

    ¡°Zyneth!¡± I call, panicked.

    And the shadows vanish. The knife is still clutched in my hand, but the blade is bare, all the void that had been wrapped around it gone. Surprise runs through the predator and me in equal measure. I take the moment of confusion to force the predator back, rebuffing it from my mind. It resists for a moment, then angrily falls back, retreating in puzzled agitation.

    ¡°Fascinating,¡± Zyneth says, holding up his knife. Shadows extend from the hilt in the form of a slim black sword. It¡¯s the void the predator and I had been wrestling with just a moment before¡ªbut now I don¡¯t sense its presence at all. Neither of us have any control over its shape.

    Zyneth expertly twirls the sword in his grasp and slashes the air experimentally. ¡°That worked better than I expected.¡±

    I stare at him dumbly. ¡°What?¡±

    Zyneth gestures dismissively, and the void falls back within my grasp once more. The ink snaps back to me like a rubber band, hiding in my clothes, and we¡¯re both left holding two bare blades once more.

    ¡°The knives are linked,¡± Zyneth explains. ¡°I designed them such that an attuned element imbued in one blade could be transferred to the other, and vice versa. It was intended for my dual fire and lightning affinities¡ªso I could swap between the forms if each were imbued with a different arcana. This application, however, seems much more useful.¡±

    I slump, prying the knife from the predator¡¯s void, and let it drop to the ground. ¡°What the fuck, Zyneth,¡± I sign.

    ¡°I know the first time was an accident, but it¡¯s a little rude to drop it on purpose,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°These blades may be magical, but they¡¯re not indestructible.¡±

    I don¡¯t pick it up. ¡°I would have appreciated a warning.¡±

    ¡°Sorry,¡± Zyneth says, strolling over to retrieve his knife. ¡°But I suspected the predator might not react predictably if it knew I could pull the void away.¡±

    ¡°React is exactly what it did anyway,¡± I say, feeling a little used and irritated.

    ¡°I am sorry,¡± Zyneth repeats. ¡°I had to test the theory to be sure.¡± He picks up the knife, sheaths it, and offers both sheath and blade back to me. ¡°Now we have a method to combat it.¡±

    Do we? It won¡¯t help me fight off the predator¡¯s mind. But if its void is getting out of control, if I have just enough willpower to get it to touch the blade, then maybe Zyneth could at least declaw it.

    I take the knife. ¡°It is more than we had before, at any rate. Thank you.¡±

    Zyneth smiles. ¡°Not a problem. Hold onto that blade, now. Do you know how to attach the sheath to your belt?¡±

    He must take me for an absolute idiot. ¡°Ah, that reminds me, actually.¡± I reach into my satchel and withdraw a wrapped package. ¡°Here. For you.¡±

    Zyneth¡¯s eyebrows shoot up in surprise. ¡°What is this? When did you get it? How? You don¡¯t have any money.¡± Even so, he gingerly takes it.

    ¡°I sold my spell books when we were in the market,¡± I explain while he unties the twine. ¡°I was not sure when I should give this to you. I, ah, wanted to show my thanks for everything you have done.¡±

    Zyneth folds back the soft leather wrapping to reveal twin silver sheaths, engraved with a bold crimson and gold design. I had Echo confirm the blades¡¯ dimensions to make sure they¡¯d fit.

    Zyneth stares at them in silence, and I begin to shift awkwardly. Shit. Was this a bad idea? He probably already likes his own sheaths just fine.

    Finally, he speaks, his tone soft. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have spent such coin on me.¡±

    I relax. ¡°Oh, right, like you have not spent a small fortune on me already.¡±

    He chuckles. ¡°Fair enough.¡± He looks up at me, eyes crinkled in a smile that stabs me right in my heart. ¡°This is very thoughtful. Thank you, Kanin.¡±

    Oh, no, now I am thinking this was a mistake. Why do I do this to myself? I¡¯m such a fool.

    Zyneth swaps his knives from the old sheaths to the new ones, tests their fit, then hands one of them back to me.

    ¡°Ah, right,¡± I say, taking the blade. ¡°Well, this feels oddly self-serving now.¡±

    ¡°Nonsense,¡± Zyneth says, fixing his other one to his hip. ¡°You¡¯re merely borrowing it. And I feel much better already that you¡¯re holding onto it. Come now. Ready?¡± He gestures back to the streets.

    ¡°What?¡± I ask, awkwardly trying to fix the knife to my belt as I follow him. ¡°For what? Where are we going?¡±

    ¡°I told you, we¡¯ve much to prepare for,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°This quest will be dangerous. Gillow will likely try to kill me. The predator will no doubt attempt to harm you. We¡¯ll be traveling to underwater Ruins from which few have returned, passing through arcana-infused waters filled with hostile sea creatures straight from the legends. And we only have a contingency plan for one of these things.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± I catch up to him. ¡°Well that just sounds like any other Tuesday.¡±

 Chapter 78.5 - A Letter

    Noli (and Rezira, I guess),

    Zyneth is helping me write this, so if anything doesn¡¯t sound like me, you can blame him for taking liberties. Looks like I won¡¯t be stopping back in Bluevine to say goodbye. Sorry this is the way you had to find out.

    So, good news bad news. Good News: I found a way to retrieve my body. Bad News: The predator is back. Related News(?): I think I can trap it Between again, but only if I leave this world and head back to my own. So, at the end of the day, I want you to know I¡¯ll be fine. I¡¯ll be home, in my own body, and the predator will be gone. That¡¯s the plan, anyway.

    Speaking of plans, the path ahead involves traveling to Emrox. Zyneth is coming with, and we¡¯ll be accompanied by Gillow, an unsavory fellow (Zyneth won¡¯t tell me how to spell the word I ACTUALLY mean here, he says you wouldn¡¯t appreciate it anyway) who might try to kill Zyneth on the trip to or from Emrox. If you can, I want you to check in on him after the journey. Make sure he made it back safe. I know, big ask. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

    (Note from Zyneth: I want it known that I have objected to this plan from the start. Further, you probably should not go casually dropping my name around Miasmere. Kanin might have made an enemy out of the Athenaeum¡¯s curator, who is very likely putting bounties on our heads as we write.)

    Oh yeah, I forgot about that. Uh, you should probably steer clear of Yedzaquib. For the record, that whole misadventure was completely my fault. Sorry.

    I don¡¯t know how to wrap this up. I¡¯m no good at sentimental stuff.

    Even though we only knew each other for two months, Noli, I just want you to know that our friendship means a lot to me. I was too busy hustling back home to make friends like you. That was probably a mistake. I¡¯ll do better from now on. Take care of yourself, okay?

    Rezira, you scare me. There, I said it. We both know Noli doesn¡¯t need protecting, but make sure nothing happens to her. She¡¯s one of the good ones.

    ~Kanin

 Chapter 79 - Covert Operations

    The horizon is purple and the sea dark, stars still glimmering overhead. I¡¯ve been here for two and a half months now and I¡¯m still not used to seeing so many stars in the sky.

    It will be the last time I see such a sight.

    ¡°Damn,¡± I say. ¡°That¡¯s fucking beautiful. Shit.¡±

    Zyneth is unimpressed. ¡°If you¡¯re just going to swear every other word, I¡¯m going to take that upgraded translator back.¡±

    ¡°No!¡± I cry, clutching the charm to my chest. ¡°I¡¯m just testing it out, is all. Do you have any idea how good it feels to use contractions again?¡± Not to mention the timber is a little deeper now. Still not my voice, but at least a little closer to something I might be comfortable with.

    Too bad it took until my last day on the surface of this planet to get it.

    Zyneth chuckles. ¡°I¡¯d say I can only imagine, but you¡¯re leaving very little up to interpretation.¡±

    ¡°Well excuse me for expressing myself.¡±

    He leans against a rail along the dock. ¡°You know, I¡¯m starting to see it.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± I ask. ¡°See what?¡±

    ¡°The theater career,¡± he says, smiling mischievously. ¡°The more you can speak the more dramatic you get.¡±

    Good, then I¡¯m successfully masking my nerves. ¡°You say that like it¡¯s a bad thing.¡±

    His smile softens. ¡°It¡¯s not.¡±

    Aw, hell. My soul feels like it¡¯s shredding itself apart, and I have to look away. ¡°Where¡¯s Gillow, anyway? Didn¡¯t they tell us not to be late? I don¡¯t see anything nearby.¡±

    Okay, maybe I¡¯m not as smooth an actor as I like to think.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure they¡¯re close,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°And it¡¯s before dawn, still.¡± The purple in the distance is bleeding into the pink hints of a sunrise.

    ¡°Not for much longer,¡± I grunt. ¡°So here¡¯s a thought. They show us aboard, we figure out the controls, you kill them before they kill you, and we both sail to Emrox without worrying about getting stabbed in the back¡ªBing, bang, boom.¡±

    ¡°Not the worst plan,¡± Gillow says. I whip around, searching for the source of their voice. I don¡¯t find it until they speak again. ¡°But Zyneth would never kill me. Not unless I tried to kill him first.¡±

    They¡¯re in the water beneath us, their head bobbing with the gentle waves, only barely breaching the surface.

    Whoops.

    ¡°And you don¡¯t strike me as a type familiar with death, Glass Homunculus,¡± Gillow continues with a sneer.

    At that, Zyneth and I glance at each other. Gillow blinks. ¡°Oh? Perhaps I misjudged.¡± Their lips curl into a smile. ¡°How fun.¡±

    I decide it¡¯s best not to acknowledge the death pitch I¡¯d just made. ¡°What are you doing down there? Where¡¯s your ship?¡±

    ¡°You might say the Merchant¡¯s Guide and I are somewhat at odds,¡± Gillow says. ¡°The Prismatic does not have passage in this harbor, so we¡¯ll need to board covertly.¡±

    ¡°That answered absolutely nothing,¡± I say.

    Gillow¡¯s hand snaps out of the water, quick as a shark, and something is sent flying through the air. Water glimmers off the object, which Zyneth deftly catches.

    ¡°What is it?¡± I ask.

    ¡°A water breathing charm,¡± Gillow says. ¡°I assume you won¡¯t be needing one?¡±

    ¡°No way,¡± I say, looking between Zyneth and Gillow. ¡°You don¡¯t mean¡­¡±

    Gillow grins, revealing all their pointed teeth. ¡°I told you, we need to be covert.¡±

    Zyneth tosses the item back to Gillow, and for a moment, I am relieved. ¡°I won¡¯t be needing this,¡± he says, pulling an amulet from his pocket and clasping it around his neck. One of the many items Zyneth purchased yesterday on our Try-Not-To-Get-Killed-By-Gillow shopping spree. ¡°I¡¯ll be using my own.¡±

    Gillow shrugs. ¡°Suit yourself. Meet you two under the waves.¡±The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    ¡°Wait,¡± I say. ¡°But I don¡¯t know if I can swim!¡± Gillow is gone before I can even say the last word. ¡°God dammit.¡±

    Zyneth pats my shoulder. ¡°You¡¯ll be alright. Just focus on controlling the glass.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to sink like a stone,¡± I object, but with Gillow gone there¡¯s no convincing them now. ¡°You going to be okay?¡± I ask instead. ¡°That charm they gave you¡ªwas it broken?¡±

    ¡°Not that I could tell,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°Drowning me before you even get on board wouldn¡¯t serve their goals very well. But I don¡¯t trust it anyway.¡± He touches the stone on his amulet, and an aura of blue magic flushes over his skin. ¡°Ready?¡± His voice is slightly distorted.

    ¡°Well,¡± I say, ¡°not particularly, no.¡±

    Zyneth jumps in anyway, making a perfect acrobatic dive off the dock.

    I sigh. What is it with these thief types and dramatically vanishing beneath the waves before I have a chance to finish speaking? And what if there are, like, rocks down there or something?

    I sit down at the edge of the dock, the swells lapping at my boots. I miss having that inventory space. Sure would be great to save my clothes a soaking. But short of leaving them behind, I guess I don¡¯t have a choice. Wrapping extra coils of void around my arms for reinforcement, I lower myself slowly into the water. The tide pushes and pulls at me, and I¡¯m suddenly reminded I¡¯m a fragile glass body only one large wave away from being smashed against the dock. I hurriedly push away, and immediately slip beneath the surface.

    Sound is swallowed by the waves. All the faint noises of the city I¡¯d taken for granted are now gone, replaced by a dense quiet through which the echoing clank of metal occasionally rings.

    I also hadn¡¯t anticipated the dark. Panic wells up in me as the dim light of the surface rapidly vanishes above, replaced with only a sensation that I¡¯m sinking¡ªfast. Remembering Zyneth¡¯s words, I try to arrest my momentum, focusing on keeping my glass steady. Without any reference points, however, it¡¯s hard to know if I¡¯m floating or falling rapidly toward the rocks.

    I activate my Glow spell, and my signing glass turns into a small bubble of light in front of me. All around is still darkness. I feed a few more points of mana into the spell, upping the brightness, but I might as well be trying to fend off the night with a match. The darkness presses in as thick as the nothingness of Between.

    ¡°Kanin.¡±

    The word is so muted and faint, I at first think I imagine it. I swivel my head around until I finally see it¡ªa glow of yellow light.

    ¡°Here,¡± I say, though the interpreter is equally muted beneath the water. I will myself in the light¡¯s direction, and finally Zyneth¡¯s form takes shape.

    He¡¯s channeling light through his blade, which bathes him in a small bubble of yellow. Outside our little bastions of sight, the ocean vanishes into uniform, unnerving black. I try not to think about what might be out there watching us. Nerves prickling through my glass, I sweep my Glow spell down beneath us. Surely, we must be near the bottom now?

    A shadow moves in my peripheral vision and I swirl sharply around, void poised at the ready. But it¡¯s only Gillow, mutedly laughing at my reaction. They gesture for Zyneth and I to follow, then flip around and lithely glide away.

    ¡°Let¡¯s follow,¡± I dully hear Zyneth say as he kicks after Gillow. He¡¯s nowhere near as agile as Gillow in the water, but I still feel like a stumbling toddler in comparison; I briefly attempt to pinwheel my arms and kick my legs before I determine neither are achieving anything. Fighting against years of instincts, I instead focus on controlling the glass. As I do, my speed gradually builds, but it¡¯s a far cry from what anyone would call swimming.

    The journey is eerie and quiet. I can see Gillow and Zyneth swimming ahead of me, but without accompanying sounds there¡¯s an unsettling dissonance, like when I first encountered a campfire in this body and couldn¡¯t smell the smoke. I don¡¯t like that I only have these tiny bubbles of sight and sensation, and anything else might be out there in the dark, watching. I can feel the predator¡¯s hackles raise as well, perhaps some of my paranoia bleeding over into it. Any other time I would be nervous at how intently the predator is watching over my shoulder, but right now I¡¯ll take whatever extra vigilance I can get.

    After a couple minutes¡ªmaybe five, maybe twenty, it¡¯s hard to tell down here¡ªa faint glow emerges from the dim. It grows steadily brighter, until Gillow vanishes. I don¡¯t understand what¡¯s happened until I see Zyneth sinking over the lip of the drop off as well. Abruptly alone, I hurry to catch up, gliding over the edge of an underwater canyon.

    And all at once, the ocean is alive.

    Far, far below us, a forest of glowing plant-life sways in the currents. Schools of fish flash across the valley by the thousands, while larger finned creatures slowly drift across the plains. Giant phosphorescent coral rises in craggy spires, from which uncountable varieties of plants and animals have made their home. They¡¯re every color imaginable, some pulsing with light, others dimly luminescent, swirling the sea in a chaos of light and color.

    I¡¯ve never seen anything like this in my life.

    I¡¯ll never see anything like this again.

    As I slowly sink down the cliff, hypnotized by the exotic vista, I don¡¯t realize anything¡¯s wrong until I hear Zyneth let out a startled cry. An enormous shadowy limb reaches up for us.

    Shit! I extinguish my Glow, snapping my glass into place to prepare to fire off a Lightbeam as a second limb joins the first. Then a third. One is going for Zyneth while another is snaking toward me. I can¡¯t see Gillow anymore. My mind races. Do I have enough mana to hit all the limbs? What happens if I miss and I hit Zyneth? What else can I do?

    The predator¡¯s mind presses against me. We can fight. We have the void, we could slice this enemy to ribbons. Eager certainty settles over us as the ink swirls around our arms, forming scythe-like blades over our¡ªover my hands. I wrench myself away from the predator, holding onto the shapes it had formed with the void even as I repel its mind. I¡¯m too panicked to deal with that little stunt it tried to pull just now. Where¡¯s Zyneth?

    The limb blocks my vision as it slowly reaches to surround me. I strike out with one of the void blades, but instead of slashing through flesh, the blade punctures the skin and sticks in place like an ax lodged in wood. The giant tentacle doesn¡¯t even flinch as it constricts around me, and fear spikes through me as I desperately slash with the other arm, simultaneously firing off the Lightbeam. The spell and the void puncture holes in the limb, but the creature doesn¡¯t even react to the attacks as it curls around me. The void strains against the force, then buckles. My arms are pinned to my chest, and in another moment, I¡¯ll be crushed.

 Chapter 80 - A Theatrical Welcome

    I stab it with my glass, but the shards break like they¡¯re striking stone. I activate a Void Whip and infuse the void with my mana, straining against the tentacle. It doesn¡¯t budge, however. I¡¯m trapped.

    ¡°Kanin, wait!¡± I hear Zyneth through the water. ¡°Don¡¯t attack.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± I cry. Is he serious? I mean, not that my attacks are doing anything anyway, but what is he thinking?

    ¡°It¡¯s not a beast,¡± Zyneth calls.

    Now that he mentions it, I am still alive and uncrushed. The limb¡¯s grip is tight, but I haven¡¯t gotten any warning from Echo about damaged glass, apart from the pieces I broke myself. Strange.

    I switch the vision on in my signing glass as I switch it off in my head, sending the glass to swirl out around the tentacle and get a better look.

    Zyneth is below me, equally wrapped in one of the limbs, both of us being dragged down to the seafloor. A dark shape lies there, illuminated by two giant yellow eyes gleaming up at us through the water. A strange metallic groaning sound reverberates through the dark, and as Zyneth and I are reeled in, light glints off the creature¡¯s limbs, revealing rivet-studded steel. Holy shit. The whole thing¡¯s a giant, squid-shaped machine.

    The metal limbs retract into the hull of the ship, lifting us up toward the eyes as the length shortens. But they¡¯re not eyes¡ªinside I can see the innards of the ship, the walls painted with spell circles and mana circuits. As Zyneth and I are pressed up against the window, I instinctively lean back.

    ¡°No, wait¡ª!¡±

    Instead of getting smashed against the glass, however, we pass through without any opposition, a warm buzzing sensation washing over me as the resistance from the water vanishes, and I¡¯m in open air once more. The tentacle goes slack, and I abruptly fall several feet to the floor, striking my knee against metal ground with a sharp crack.

    [3 points of Fall Damage sustained.]

    ¡°Ow.¡±

    Zyneth, of course, falls into a crouch, his gaze darting around our surroundings. As the metal limbs withdraw through the magical windows, I swap my vision back over to my head, tucking my extra glass and void back inside my coat.

    Mana Check, I say to Echo, even as I take in my surroundings. We¡¯re in an ovular room, about the size and shape of a semi-truck. Apart from the two glowing windows and surfaces cluttered with active spells, there¡¯s only what appear to be half a dozen gray cubes, all five feet tall, which Echo identifies as ¡°Lesser Arcana Vessels.¡±

    [Mana: 58/75]

    I test my knee, which at least only appears fractured rather than snapped off. I bet I have my Feather Foot boots to thank for that. Still, I won¡¯t be able to put any weight on it without risking a worse break. I could potentially reinforce it with some void, but I¡¯m not thrilled with how cozy the predator has been getting lately. Anywhere I can reduce my reliance on the void, I should. Cost to re-Sculpt leg?

    [4 mana]

    Well, it¡¯s not the worst. I fix my leg (which costs 6 mana, actually, thanks to the predator graciously taking a cut) as Zyneth pokes around the room.

    ¡°Hey.¡± I pick at the sleeve of my jacket as I stand up. ¡°I¡¯m not wet.¡±

    ¡°Me neither,¡± Zyneth says, running his hand through his hair. ¡°Must be the spell in those windows¡ªprobably designed to repel seawater.¡±

    That would make sense, given the lack of ocean gushing through the openings. Extra nice for me so I don¡¯t have to deal with streaks of water running down my glass and obscuring my vision.

    ¡°So what is this room anyway?¡± I ask, turning in a circle.

    ¡°I think it¡¯s a cargo hold,¡± he says. Zyneth runs a hand along one of the weird gray blocks. ¡°Gillow will store the null arcana in these, I suspect.¡±

    I Check the stones more closely: They can each hold up to 1000 mana of null arcana. A fraction of what the arcana crystal contains in significantly more volume. These mana vessels might be cheap knock offs of the crystal, but thinking of how coveted just the null-infused salt is, the amount of pure null arcana Gillow can store in these blocks will undoubtedly make them rich.

    A screech of metal has Zyneth and I turning toward the far end of the room, where a door is thrown open and Gillow strolls out, all grins. They spread their arms cheerfully. ¡°Welcome aboard the Prismatic.¡±

    ¡°Welcome is certainly a word for the way we were just brought aboard,¡± Zyneth says.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°Yeah, what the fuck,¡± I say, pushing myself to my feet. ¡°You could have warned us!¡±

    Gillow¡¯s smile doesn¡¯t falter. ¡°Now that wouldn¡¯t be half as funny,¡± they say. ¡°Besides, it was harmless.¡±

    ¡°Mostly,¡± I grumble.

    ¡°We could have done serious damage to the ship,¡± Zyneth says.

    Gillow shakes their head, beckoning for us to follow. ¡°If you two are enough to bring the Prismatic down, we won¡¯t even make it halfway to Emrox. Now come. Ready for the tour?¡±

    Zyneth grimaces, but waits for me to catch up with a helpless shrug. ¡°Stay close,¡± he signs to me while Gillow¡¯s back is turned. ¡°Watch them.¡±

    ¡°No shit,¡± I sign back.

    Despite their theatrical welcome to the ship, however, the rest of the tour passes without incident. The cargo hold ends up being about a quarter of the ship¡¯s entire interior, making up the top portion of the back half of the ship. Beneath it is where the ship¡¯s metal tentacles are stowed when they¡¯re reeled in, so the rest of the tour is spent in the front half of the ship. There¡¯s a small kitchen¡ªor galley as Gillow calls it¡ªa cramped bedroom with four cots, two bulbous escape pods on either side of the ship, and the main deck. The deck is clearly where we¡¯ll be spending most of our time. The entire front end of the room is a window, so invisibly clear I suspect it¡¯s some sort of spell or magic window like the ¡°eyes¡± Zyneth and I had entered through in the cargo hold. There¡¯s a control panel near the front and a couple chairs bolted onto the floor, both near the panel and along the walls. Besides that, the arcana crystal is clamped onto a pedestal in the middle of the room, which itself is the center of a spell circle carved into the floor and spiraling off into the rest of the ship. The predator stares at the magic source hungrily, so I turn my sight away.

    Altogether, I¡¯m not impressed.

    ¡°This ship¡¯s not even as big as my childhood house,¡± I say.

    ¡°Oh really?¡± Gillow asks. ¡°That¡¯s completely fascinating. And I suppose your house was designed to withstand hurricanes, crushing pressures, and boiling deep-sea vents? Do you think its bigger size helped it fight off krakens and leviathans? Was your home rated against null arcana currents, which distort the essence of time and space itself?¡±

    ¡°Um,¡± I say. ¡°What was that about krakens?¡±

    Gillow blinks at me. ¡°That¡¯s what you got out of that?¡±

    ¡°I suspect this vessel harbors many arcane features which are not immediately apparent,¡± Zyneth says.

    ¡°Eloquently put,¡± Gillow says. ¡°Which is to say, yes, with this arcana crystal powering us, we¡¯ve weapons systems that can take down a hydra.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± I say. ¡°Well, that all sounds good.¡±

    Gillow gives me a look of extreme disappointment. ¡°I hope your null arcana abilities are as advertised, as your current line of shrewd observations is not inspiring confidence.¡±

    The predator¡¯s feelings and impulses echo down our bond, as they always do: At this moment, it¡¯s hungrily focused on every source of magic on this ship¡ªincluding Gillow and Zyneth¡¯s souls¡ªdesperate to get a taste of anything it can get its claws on. The void I¡¯m keeping hidden beneath my coat feels restless; the predator is always reaching for it, trying to subtly pull influence away from me, while I¡¯m always trying to keep the magic settled and quiet. These conflicting intents have left the void agitated¡ªan existential itch I need to scratch.

    ¡°If you¡¯re worried about my experience with null arcana,¡± I tell Gillow, ¡°don¡¯t.¡±

    They give me an appraising look, and I can¡¯t tell if they¡¯re amused, impressed, or just curious¡ªmaybe some combination of the three. ¡°Alright, Glass Mage,¡± Gillow says. ¡°I look forward to seeing your abilities in action next week.¡±

    ¡°A week?¡± I ask. The predator found a way to free more of itself in half that time. ¡°Can¡¯t we go faster?¡±

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry,¡± Gillow snaps, turning away from me as they sit down at the control console. ¡°Are you the Emrox expert now? Do you have a way to get us to the Ruins in a fraction of the time of the most experienced sea explorer there is?¡± Then they turn back with a raised eyebrow, all sarcasm dropped. ¡°Actually, do you have a way? With null arcana that might be possible.¡±

    ¡°Er, no,¡± I say. But now I wonder. Can the void give me teleportation powers? It¡¯s a type of null arcana, which encompasses void, space, and summoning magic. I¡¯d assume space is the specialty responsible for teleportation, although it seems any type of null magic can be used to operate telepads. So far, though, the void has never shown any indication of having powers like that when the predator or I have used it.

    Gillow¡¯s frown returns. ¡°No? In that case, I¡¯m going to have to ask you to kindly shut up and let me do my thing.¡±

    ¡°Seven days to Emrox, then?¡± Zyneth asks as I decide that taking Gillow¡¯s suggestion to stick a foot in my mouth is probably for the best.

    ¡°Seven days to the null currents,¡± Gillow says. ¡°That¡¯s where Block-Head over here will extract the promised null arcana as payment for this trip. Emrox is another two days beyond that.¡±

    ¡°Sounds like we¡¯ll have a lot of time on our hands before things get eventful,¡± I say.

    Gillow looks back with a pointed grin. ¡°Oh. I wouldn¡¯t say that.¡±

    Outside the window, a shadow passes by the Prismatic. I can¡¯t tell what the shape is, but it fills the whole view, blotting out the valley full of glowing sea-life for a long, long moment. No one says a word as the creature moves silently past. Then, abruptly, the shadow is gone, and the valley of coral and fish appears once more.

    ¡°Strap in, boys,¡± Gillow says, buckling themself to their chair. ¡°If you¡¯re expecting clear waters between here and Emrox, think again. There¡¯s a reason its magic hasn¡¯t already been mined to oblivion. And the more people keep trying, the more the beasties down here get a taste for their blood.¡±

    As their hands fly over the controls, pulling levers and spinning wheels, Zyneth hurries over to a seat against the wall and begins to buckle himself in. Taking the hint, I pick the seat next to him and do the same.

    ¡°Just because you¡¯re paying your way doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯ll have an easy ride,¡± Gillow continues. The Prismatic lurches, and a rumbling groan echoes through the hull of the ship. My soul drops as I scramble to tighten my buckle, and the view through the window shifts, pointing down. ¡°How much experience have you two got slaying tempo squids? Never mind, you¡¯ll get practice.¡± They yank a lever forward, and I am pushed back in my seat as the vessel drops toward the ocean floor. Gillow whoops with glee as I clutch the edge of my seat, focusing everything I have on not letting my glass head slam against the metal wall behind me. Beside me, Zyneth appears surprisingly unfazed. When he notices me turn my head, he merely grimaces. Though he doesn¡¯t speak, the look very clearly says, ¡°I fucking told you this was a bad idea.¡±

    But hey. What else is new?

 Chapter 81 - Leviathan

    Despite Gillow¡¯s promise, the first day passes without incident. It¡¯s impossible to tell time down here, so I use my Core Bond spell¡¯s beaded bracelet to track the days. The beads slowly dim over the course of a full day, so I know by the time one bead is halfway dimmed it¡¯s about night, and when it¡¯s all the way out, the next day has begun¡ªmore or less. And speaking of beads, I¡¯m down to my last two. To pass the time, I draw a circle in the barracks¡ªdespite heated objections from Gillow¡ªand get Zyneth to help me power my Core Bond spell back up. Between his mana and mine, we¡¯re able to light thirteen beads. More than enough time to make it to Emrox; and of course, the plan is for it to only be a one-way trip.

    I glance over at Zyneth, sleeping in his cot. Gillow¡¯s still in the control room; they suggested we get some rest in shifts, and I wasn¡¯t going to be the one to let them know I can¡¯t sleep. Better to keep an eye out for any of their antics. Seeing Zyneth like this, though, is fracturing my resolve. Am I really going to leave him behind? Never see Noli again? Or Rezira and Attiru? The few months I¡¯ve spent here have been surreal to say the least, but all the friends I¡¯ve made¡ªall the interactions we¡¯ve shared¡ªfeel more real than anything I had back on Earth. Or maybe shared trauma just does that to you.

    I shake my head. I don¡¯t have a choice. I need to make sure the predator never has a chance to hurt anyone else again. If all else fails, I¡¯ll trap it down here at the bottom of the ocean.

    Of course, with us out of the picture, that means Zyneth will be left alone with Gillow. We¡¯re going to need to figure out what to do about them soon.

    Wearily, I pull out the Spell Scroll, as Zyneth and I have been calling it. It was his idea, actually, suggested during our Try-Not-To-Get-Killed-By-Gillow supply run. Given the number of spells I know that require spell circles, he thought it best I start drawing some of them out in advance¡ªat least the ones small enough to fit on a roll of paper. Then, when I need one, I¡¯ll be able to infuse it with my null arcana to activate the spell, similar to how the circles on Zyneth¡¯s blades or my long coat are already pre-drawn and ready to activate. In our down time, Zyneth and I have each been adding spells to the scroll. I add the Location spell now.

    But even this way to pass the time isn¡¯t able to fill all the hours of my sleepless night. Back in the market, with the cash left over after I¡¯d bought Zyneth¡¯s sheaths, I¡¯d found and picked up a book about Common Sign. I don¡¯t know why I did¡ªit must have been some impulse. But practicing the language helps keep me busy, and it feels good to be doing something productive (trying not to think about how I may never see Noli again, how these signs will be useless on Earth). How can being closer to getting my body back now more than ever simultaneously fill me with such relief and loneliness?

    After a few hours of spell circle transcribing and sign practice, I allow myself a break, searching for something else to shake up the mundanity of sleepless nights. Checking my stats out of pure boredom, I suddenly recall something Echo had mentioned to me two days before.

    Echo. You said there were other stats I¡¯m not seeing.

    [Affirmative,] Echo says.

    I pause for a moment, but she leaves it at that. Well? I push. What are they? Are any important?

    [Importance is a subjective descriptor and cannot be identified by this unit,] Echo says.

    I sigh. Okay, well, how many are there?

    [There are 1,426,712 identified statistics to date, though that number may increase if a new relevant quantifiable attribute is identified. However,] she adds, before I can have a heart attack over the numbers, [the vast majority of stats are redundant or even indistinguishable on an individual basis. Most users are specialized in ten or fewer statistics.]

    Hm. So this ¡°game¡± system is a lot more granular than I originally thought.

    What are my ten highest stats? I ask.

    [Obstinance: 98]

    [Creativity: 91]

    [Kinesthesia: 86]

    [Parallel Processing: 82]

    [Empathy: 79]

    [Mana: 75]

    [Charisma: 69]

    [Intelligence: 64]

    [Curiosity: 52]

    [Wisdom: 41]

    What? These aren¡¯t stats. I mean, some of them are. Obstinance? I ask Echo. Empathy?

    [Magical, physical, mental, and emotional qualities are all included in a user¡¯s statistics,] Echo says.

    But that doesn¡¯t make sense, I say. You can¡¯t level up your Curiosity. Can you?

    [While some variables may change over time and with concerted effort, others tend to be static. Often the stats increase rapidly as the individual mentally develops, and then tends to plateau at adulthood. Within the System, stats can further be boosted depending on the user¡¯s class and specialties.]

    Now that Echo mentions it, my HP has been static this whole time, while my Mana has steadily been creeping up.

    I look over my top ten stats again. On the whole, not bad, I think. Creative? Charismatic? Look, it even says I¡¯m wise. I am not sure if I should be flattered or offended by that high obstinance stat, though.

    Curious, I check Zyneth as well.

    [Mana: 640]

    [HP: 150]

    [Stealth: 105]

    [Dexterity: 92]

    [Speed: 87]

    [Curiosity: 85]

    [Strength: 84]

    [Charisma: 75]

    [Wisdom: 74]

    [Empathy: 73]

    Suddenly my stats don¡¯t feel so impressive anymore. At least my Intelligence is higher. No, wait, he could still have higher intelligence¡ªit just doesn¡¯t fit into his top ten. I almost Check to make sure, then stop myself when I fear I wouldn¡¯t like the answer.

    Ultimately, I decide to keep my default stat display mostly the same. I nix the Species and Void % displays, since they¡¯re useless to me. But now at least I¡¯m aware of other things I could be checking when I meet someone new. This opens up some interesting options.

    After a time, I hear Gillow¡¯s footsteps ringing down the hall. They throw open the door to our room with a tactful bang, causing Zyneth to jump out of his cot.

    ¡°Rise and shine, you two! Oh.¡± They look at me. ¡°You¡¯re already up. Well, that¡¯s fine, I guess. Come on, I need at least one of you on the deck while I take my nap.¡±

    Zyneth winces, rubbing a finger in his ear. ¡°Was that entirely necessary?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about,¡± Gillow says.

    ¡°Should someone be steering the ship?¡± I ask.

    ¡°Well it certainly won¡¯t be either of you,¡± Gillow says, offended. ¡°The Prismatic¡¯s set to autopilot for now. And she¡¯ll stay that way while I¡¯m on break. I just need you guys up front to watch for anything interesting.¡±

    ¡°Interesting?¡± I repeat.

    ¡°Don¡¯t sound so excited.¡± They smile wickedly.

    Zyneth finishes rubbing the sleep from his eyes and cracking every other joint in his body. ¡°Alright then. What is it we should do?¡±

    Gillow¡¯s grin quickly falls into a bored look as they turn to Zyneth. ¡°Oh, just crew the deck while I¡¯m out. You¡¯re not getting a lesson¡ªthere¡¯s practically nothing to do, and I don¡¯t want you touching anything. Besides, we¡¯re not far enough out yet for¡ª¡±

    The ship abruptly lists to the side. I stumble forward and Zyneth catches me before I fall face-first into the opposite wall.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± I say, clutching his arm for balance as I stand back up. ¡°What was¡ª¡±If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    The ship crashes back in the other direction, as if struck by a battering ram. All three of us tumble toward the other wall, and this time I do hit it, shoulder first.

    [8 points of Bludgeoning Damage sustained.]

    Gillow is the first to spring to their feet, dashing back to the control room. Zyneth starts after, then stops to turn back and help me up.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± I say, waving him off as I stagger to my feet. ¡°Go!¡±

    He turns and runs off without argument. I roll my shoulder, throbbing with pain along new fracture lines. I start to Sculpt it back into place as I stumble down the slanted hall. The void swirls around my injured shoulder; some of it had cushioned the blow, reacting faster than I had even been able to register, but clearly not enough to stop the injury entirely. I cast a mental glance in the predator¡¯s direction, who is alert and watching through my eyes with great interest, but so far it hasn¡¯t made a move to seize the void or my mind while I¡¯ve been distracted. Hopefully, it stays that way.

    By the time I make it to the bridge, Gillow is already strapped into their seat at the main controls, shouting orders at Zyneth. He¡¯s in one of the extra seats, accessing a spell circle built into the armrest.

    ¡°You too, Homunculus,¡± Gillow snaps at me. ¡°Get to the arms!¡±

    A shape moves outside the window, and for a brief moment the light from the Prismatic reflects against the silhouette outside, illuminating a giant, ship-sized eye.

    Cold static creeps over me. ¡°What¡ª¡±

    ¡°Just do it!¡± Gillow cries.

    I join Zyneth and sit in the chair next to him. ¡°What are we doing? How does this work?¡±

    Zyneth¡¯s eyes are screwed shut in a grimace, but he taps a finger on one of the spells anyway. There are six circles, one etched into the end of each chair¡¯s arm. His hands are firmly pressed against the two on his chair, but only one circle is illuminated. ¡°Touch one of the circles to activate the spell. It¡¯s difficult. Be careful.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I ask, hesitating.

    The ship lurches again, and metal shrieks somewhere in the ship behind us.

    ¡°It¡¯s got a hold of us,¡± Gillow says, straining against their controls. ¡°Hurry it up!¡±

    I don¡¯t wait for Zyneth to explain further. I press a hand against one of the spells, and the pattern lights up. Instantly, a presence appears in my mind. My vision doubles.

    I recoil, and both vanish. The predator is also alarmed, swirling agitatedly around, searching for the intruder. It takes me a moment to realize what I¡¯d seen in that brief instant. Hesitantly, I touch the circle again.

    The presence returns to my mind as my vision splits in two. But it¡¯s not a person¡ªnot a creature. It¡¯s more of a sensation. An extra limb I hadn¡¯t had before. And my second vision is disorientingly outside the ship, where I can see¡­

    Well, fuck.

    The fish is giant, a fan of fluorescent fins shimmering around it like a lion¡¯s mane. It has dozens of dull, car-sized eyes I¡¯m not even sure can really see, and thousands of tiny short feelers, like an anemone. It¡¯s also apparently decided we¡¯re its next snack, as its tree-sized teeth have clamped around the back end of the Prismatic.

    One of the Prismatic¡¯s tentacles is slowly unfurling from the back of the ship¡ªnot fast enough, though. I grab the other tentacle, the one in my mind, and I reach my will into it.

    As I adjust to the feel of the Prismatic¡¯s limb, testing the limits of its motion and taking control of its entire one hundred feet of mechanisms, I realize it¡¯s a lot like controlling my glass. There¡¯s dozens of interlocked segments, and each one needs direction for the arm to move as a whole. Between controlling the foreign limb and dealing with the double vision, it¡¯s no wonder Zyneth is struggling.

    But this is just another day for me. I put my other hand on the second circle, and take control of a second limb.

    Zyneth is still unfurling the one he¡¯s controlling, clumsily reaching for the leviathan¡¯s jaws, as I whip both my tentacles out, seizing the beast.

    Or, I try to. It¡¯s massive, and I can¡¯t see behind the creature¡¯s bright, hypnotic fins. But I can feel the creature¡¯s body, still hidden in shadows, is much larger than I first thought. We¡¯re lucky it didn¡¯t swallow us whole.

    I try to squeeze, and I¡¯m somewhat successful, but the fish doesn¡¯t react. Recalling how easily the tentacles could have crushed me when I was first brought on board, this discovery is extra disturbing. Switching tactics, I grab the creature¡¯s mouth, attempting to pry its jaws apart. Its mouth gives the slightest amount, but not enough to release the ship. We need more power.

    Alright, I say, and the predator swirls around me in tighter, excited laps. You¡¯ve been watching. You get the picture?

    Yes. It is ready to eviscerate the large prey outside. How dare this foul fish think it¡¯s powerful enough to attack us? It will use the false void to disembowel the creature, and then eat its soul.

    Eh, I sigh, no time to correct it. Close enough.

    I loosen my hold on enough of the void for the predator to gleefully take control, slamming two inky tendrils into the spell circles on the empty chair to my side. I hover over the predator¡¯s mind, monitoring its intentions, ready to clamp down on it if I get even the slightest hint it¡¯s about to try something. For now, however, it seems eager to battle our aggressor. I turn my attention there, too.

    The limbs the predator is controlling move even more deftly than mine. They stab toward the creature¡¯s gills¡ªwhy didn¡¯t I think of that?¡ªand the creature lets out a low, rumbling wail. Its teeth loosen.

    ¡°Let go,¡± I tell Zyneth, mentally nudging the predator to help me work the creature¡¯s jaws apart. ¡°We¡¯ve got this.¡±

    Zyneth opens his eyes, freezing when he sees the two void limbs. ¡°Are you sure?¡±

    I create two more void arms to hover over Zyneth¡¯s chair, which he still hasn¡¯t relinquished. ¡°I¡¯m sure. I¡¯m in control. And we can work these limbs better than you.¡±

    He still hesitates. ¡°I don¡¯t like this. Last time¡ª¡±

    ¡°I know what happened last time,¡± I snap, frustration bubbling up as I strain against the fish¡¯s jaws. ¡°Can we argue about this when we¡¯re not about to get eaten?¡±

    Zyneth jumps from his seat. ¡°Gillow, are these arms conductive?¡±

    I wordlessly take control of the last two limbs.

    ¡°What?¡± Gillow cries. ¡°Why would you¡ªgods above, what the fuck is he doing?¡±

    They¡¯ve presumably just caught sight of me, but I don¡¯t have the time or mental capacity to explain. I shut off my glass vision. I lock up my body, so I can focus everything I have on what¡¯s going on outside the ship.

    ¡°Are they conductive?¡± Zyneth repeats, an edge in his voice. ¡°Quick!¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Gillow says, their voice all business once more.

    ¡°And the door to the limb storage room?¡± Zyneth asks.

    ¡°The hatch is in the floor just before the cargo bay,¡± Gillow says. ¡°Unlocked. Do it! Go!¡±

    Zyneth sprints out of the room, and then it¡¯s just me and Gillow. I don¡¯t pay them any mind, however¡ªsix giant mechanical limbs is more than enough to occupy my attention.

    The third and fourth ones are harder to control than the first two, so I pass them off to the predator as well. We work on prying the creature¡¯s mouth open, slowly, bit by bit. The ship groans as it¡¯s slowly released, and the fish¡¯s jaws shiver, straining against our hold. It¡¯s working, though. Teeth scrape over the Prismatic as we shove the creature away.

    If only that were the end of it. As soon as the ship¡¯s clear, we quickly pull the Prismatic¡¯s tentacles away from its teeth, and the fish snaps its mouth shut. But instead of turning tail and looking for easier prey, the creature flips around with surprising speed, coming at us again from the side.

    ¡°Turn us around,¡± I tell Gillow. ¡°Quick!¡±

    ¡°I see it, I see it!¡±

    The ship starts to turn, trying to point the back end toward the behemoth once more, but we don¡¯t make it in time. The fish opens its mouth wide, and I jam a limb across its mouth, wedging it open. It bites down anyway, several of the teeth puncturing the metal arm. The predator stabs at it with all of its limbs, plumes of dark blood spilling into the water. The predator repeats the action with eager bloodlust.

    It¡¯s all we can do to hold the leviathan back. One limb is still stuck in the creature¡¯s teeth¡ªat least until it opens its mouth again¡ªso we use the other five limbs to do what they can to try to injure the beast. We go for its eyes, its gills, its fins, but it¡¯s either too stubborn to let go or too tough to feel the pain. And to make matters worse, the anemone-like feelers that cover the creature like a layer of fur-like growth have stuck to the damaged limb like velcro, and the metal beneath their touch is starting to rust away. At this rate, we¡¯re going to lose all the limbs, and then there will be nothing to stop it from eating us.

    Indignation swells within us. No, we won¡¯t be bested by something so primitive. We didn¡¯t come this far to die¡ªnot again.

    We fight back, slicing a tentacle across the creature¡¯s scales, severing a large swatch of the glowing feelers. Finally! Progress. We slash at it again, relishing each little bit we chip away. The fish rumbles in pain.

    And then¡ªa flash of light. Lines of yellow-white race down each arm and explode into the sea beast. Lightning flashes through the creature, illuminating it from within like an x-ray. The fish goes slack and begins to drift aimlessly away.

    ¡°Ah!¡± Small sparks zap into our void, evaporating the four limbs we had activating the circles. Our hands are still pressed against two of the circles, unaffected by the tiny shock we¡¯d received, and we use them to dislodge the Prismatic limb from the creature¡¯s teeth and begin to reel the metal tentacles back in.

    As we do, we realize we let our mind slip.

    Crap. When did that happen? We turn our focus inward and begin the painful process of pulling ourself apart. Part of us resists. We¡¯re stronger this way. Unified. And if we pulled more of us from the inventory¡ª

    No!

    I wrench my mind away, clamping down on the predator¡¯s will, forcing it into submission before it tries anything with our¡ªmy inventory. The predator seethes, but gives up the fight almost as soon as it starts. It knows it can¡¯t beat me¡ªnot yet, at least.

    I slump into my chair, taking my hands away from the last two spell circles when the limbs finish retracting into the ship. Four of them¡ªthe four the predator had been controlling¡ªare still trailing behind the Prismatic like tassels, but I¡¯m too mentally worn to worry about them now. I just need a minute.

    Distant clanging footsteps gradually crescendo until they¡¯re back in the room, and I wearily turn my vision back on.

    ¡°Is everyone alright?¡± Zyneth asks, skidding through the door.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Gillow says, and I realize they¡¯re staring at me. ¡°I think.¡±

    Zyneth crosses to me. ¡°Kanin?¡±

    ¡°We¡ªI¡¯m fine,¡± I say.

    His eyes narrow.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Really.¡± I still have a stranglehold on the predator, I belatedly realize, and gradually let it go. It angrily rips away from me, retreating to a recess of my mind. Whatever. As long as it doesn¡¯t bother me.

    ¡°Good,¡± Zyneth says, reluctantly tearing his gaze away. ¡°The lightning didn¡¯t spread anywhere else? I tried to insulate it, but I was working fast.¡±

    ¡°Nothing fried up here,¡± Gillow says, falling back into their seat. They give me a hungry smile. ¡°Not bad, Homunculus. You¡¯re just as fun as I¡¯d hoped.¡±

    ¡°I have a name, you know.¡± Ugh. Why do I feel like they¡¯d get along with the predator?

    Gillow waves it off. ¡°Time for chit-chat later. For now we need to get back on track.¡± They swivel around to go back to their control console. A few magical panes appear in the air before them, including what looks like a hologram of the ship. ¡°Some damage around the cargo bay, and¡ªshit, what did you do to that arm?! It¡¯s almost melted in half.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± I say, ¡°No need to thank me. It¡¯s not like operating six limbs at once was a lot, or anything.¡±

    ¡°You should go rest,¡± Zyneth says.

    Ignoring the fact that normal biological functions like rest are now an experience residing outside my reality, Gillow shakes their head. ¡°No, we need to fix the ship. No chit-chat, I said! Glass Boy, you reel those last limbs in. Zyneth, you follow me and help with the patch job. Come on, chums, let¡¯s get to it.¡±

    As Gillow springs out of their chair, grabbing a metal toolbox from an alcove in the wall, Zyneth gives me one last concerned look. I straighten myself up and press both hands¡ªjust my glass hands¡ªagainst two of the spell circles.

    ¡°Watch your back down there,¡± I sign to Zyneth with some spare glass.

    ¡°I should be saying that to you,¡± he mumbles back. But he rests a hand on my shoulder, giving it a brief squeeze, then follows Gillow out the room.

    The ghost of his touch lingers on my shoulder as I turn my attention back to the Prismatic and set about reeling the last of its limbs in.

    It¡¯s only day two, and we¡¯ve already almost got eaten by a giant fish. How are we going to survive six more days if we¡¯re constantly fending off these kinds of attacks? And that¡¯s just to the null currents. Another two days to Emrox from there.

    And then Zyneth will have to make it the whole way back without me to help. Alone, with Gillow.

    I never should have let him come.

 Chapter 82 - Skinny Dipping

    In the ensuing days, just about everything except Gillow tries to kill us. There¡¯s sharks the size of school buses. A swarm of flesh-eating jellyfish. Shadowy creatures that avoid the Prismatic¡¯s spotlights, striking at us from the dark. I¡¯m getting pretty damn good at controlling the ship¡¯s limbs¡ªenough so that I can keep the predator in check while operating all the mechanical arms. I¡¯d like to thank the two months I¡¯ve spent walking around on four glass legs for that.

    I¡¯ve also leveled up a few times. Now I¡¯m level fourteen. Spending your days cutting murder fish in half does that to you, I guess.

    ¡°Hey, Fishsticks.¡± Gillow barges into the room without knocking, which has become a regular occurrence. Zyneth seems to have developed a sixth sense for this, and always manages to be awake and out of his cot now whenever they¡¯re nearby. I close the Signs book I was reading.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Zyneth asks. ¡°Need us to mop the decks?¡±

    ¡°I am not cleaning fish guts out of the tentacles again,¡± I say. ¡°I don¡¯t care what your reasoning is, I am not responsible for viscera stuck in the joints.¡±

    Gillow grins. ¡°As much as I¡¯d delight in watching a repeat of that fiasco, we¡¯ve got a much different task to begin.¡± They point at me. ¡°It¡¯s time for you to earn your passage.¡±

    Static creeps through my soul. ¡°We¡¯re here?¡±

    Gillow gestures for us to follow. ¡°Come see for yourself.¡±

    Zyneth sends a worried glance my way, and I¡¯m glad he can¡¯t see the trepidation I¡¯m feeling. I know I¡¯d agreed to this, but that was before the predator became what it is.

    And before I knew a thousand fish monsters were lurking outside the sub at any given moment, ready to devour anything in their path. But who¡¯s counting?

    We follow Gillow back to the deck, and at first I can¡¯t tell what it is they found. Outside the windows is more unending dark. The Prismatic¡¯s spotlights are swallowed by the water only thirty or forty feet from the window.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Zyneth asks.

    Gillow places a hand on their console, and a ring of blue magic silently pulses out from the front of the ship. The light disperses in the water, warping with the currents, then abruptly vanishes. Far ahead of us, a speck of blue swirls in the distance before flickering out.

    ¡°That, my friends,¡± Gillow says, ¡°is null magic. Raw, undiluted potential.¡± They don¡¯t even try to hide the hunger in their tone.

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± I say, stepping up to the window. ¡°What are we looking at? How is it doing that?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re the null arcana mage, aren¡¯t you?¡± Gillow says.

    ¡°It¡¯s teleporting,¡± Zyneth says, peering out the window beside me. ¡°The magic is entering a stream of null arcana just in front of the Prismatic, and exiting through a different portion of null arcana elsewhere. Correct?¡±

    ¡°Exactly,¡± Gillow says. ¡°Which makes these waters incredibly treacherous. I¡¯ll be needing to send regular pings of magic before us in order to keep from ending up in one of these currents and getting teleported somewhere else. And that¡¯s the best-case scenario of running into this kind of magic.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the worst case?¡± I ask.

    Gillow smiles tightly. ¡°Only part of the ship gets teleported.¡±

    I suppress a shiver. And I¡¯m supposed to manipulate that magic? This stuff seems nothing like the void. I¡¯ve never been able to use it to teleport anything. Then again, I¡¯ve never tried.

    ¡°So how am I supposed to retrieve it?¡± I ask.

    Gillow shrugs. ¡°That¡¯s your wheelhouse, not mine. You¡¯re a null mage, aren¡¯t you? Can¡¯t you control it from here?¡±

    I mentally reach out, trying to grab the void in the water like I do with my Attuned void or the predator¡¯s stash, but I can¡¯t sense anything.

    Echo? I ask. Why can¡¯t I control it?

    [A mage may control elements in two ways,] Echo says. [First, by casting a spell designed to manipulate elements in a specific way¡ªsuch as activating a spell circle¡ªwhich will cost mana and potentially require other supplies. Second, by Attuning said element, which requires physical contact with an element the mage has an affinity for, and a mana cost. From there, the Attuned quantity may be manipulated without further mana drain. The Attuned element may further be fused with a non-Attuned quantity of the same element in order to manipulate the non-Attuned portion. However, control of the non-Attuned element will become more imprecise proportionally with the quantity of non-Attuned element being manipulated.]

    You¡¯re telling me I need to get my void mixed in with it, I say. That I¡¯m going to have to get close enough so it¡¯s within range of my void.

    [Affirmative.]

    ¡°Damn it,¡± I mutter. ¡°Can I use one of those emergency escape pods to get closer?¡±

    Gillow scoffs. ¡°The words emergency and escape are there for a reason. Once they fire off, they can¡¯t be hooked back up until we resurface the sub. I¡¯m not about to cripple a safety feature due to your lack of foresight.¡±

    Well, it was worth a shot. What¡¯s the range of my Attuned void now? I ask Echo.

    [Fifteen feet,] Echo says.

    About double what it was only a week ago, but even that feels far too short. I hate to ask the next question, but I need to know. And the predator¡¯s range?

    [Fifty feet.]

    The predator¡¯s smugness is nearly enough to make me suppress its mind out of spite. Yeah, yeah. Eat your heart out.

    On second thought, maybe not the best choice of words.

    Zyneth steps closer to me. ¡°You do not have to do this,¡± he says quietly.

    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure I do.¡± I glance at Gillow. ¡°How close can you get us to these currents?¡±

    They chew at their cheek, tipping their head as they look out the window. ¡°Thirty feet, tops. I won¡¯t risk any closer than that¡ªthese streams can shift without warning and we¡¯ll need enough space to back off if it moves our way.¡±

    Damn. I could reach it with the predator¡¯s ability¡ªif I gave it control, or risked merging our minds again. With that much access to extra void, though, I don¡¯t know what the predator might be capable of¡ªespecially given how eager I can feel it is to engage with the magic outside the ship. I don¡¯t think I can risk it.

    Ironically, if I want to be safe about this, I¡¯ll need to go out there and do this myself.

    ¡°Can we turn the ship around and back it up to the currents?¡± I ask. ¡°I¡¯ll need to go out one of those cargo windows, and I want the storage cubes as close as possible.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Zyneth says. ¡°You¡¯re not going out there.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the only way I¡¯ll be close enough,¡± I say. Well, not the only only way, but the less bad option of two bad options.

    Gillow also seems skeptical. ¡°Is that glass way more durable than it looks, or are you just suicidal?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I ask.

    ¡°I mean we¡¯re several thousand feet below the surface,¡± Gillow says. ¡°That little glass heart of yours will be crushed by the pressure.¡±

    ¡°That wasn¡¯t a problem when we first swam down to the Prismatic,¡± I say.

    ¡°Because we were only a hundred feet below the surface,¡± Gillow says, exasperated. ¡°There¡¯s a significant difference!¡±

    Sheesh, such judgment. I don¡¯t know these things, I¡¯m not a scientist. ¡°Well that¡¯s going to be a problem then.¡±

    Gillow folds their arms. ¡°It will be. You getting me that void is a required toll to move forward.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not what we agreed upon,¡± I said. ¡°Getting you the arcana crystal was payment for travel to Emrox.¡±

    ¡°Yes, and getting the void was payment for his debts being wiped clean,¡± Gillow says, jutting their chin at Zyneth. ¡°And I¡¯ve already held up my end of the bargain. You¡¯d be wise to hold up yours.¡±

    There¡¯s a tense silence. What would they do if I refused? Would they take it out on Zyneth? They probably wouldn¡¯t take me to Emrox, at least. I still might be able to get the void from in here, but it would mean giving a lot of power to an entity I have very little trust in. Still¡­ even if something goes wrong out there, I won¡¯t be in too much danger, will I? The predator needs me alive.

    But it doesn¡¯t need Zyneth or Gillow alive. I hesitate. Which is the least bad option?

    ¡°I can protect you,¡± Zyneth speaks up.

    I turn to him. ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°I have charms that should work,¡± he says. ¡°They can reinforce your glass. Make it withstand physical and thermal stresses.¡±

    I take a moment to process this, surprised. ¡°Okay well that would have been incredibly useful like a dozen times before now.¡±

    ¡°Sorry,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°The charms are only temporary. They won¡¯t last long, and I would have needed advanced notice to put any of them into effect.¡±

    ¡°Still,¡± I say. ¡°What about that predator fight? We knew what we were walking into. You could have at least shielded yourself.¡±

    He shakes his head. ¡°I¡¯m an artificer. My spells only work on ob¡ªAh, they don¡¯t work on living creatures.¡±

    Objects. He was going to say objects. You¡¯d think that wouldn¡¯t bother me anymore, especially since I¡¯m ideally only a couple days away from regaining my body. But not being recognized as a person, even if the magic doesn¡¯t know any better, still stings. ¡°Right. Okay, well, I¡¯d appreciate whatever help I can get.¡±

    ¡°Come on,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°Let¡¯s do it in the cargo hold. Buy as much time as possible. Gillow, can you get us turned around?¡±

    ¡°Way ahead of you,¡± Gillow says, silt streaking by the window. Without that small indicator of motion, the only point of reference in the dark, I¡¯d have no idea the ship was moving. ¡°Meet you two back there in a minute. Prism Head, I still need to show you how those arcana stowage cubes work.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll take a minute or so to cast the spells,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°We should be ready by the time you make it back.¡± Without waiting for Gillow to respond, he steps from the room, shooting me a pointed look.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

    I follow after. ¡°What is it?¡± I sign. I¡¯ve been teaching him more sign language in our downtime. We¡¯ve been using it as a way to speak behind Gillow¡¯s back, but I am no Noli, and I¡¯m pretty sure I¡¯m passing on bad habits and slightly wrong signs.

    ¡°I lied,¡± he signs back. ¡°No time limit. But drains mana while spell is going.¡±

    I tip my head, trying to puzzle out why he¡¯d want Gillow to believe that lie. If it drains his mana, then he¡¯ll be preoccupied¡ªand he has the potential to run out. Compared to a one-and-done spell, ongoing magic means Zyneth is going to be preoccupied with keeping me alive.

    Which leaves him vulnerable if Gillow decides to hurt him¡ªand with me outside the ship, this would be the perfect opportunity.

    ¡°How much mana will it take?¡± I ask. ¡°I can try to be quick.¡±

    ¡°More you, more mana,¡± he signs, gesturing up and down my body. ¡°All of you, mana gone in two minutes. If just heart, maybe ten.¡±

    Crap. I hate the idea of leaving my body behind when I already have so little protection out there. Ten minutes already isn¡¯t a lot of time, but I¡¯ll need to be faster than that if I don¡¯t want to leave Zyneth defenseless. ¡°Okay. It¡¯s okay,¡± I sign. ¡°They won¡¯t know. And if anything happens to you, I¡¯ll be able to tell right?¡±

    Zyneth frowns with worry. ¡°If anything happens,¡± he mutters, ¡°you¡¯ll be crushed.¡±

    ¡°Well,¡± I say, pushing the door open to the cargo bay, ¡°let¡¯s try to avoid that.¡±

    I unhook my vial from the neck, clustering my signing glass around it. It¡¯s not much, maybe a handful of small glass shards, but it¡¯s better than nothing. And then, of course, I have the void.

    As I set myself on the ground, tucking my body off to the side, the void that empties from my coat seems like a tidal wave of dark from this lowly perspective. It puddles to the ground beneath me, spreading flat across the floor like an unnatural shadow, broader and darker than it should be. There¡¯s so much more of it than there was before. No wonder I feel like I¡¯m at a tipping point, only a fraction away from being overwhelmed.

    And I¡¯m about to go dive headfirst into more. There¡¯s no way the predator doesn¡¯t try something while I¡¯m out there. Looks like Zyneth and I will both have our hands full.

    Zyneth sketches out a quick spell circle on the ground as Gillow steps into the room.

    ¡°What, you¡¯re not done yet?¡± they ask.

    ¡°I¡¯ll activate it just before he needs to leave, to buy him the most time,¡± Zyneth says.

    Gillow looks at me¡ªor rather, my body propped against the wall. ¡°He better not already be dead.¡±

    I¡¯m going to choose to ignore that already part. But yeah, I guess they¡¯re not used to this. ¡°Down here,¡± I say, though the translator is still on my body, which is a bit self-defeating. ¡°No. By Zyneth.¡± I wave my signing glass, trying to draw their attention to my vial.

    Gillow finally catches sight of me and blinks. ¡°What are¡ªyou know what, never mind. At this point, it¡¯s not even the weirdest thing I¡¯ve seen you do.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s get this over with,¡± I say. ¡°How do I use those storage containers?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be sending them out with you,¡± Gillow says. ¡°They were built to withstand these depths. I can use my water magic to maneuver them around close to the currents, but you¡¯ll need to funnel the null arcana inside.¡± They tap the nearest cube, and a spell circle illuminates across the surface, spreading over the object like lines on a circuit board. ¡°You direct it here,¡± they say, pointing to the center of the circle, like the snake-eye on a giant-ass die. ¡°The containment cube will do the rest. Don¡¯t let the arcana touch any other part of the surface, however; if one of these containers ends up getting split in half, it will be explosively bad.¡±

    ¡°When you say explosively¡­¡±

    Gillow gives me a flat look. ¡°It will explode.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I figured,¡± I say. ¡°I was just really hoping I was wrong.¡±

    ¡°Is there anything else?¡± Zyneth asks, hands poised over me. I push the void away from the spell circle he¡¯d drawn on the ground, careful not to mess with it. Gillow watches my void with a look of hunger I associate with the predator. I try not to shiver.

    ¡°No,¡± Gillow says, heading over to the wall and activating two of the tentacles. The floor shudders and the mechanisms beneath our feet grind to life. ¡°I¡¯ll grab the cubes. Ready when you two are.¡±

    ¡°Ready,¡± I say to Zyneth.

    He clenches his jaw as yellow lights glow to life in his palms, and I don¡¯t think it¡¯s the magic that¡¯s straining him.

    The light washes over me, tingling against my glass.

    [Status buff obtained,] Echo states. [Crushing Damage reduced by 99.93%. Thermal Damage reduced by 99.93%.]

    We¡¯re going to need to have a serious talk after this about finding a way to make these buffs permanent.

    ¡°Done,¡± Zyneth says, lowering his hands. The glow around me stays, however. ¡°We¡¯ve not much time now.¡±

    How long until the buffs expire? I ask Echo.

    [Quantity unknown,] Echo says. [The spells are being continuously maintained by their mana source.]

    Check Zyneth¡¯s mana, I tell her. At the current rate it¡¯s going down, how long until it¡¯s out?

    A few numbers pop up in my vision, then rearrange themselves:

    [Time Limit: 10 minutes, 27 seconds]

    Good. At least I can keep an eye on things.

    ¡°Ready?¡± Zyneth offers me a hand.

    ¡°No, I¡¯ve got it,¡± I say, swirling the void around me. It lifts me into the air, carrying me to the nearest glass-like window. The magic buzzes above, the only thing separating me from tons of water and a potentially instantaneous death, if Zyneth¡¯s spells fail. Something I wouldn¡¯t be worried about if Gillow weren¡¯t involved.

    I hesitate at the exit, watching Gillow operate the ship¡¯s limb. They move one of the tentacles in through the opposite window, wrapping the giant arm around the nearest cube before drawing it back out of the ship. How easy would it be for them to grab Zyneth and pull him out the same way?

    ¡°Good luck,¡± Zyneth says, startling me from that image. I guess the only way I can help him is to be as quick as possible.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± I say, pressing through the window. ¡°Be back soon.¡±

    Darkness swallows me. Still haloed by the Prismatic¡¯s light, the surrounding waters seem dense with horrific possibility. Anything could be out there. Another predator, only feet away. The null currents could be right in front of me and I¡¯d never know. I pull my void closer, as if that could abate the sudden feeling of extreme agoraphobia.

    A pulse of blue light emits from the ship, washing over me. The magic races into the dark, illuminating no beasts or sea serpents. The light fades, then abruptly twists to the side and blinks out. A speck of blue appears far in the distance before vanishing into the black.

    There.

    I will myself closer to the point where the magic had warped, hesitantly only moving half as far as I think I need to; even with time against me, I¡¯d rather undershoot it than over. The muted creaking of metal groans behind me as two of the ship¡¯s limbs stretch in my direction, holding a containment cube each. They also stop short, nowhere near where the null current might be. I wait for another pulse of blue to light up my surroundings. The current is closer now.

    I peel away half of my void, despite the predator¡¯s protests, and send it out ahead of me. The rest I keep close, slowly swirling through the waters with my Elemental Radar skill. It feels different from using my glass the same way. When I¡¯ve used my glass to touch the surrounding ground, providing a pseudo-radar type of sight, I¡¯m only provided with physical sensations which paint a 2D map in my mind. But the void isn¡¯t solid. It moves through the water like fluid. Instead of a sense of the location of my surroundings, I can feel its movement, its temperature, its density. It almost feels like my sense of self expands into my surroundings.

    And it can be more¡ªI can sense that from the predator. It doesn¡¯t just use the void to touch its surroundings, it uses it to see, and smell, and taste. Senses I¡¯ve been missing for several months now. God, I¡¯m desperate to taste again. To just eat an apple. To just drink cold water on a hot summer¡¯s day. I¡¯d give anything for a taste of that last frozen cheese burrito again.

    The memory of what the predator last ate¡ªtwo living souls¡ªreturns to me unbidden, and shakes me from my longing. The sweet, electric taste of souls is something forever seared into my memory. Something I doubt I¡¯ll ever be able to shake even after I¡¯ve gone home.

    My void brushes up against something tactile and familiar.

    The magic crackles as it merges with my own, like sheets of fabric rubbing static between them. It¡¯s so strange, because I can feel exactly what it is¡ªthe void that¡¯s come to be such a familiar presence in my mind, yet this is inert and unresponsive. I swirl my void through the wild magic and gently, gently focus on towing it back.

    No wonder it¡¯s so rare to Attune null magic. You have to touch whatever you have an affinity with in order to form an Attunement, and touching this stuff might end up chopping your hand off. It was sheer luck the void I happened to touch was already morphed into the predator, the magic and the entity having become indistinguishable in the time spent Between. While I¡¯m not the only mage in the world with an Affinity for null arcana, I might be the only one with any amount of it that they¡¯ve managed to Attune.

    I pull the stream of null arcana toward the nearest containment cube, and the void slowly winds its way to the spell circle on the surface. It feels like I¡¯m clawing my fingers through sand, trying to drag as much of the wild void along with me as I can. Eventually, though, I get there.

    Ah!

    A stabbing sensation cuts through me as I make contact with the containment cube and all of the void in front of the spell circle vanishes. Not just the wild null arcana, but some of my Attuned void, too.

    The predator attempts to yank our void away, and the stream of null arcana freezes, caught between a mental tug-of-war.

    That void is ours! And that machine is stripping it away. Why are we feeding it when we should be taking all this void for ourself?

    Calm down. I haven¡¯t quite managed to wrestle the void away from the predator¡¯s grasp, but I¡¯ve at least stopped it from doing anything rash. That was an accident¡ªI¡¯ll be more careful to keep our Attuned void away from the cube from now on. And I can¡¯t Attune any of that wild magic without risking getting cut in half. If I die, you¡¯ll end up back Between, so chill the fuck out.

    This hardly mollifies the predator, but it at least gives it pause long enough for me to wrangle its grip on the void away. Jesus Christ. We can¡¯t do this every time something startles us.

    The predator indignantly lets me know it was not startled. It¡¯s only remaining vigilant. Protecting our stash of void. Which could be grown, now, if we wanted.

    I swear you only listen to half the things I say.

    No. It listens to everything.

    Oh great. Even better.

    Although¡­ it might actually be onto something. I¡¯ll need an incredible amount of null arcana to activate the giant spell circle in Emrox. Think you can absorb some of this magic to top off our mana levels? I ask.

    The predator eagerly agrees, and I wonder why I even bothered asking. I can also tell it¡¯s intending to take a cut for itself to extend its timer, and I wearily don¡¯t object. As long as the Influence stat doesn¡¯t go up, I¡¯ll allow it. In fact, I do a Check, just in case.

    [Predator Time Limit: 32.9 hours]

    [Predator Influence: 31%]

    I wish I could say no change in that stat fills me with relief, but it¡¯s already too high for my liking.

    But it¡¯s temporary, I remind myself. Soon, I¡¯ll be going home. Not much longer now.

    I return to the null arcana, slowly pulling more through the water like stretched taffy as the predator nibbles at its edges. This time when I get close to the cube, I back off with my Attuned void and let the magic glide in on its own. The black stream of ink vanishes as it touches the circle.

    Timer? I check.

    [Eight minutes, forty-seven.]

    I don¡¯t know how much arcana can fit in these blocks, but it¡¯s probably more than I¡¯ll have time to fill. I¡¯ll just have to keep an eye on the clock, grab as much as I can, and then GTFO.

    My work is occasionally illuminated by pulses of blue. The null current drifts slowly around¡ªor maybe it¡¯s the Prismatic and I that are drifting¡ªbut it¡¯s still a comfortable distance away, given the range of my void. I fall into a rhythm, lacing my void into the current and slowly drawing the tendrils of ink toward the containment cubes. The predator leeches bits and pieces away as I do so, converting some of it into Bonus Mana while it consumes the rest, extending its timer.

    The water around me ripples. In my vial form I have omni-vision, but surrounded by so much dark I can¡¯t see what the cause of that disturbance was. I use the void still clustered near me to push outward in a sphere, but I don¡¯t sense anything nearby. The water is moving, though. Just the slightest thrum of shifting pressures.

    I instinctively reach for my translator, but it¡¯s not in range. Damn, can¡¯t even ask if Gillow or Zyneth notices anything. Maybe it¡¯s just my own paranoia. Maybe it¡¯s just how the currents work down here.

    A shadow flickers beneath the Prismatic. Oooooh nope. Nope nope nope.

    Echo, what was that? Check!

    [There are no creatures within line of sight that can be identified.]

    Bullshit! I didn¡¯t imagine that. Is it hiding behind the Prismatic? Screw the null arcana, I¡¯m getting out of here.

    The Prismatic¡¯s spotlight turns on, and since the ship was spun around backward, it¡¯s pointing in the opposite direction from the null currents and I.

    ¡°Kanin, get inside,¡± a metallic Gillow voice echoes through the water. ¡°Slowly.¡±

    Slowly? Why? What kind of advice is that? Are you trying to freak me out? This is how you freak me out. I pull all my void back from the null currents and begin to propel myself toward the Prismatic. Its eye-window is only two dozen feet away.

    Another shadow moves through the dark, this time straight toward me. I snap all my void tight around my core, and the creature rushes past, through the space where my void had been just a moment before, and sends me spinning in its wake. The world is a nonsensical blur of dark and the Prismatic¡¯s lights and bubbles until I use the void to stop my spinning.

    Check, check!

    [There are no creatures within line of sight that can be identified.]

    Are you kidding me? Alright, fuck going slow. I¡¯m getting out of here!

    ¡°Kanin?¡± This time it¡¯s Zyneth¡¯s voice, and I¡¯m not liking how panicked he sounds. ¡°Get out of there, now!¡±

    I rush toward the Prismatic¡¯s light. I¡¯m twenty feet away¡ªfifteen¡ªten¡ª

    Gillow¡¯s voice is in the background. ¡°Hey give that back¡ªand slow! He has to go slow¡ª¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re tempo squids,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°Get¡ª¡±

    And then it appears, right in front of me. The water pulses outward as it pops into existence.

    [Tempo Squid: Level 21,] Echo happily pipes up, as if pleased to now, finally, have the opportunity to identify what I¡¯d been trying to Check before. [Infused with null arcana from the waters surrounding Emrox, this creature has inherited the magic¡¯s abilities to become unstuck from space. Usually found traveling in schools, tempo squids prefer to surprise their prey by surrounding them via coordinated teleportation.]

    I slam on my metaphorical brakes but there¡¯s no time to stop¡ªI ram straight into the squid. It¡¯s soft and pliant, and folds around me like jelly. The Prismatic vanishes from view. I lash out with glass and void, panicked, as the creature¡¯s limbs wrap around my vial, and its flesh flinches back from my attacks. Then the world seems to flip¡ªa nauseating vertigo kicks my soul, and the squid releases me, jetting away into the black.

    Black. Everything is black. Where did the Prismatic go? It¡¯s lights? The cubes? It¡¯s gone¡ªthere¡¯s nothing around me.

    I¡¯m alone.

 Chapter 83 - Alone

    I swirl my glass and void around me¡ªthank god both of those came with¡ªand desperately try not to panic. My glass touches nothing. My void senses only water around us, as far as it can reach, in any direction. There¡¯s no sign of the Prismatic. Thick, oppressive silence presses in on me from every side. The predator¡¯s presence swells again, alert and violent, trying to take control so it can lash out at our unseen assailant.

    I activate my Glow spell on its lowest brightness, attempting to stay grounded. Focusing on the spell is as much to distract myself from the predator as it is my own fear.

    I can sense my signing glass rearrange itself into a sphere as a small ball of light blooms into existence at its center. The waters around me illuminate with the white light, revealing¡­

    Nothing. The darkness goes on forever.

    I¡¯m lost.

    Okay. Okay, okay. Don¡¯t panic. Don¡¯t think about the unending darkness. Don¡¯t think about the creatures that might be out there, watching me from the black. Don¡¯t think about how helpless and vulnerable I am. Don¡¯t think about Zyneth¡¯s spell and his steadily draining mana and how I¡¯m about to be crushed into little glass dust.

    Actually maybe I really need to think about that last one.

    I check my timer:

    [Three minutes and twenty-one seconds remaining.]

    I fucking panic.

    I spear my void into the dark, stretching, reaching as far as I can manage, desperate to touch something, anything. I¡¯m overwhelmed by the instinct to move, to rush back to safety, but I don¡¯t know which way the Prismatic is. I don¡¯t even know which way is up or down. Any attempt to find safety might be leading me in the opposite direction. Fear paralyzes me, constricting around my soul. I¡¯m going to die. I¡¯m going to die out here, alone in the dark.

    The predator wrenches control from me before I even have a chance to react.

    No! I grab for it, but I¡¯m still so panicked, so scattered, that it bats me aside without a second glance. The void swirls around us like a hurricane, spreading out four times as far as I¡¯d managed on my own. It¡¯s thin¡ªterribly stretched, nearly so diluted it risks being swept away by the ocean currents. But the predator doesn¡¯t flinch. It¡¯s searching, its focus as rigid as iron. I feel like a fly knocking against a window. Oh god. It¡¯s locked me out. It¡¯s just like Peakshadow¡ªI can¡¯t get control¡ª

    There. The predator¡¯s attention latches onto something our void touched¡ªa stream of null arcana. It leaps toward the magic, propelling us forward, recalling all the feelers of void it had put out into the dark to funnel more magic into the null current. I catch a glimpse of its intentions, and my already fraying sanity takes another hit.

    We can¡¯t go into the null current, I say, unsure if it even hears me. What if it cuts me in half? What if it¡ªno, wait, stop!

    The predator plunges us in. I can feel the magic crackling at me, stinging through our void¡ªbut none of it touches my glass. The predator has wrapped a protective layer of void around us, keeping the wild magic from touching me directly. I didn¡¯t even know it could do that. The predator leaks self-satisfaction across our bond.

    Yeah, yeah. Show off.

    My immediate panic subsides into a more general, existential dread. I may not be about to be sliced in half by wild teleportation magic, but the time limit is still ticking down by the second.

    I can¡¯t control any of that, though. Instead, I focus on what the predator¡¯s doing.

    Our void is spreading through the null arcana. Flowing along the current, branching into other streams. Its range is incredible. Bigger even than what we had been doing moments before. The null arcana is boosting our abilities¡ªnot just the range, but our sensations, too. We look through our void, opening and closing our sight along dozens of different points, searching for any hint of light in the dark.

    The power the null arcana gives us is intoxicating. We could Attune more of it. With our void to hold it stable, we wouldn¡¯t have to worry about it damaging our core. And with more Attuned void at our disposal, we would be capable of far more powerful abilities.

    A distant, yellow glow. We focus more of our void in that direction, trying to get a better look. There¡¯s motion. A large shape and flickering lights: The Prismatic, its limbs splayed around it like hair, and dozens of tempo squids blinking in and out of existence all around. They¡¯re under attack.

    [¡­ne minute and ten seconds remaining.]

    Our glass is still far away from this stream of void we¡¯re watching through, however. Now that we have some idea of where the ship is, we also have some sense of scale¡ªand our core is much, much too far. Even if we propel it through the water as fast as we¡¯re able, it would take several minutes to get back.

    Problematic. But if the pathetic squid creatures could do it¡­

    We compress the void nearest the Prismatic. The darkness swirls tighter, smaller, condensing in on itself in a whirl of building pressure. At the same time, we pull the void tight around our core.

    Wait, what are we doing?

    Darkness overtakes us as our vision switches off; it takes too much focus to force the wild null arcana to assist with our spell. But with its power to boost our own, linking the two points of space becomes possible. Not easy, but possible.

    This doesn¡¯t seem like a good idea¡ª

    The points of spacetime connect like magnets snapping together, and we again feel that disorienting lurch like we¡¯d felt before, when the tempo squid had grabbed us¡ªStolen novel; please report.

    A blur of color spins wildly around us before we arrest our spiral and come to a stop, facing the Prismatic. Much of our void is behind us still, in distant null currents, still heading our way. But we¡¯re here. We made it back.

    [¡­-ty-three seconds remaining.]

    Our glass cracks.

    [...reduced to 95%.] Echo¡¯s voice is distant, but we understand enough to be alarmed. We might have made it back to Prismatic, but we still need to make it onto the ship.

    [¡­amage reduction reduced to 93%.]

    [3 points of Crushing Damage sustained.]

    We don¡¯t wait for it to tick any lower.

    The void propels us forward as the water squeezes our glass. What we couldn¡¯t even feel before is becoming a mounting pressure. Gillow had warned us not to move quickly around the tempo squids, but we don¡¯t have time¡ªor patience¡ªfor caution. We wrap what little void we have around our core, sharpening the shadows into blades and sending them spinning around us like a fucking ninja throwing star as we torpedo our way back toward the Prismatic. A tempo squid appears in front of us, and we tear through it like wet paper. The crack in our glass spreads.

    And then we¡¯re bursting through the Prismatic¡¯s cargo window, falling to the deck as Gillow shouts in surprise. The void cushions our blow, slowing our roll until we come to a haphazard stop in the middle of the room.

    ¡°Kanin.¡± Zyneth slumps against a wall. ¡°Oh, thank the gods.¡±

    [Crushing damage reduction charm ended. Thermal damage reduction charm ended.]

    The faint glow around us vanishes.

    ¡°Great,¡± Gillow says, grunting from their position at a spell console along the wall. ¡°Finally, someone who isn¡¯t useless. Get over here and help me kill these squids!¡±

    We start to pull our mind away, but we¡¯re stopped.

    No, not yet. Our void is still navigating back through the null currents. If we separate now, our range will shrink¡ªwe¡¯ll lose the Attuned void that¡¯s still out there.

    Maybe that¡¯s not the worst thing. We try to pull away again, but the other half of us won¡¯t let us go.

    ¡°Kanin?¡± Zyneth calls. ¡°You¡¯re being quiet again. Speak to me.¡±

    Our translator is back within range, but focusing on it is difficult while also wrestling with ourself. We don¡¯t have time to fight¡ªthe ship is under attack. Let us go!

    Not if we¡¯ll lose our void. Wait.

    ¡°Trying,¡± we say, the word echoing from the translator stiff and terse. ¡°We¡¯re busy.¡±

    Zyneth swears under his breath, pushing off the wall and hurrying over to our body.

    We want to help fight those animals? Then patience. Our void is almost back. Just another moment.

    ¡°Would one of you two fucking do something?¡± Gillow demands. ¡°I¡¯ve got my arms full over here!¡±

    Zyneth grabs the knife off our belt and hurries back over to us. He throws the blade to the ground, which skids up to our glass. Our void shies away.

    ¡°Take it,¡± Zyneth says, drawing his own blade and using it to gesture toward us. ¡°Quickly now.¡±

    Half of us understands what he¡¯s trying to do¡ªso all of us understands. At first we¡¯re angry¡ªhe¡¯s trying to take our void away! But then we have a better idea.

    We snatch the knife up with our void, but don¡¯t activate the spell in the blade. Instead we aim it at the window, and then in one swift move, launch it out into the sea.

    Zyneth stares at us, open-mouthed. ¡°Did you just¡ªYou threw away my knife!¡±

    ¡°No,¡± we say, still struggling to get the words out. They feel so strange to us. So unnatural and foreign. Speech itself is at once familiar and strangely abstract. ¡°Lightning.¡±

    Our void finally catches up. Energized by the null arcana, it¡¯s crackling with potential¡ªcapable of so much more than usual. It grabs the knife, slicing through the nearest squid.

    ¡°What?¡± Zyneth says.

    We don¡¯t have any void left on us¡ªit¡¯s all in the waters outside¡ªso we point to his blade with our glass. ¡°Use lightning!¡±

    He finally seems to put it together. Zyneth activates his Attunement, electricity crackling down the length of the blade. And outside, in the water, we activate the spell to pull his lightning through.

    Electricity erupts from our knife, lancing through the sea. We slice through tempo squids even as they teleport away, and with the null arcana empowering us, our void holds on, teleports with them, and finishes the job. Our blade is disappearing and reappearing all around the ship, cutting through and electrifying the squid, one by one.

    [Level Up!] Words appear in our vision, but we brush them away, maintaining our focus outside. It happens again a minute later. And again.

    Light flashes in through the windows of the Prismatic in a silent display of fireworks. Gillow stops what they¡¯re doing, letting go of their spell circles to watch. Neither Zyneth or Gillow speak as we finish the creatures off.

    It¡¯s only when our void flows back in through the window, carrying the knife with it, that we release the grip on our mind. The void puddles around us and we use the opportunity to start to pull free, finding the seam in our mind, the line that¡¯s growing ever harder to distinguish. Unsticking ourself comes with a series of tiny stings, like slowly peeling off a scab.

    [EXP threshold reached,] Echo says as I finally let her talk.

    [Name: Kanin]

    [Class: Wizard]

    [Level: 17]

    [HP: 10/10]

    [Temp HP: 328]

    [Mana: 111/111]

    [Bonus Mana: 512]

    [Role: Homunculus]

    Level seventeen. Okay. At least the level ups healed my glass. That¡¯s¡­ something.

    I turn my attention to the predator next.

    [Predator Time Limit: 32.9 hours]

    [Predator Influence: 33%]

    It went up. I guess I should have known mixing all the extra void in with my magic would do something. I slide Zyneth¡¯s knife across the floor and away from us, still worried the predator might try something¡ªand frankly surprised it hasn¡¯t already.

    It saved us¡ªagain. And then it wouldn¡¯t let me go. I should have been stronger than that. I¡¯m the more dominant mind. I shouldn¡¯t have let my panic weaken my will as much as it did. What if it had burned a few of our preciously low seconds trying to pull more of itself from my inventory? Would I have been strong enough to stop it?

    Subdued, I move all my glass and void back over to my body. The void pours beneath the clothes as I take control of the glass, and I begin propping it up like a possessed puppet. It¡¯s not until I¡¯m standing once more, checking over all my limbs and joints, that I realize the others are staring.

    Gillow takes a breath. ¡°What the shit.¡±

    ¡°Did you get enough null arcana?¡± I ask, too weary to get into it with them right now.

    ¡°You destroyed them,¡± Gillow says, clasping their hands behind their head. ¡°You just murdered them all. Where¡¯s that been this whole time? Why¡¯d you even have to go out there to gather the null arcana? Your range is huge!¡±

    ¡°Was,¡± I say. Now that the predator isn¡¯t running things, the range of my void is back to just a dozen feet or so to any side. But Gillow doesn¡¯t need to know that. ¡°I¡¯m going to go rest in my cot. You two have everything from here?¡±

    ¡°Now, hold up,¡± Gillow says. ¡°You just did some things that deserve an explanation. You have to¡ªhey, wait!¡±

    I¡¯m already leaving. I don¡¯t have the bandwidth for this conversation. I need space. I need to gather myself¡ªbefore I fall apart.

    ¡°Kanin,¡± Zyneth says, following me out.

    This time, I do stop. ¡°Please don¡¯t ask me if I¡¯m alright.¡±

    He doesn¡¯t. Wordlessly, he holds out a hand, and I take it. It doesn¡¯t really feel like holding hands¡ªnot like when I had my real body. My fingers don¡¯t fold into the shape of his grasp or radiate any heat. They¡¯re cold and unyielding. But it¡¯s almost the familiar, comforting touch of human connection. It¡¯s almost what I need.

    Zyneth squeezes my hand. ¡°We¡¯re going to get you home. We¡¯re so close.¡±

    It should be what I want to hear, but instead it just makes me feel like my soul is being torn in half. I touch my freehand to my vial¡ªto the crack that¡¯s now healed, but I can still feel running through it. ¡°I need to lay down.¡±

    We both know I don¡¯t.

    ¡°Okay,¡± he says.

    We walk the rest of the way in silence.

 Chapter 84 - Emrox

    The shadowy forms of Emrox emerge from the dark like a ghost. Pulses of blue constantly emit from the Prismatic, Gillow hyper paranoid of running into any null currents, many of which now ribbon through the nearby waters. Illuminated by our ship¡¯s sapphire glow, the ruins of Emrox take on a phantasmal aura.

    The three of us stand and watch in silence as a pillar fades into view before passing us by. More shapes appear, all of them vaguely familiar¡ªlike Greek ruins, yet stretched and twisted in completely un-Earthly ways. The towers are taller and thinner than should be possible. Strange disk-like shapes decorate the city like shells scattered by a giant. Many structures are broken statues, with carvings still engraved in the surface, surprisingly uneroded by the water. Despite the fact that the city is demolished, it appears eerily untouched by time, as if Emrox was bombed and subsequently abandoned only a day before.

    ¡°Do you know where we¡¯re going?¡± I finally ask.

    Gillow scoffs. ¡°Of course. There¡¯s really only one place to go in this city. The question will be what you want to do when we get there.¡±

    It finally hits me: I¡¯m here. After all this time, after all the struggle, I¡¯m mere steps away from home. Familiarity. My body. It doesn¡¯t feel real.

    But Gillow¡¯s comment hits the nail on the head: What will I do once I get there? If the predator can be trusted¡ªand let¡¯s be honest, it can¡¯t¡ªthen it will help me complete and activate the spell circle that will open the gate Between. That coupled with my Location spell should be able to open a pathway back to my body¡ªand Earth. But will I need to go back out into the water to make that happen? Will Zyneth¡¯s charms last long enough for what I need to do?

    Zyneth. If everything does go to plan, we¡¯ll be saying goodbye. Can I do that? Can I just leave him behind alone with Gillow? They haven¡¯t tried to kill him yet. Maybe we were wrong about them wanting to tie up loose ends. Maybe they need him to get back to land. Maybe they¡¯re not as selfish as Zyneth had assumed.

    Can I count on all those maybes?

    ¡°There it is,¡± Gillow says, and Zyneth and I lean forward.

    I can see why they¡¯d said this city only has one destination.

    An enormous amphitheater melts into view beneath us, at least twice the size of Earth¡¯s Colosseum. Rather than seats, its walls are made of countless pillars and broken platforms. But it¡¯s the ground at the center of the arena that my gaze is drawn toward: a massive, broken spell circle takes up the whole width of the structure. I¡¯ve seen it before in the Library of Miasmere. In my notes. In the predator¡¯s memories.

    The entire arena is also filled with null magic.

    Gillow turns on the Prismatic¡¯s spotlights. The magic is so dense that I can make it out glimmering in the water even without Gillow¡¯s blue pulses. There¡¯s no way the Prismatic can get down there. Hell, even as a glass vial I don¡¯t know if I¡¯d be able to squeeze by.

    ¡°That is certainly an issue,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you have a way to get down there?¡± he asks Gillow.

    ¡°Are you insane? I¡¯m already way closer to these null currents than I¡¯m comfortable with.¡±

    Zyneth looks at me questioningly.

    I shake my head. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect this. Let me think. Gillow, can you take us around the arena? I want to make sure I¡¯m not missing anything.¡±

    Gillow shrugs. ¡°Not sure what you think you¡¯ll find, but I¡¯m perfectly happy to keep circling up here.¡±

    But it¡¯s not so much the angle I need as the area.

    Echo, I¡¯m going to cast Inspect as a spell, I say. Thirty-foot range to start. Notify me if any spell circuits are detected, excluding the ones in this ship. If there aren¡¯t any, expand the range.

    [Affirmative,] Echo says. [Casting Inspect.]

    A pulse of my magic emanates from my soul, quickly vanishing beyond the hull of the Prismatic.

    [Spell circuit identified,] she says almost immediately.

    Blue lines of magic appear in my field of view, in the waters directly outside of us. I give them a Check.

    [Dormant spell circuits designed for the control and tempering of the surrounding water,] Echo says. [This spell has not been active in over 518,430 days.]

    And yet the skeleton of the spell still remains. Could I activate it? I ask.

    [Negative,] Echo says. [Activation of such a spell requires water Attunement.]

    Keep looking for spell circuits, I say. But this time only notify me if they can be activated by null magic. Also, what¡¯s my bonus mana look like?

    [Bonus Mana: 425]

    ¡°Zyneth, could I borrow some mana?¡± I ask, pushing my range wider.

    He frowns. ¡°How much do you need?¡±

    ¡°Not sure,¡± I admit. ¡°At least while we do a lap of this place.¡±

    ¡°Alright.¡± Zyneth raises a hand over my chest. Yellow light glows in his palm and bathes my core. ¡°I¡¯ll let you know when I¡¯m getting low.¡±Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

    Of course, I could track that with Echo myself, but the less Gillow knows about my unique circumstances, the better. I just hope between Zyneth and I we have enough mana to find what I¡¯m looking for¡ªnot to mention, enough leftover mana to be able to activate the spell circles.

    [Null spell circuit identified,] Echo says after a minute of searching. [Dormant spell circle designed for structural support integrity via gravitational manipulation.]

    Gravity manipulation? Null magic sure has a lot of interesting applications I¡¯ve never thought to look into before. Interesting. But not what will help me right now. Keep searching.

    The minutes stretch. Echo finds another two spell circuits designed around null arcana, but they¡¯re still not what I need.

    ¡°Kanin,¡± Zyneth warns.

    ¡°I know, I know.¡± If we don¡¯t find it soon, then we¡¯ll have to wait for our mana to recover and try again tomorrow. Assuming Gillow is willing to wait around that long. But I can¡¯t give up now. I¡¯m here! I¡¯m in Emrox. I can see the spell circle I need to get to just a hundred yards beneath me. I can¡¯t have come all this way just to fail at the last step.

    [Spell circuit identified,] Echo says. [Dormant spell circle designed to summon a stable bubble of air at the designated target location.]

    I push Echo for more details with my Inspect and confirm what I¡¯d hoped.

    ¡°Found it,¡± I say, pointing out the window toward a pillar beneath us in the coliseum. I can see the lines of magic tracing to where their spell circle is located, even if no one else can. I¡¯ll just need to guide them close enough for me to activate it. I wave off Zyneth and deactivate Identify to save both our mana. ¡°That¡¯s it. Get us there.¡±

    Gillow takes us down, hovering over the large plate-like disc that¡¯s mounted to the top of the pillar I need to reach. There¡¯s two dozen other pillars wrapping around the coliseum, each platform lower than the last, like a giant spiral staircase.

    ¡°This is as close as she goes,¡± they say. ¡°Those null currents are too dense once you get into the stadium.¡±

    Hopefully not for long. ¡°This will be close enough, I think.¡±

    The spell circle is on top of the flat surface, luckily for me. I think I can reach it with my glass and void without having to risk another dive into the water with my core. Of course, I can definitely reach it with the predator¡¯s help, but that¡¯s something I¡¯m trying to avoid. I¡¯ll need to soon enough, but I don¡¯t want to give it any more opportunities for it to potentially take advantage of than I have to.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Gillow asks as I start to leave the room. ¡°What¡¯s your plan?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to create an air pocket at the bottom of the coliseum,¡± I say. ¡°There¡¯s a spell circle here designed to do just that. All I have to do is activate it.¡±

    Gillow frowns. ¡°What will that achieve?¡±

    ¡°The spell that creates the air pocket is designed to swap what¡¯s in one volume for another¡ªit should clean the area out of water and null arcana, both. As long as I can get in there, I¡¯ll be safe.¡±

    Gillow appears anything but convinced, but they shrug anyway. ¡°Whatever. It¡¯s your life, I guess. I got my payment.¡±

    Zyneth, however, is predictably less indifferent. ¡°These spell circles are ancient. How do you know they won¡¯t misfire when activated?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll be fine,¡± I say, hoping that¡¯s not a lie. ¡°The predator remembers what the circle is supposed to look like.¡± And if anything does happen, I¡¯ve got a guardian monster watching over my shoulder that should keep me from getting too dead. ¡°At any rate, I can activate it remotely, so my core should be safe. Let¡¯s just drain the volume first and then take it from there, okay?¡±

    Zyneth exhales through his nose. ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s get this over with.¡±

    Gillow stays at the controls as Zyneth and I head down to the cargo bay. Looking out one of the glowing, orange windows, the surrounding waters are still and dark. I can see the platform just under us, however.

    ¡°Alright.¡± I summon all my signing glass and a small portion of my void out from under my coat, then push them out the window, feeling instantaneous resistance as they pass into the water. As much as it¡¯s unnerving to have that Predator Influence stat hanging over me, it¡¯s useful that I have enough void to keep my body upright and walking even without the portion I sent outside the ship. To say keeping my body and core inside the ship is far preferable is an extreme understatement.

    Even so, I have to turn on sight in some of my signing glass to be able to tell where I¡¯m sending my Attunements as they drift down the side of the ship. My vision splits disorientingly: I¡¯m inside the Prismatic, looking at the window, and I¡¯m also in the water, watching the top of the pedestal float steadily closer. I shape my signing glass into hands, and touch lightly down on the stone surface.

    I re-activate Identify, briefly, just long enough for the spell circuits to flash into existence. There.

    I extinguish the spell once more as I line my hands up over the circle. Void coils around them like a layer of gloves, then seeps out into the stone surface, tracing the lines of the circle inscribed there. I activate the spell.

    Black lines light up across the pillar¡¯s surface, then skitter down the column and out of sight.

    Silence.

    It stretches for a long, unending moment. Then a rumble vibrates through the craft, so low and distant that it¡¯s more sensation than sound. I feel Zyneth tense up beside me. I cross the cargo bay and look out the other window. Still nothing I can make out from this angle. I lift my hands from the spell circle and send them to look over the edge of the platform, as far as I can manage with my limited range. Beneath us, something is happening.

    The water outside the Prismatic begins to swirl. Silt is stirred up and pulled away as a strong current sweeps through the area. I hastily recall my void and glass before they¡¯re swept away too, bringing them back into the ship. Spell circuits light up in the bay above us as Gillow¡¯s voice is projected into our room.

    ¡°What the fuck did you guys do back there? What¡¯s happening?¡±

    ¡°Kanin?¡± Zyneth asks, an edge in his voice.

    ¡°I told you, I just activated the spell!¡± I say. ¡°Should I stop it?¡±

    ¡°I think that would be wise.¡±

    But the water is moving too fast for me now. I can¡¯t send anything out there without it getting swept away. ¡°Uh, any other suggestions?¡±

    Zyneth pinches the bridge of his nose. ¡°What was that spell supposed to do?¡±

    ¡°Echo just said it creates an air bubble at the target location,¡± I say, trying to remember the exact wording.

    ¡°What target location?¡± Zyneth says, grabbing onto a railing on the wall as the ship begins to pitch. I lunge for a handhold as well. ¡°What made you think it was going to drain the water down at the base of the coliseum?¡±

    Oh. Fair point. ¡°Uhhhh¡­ gravity?¡±

    ¡°Shit!¡± Gillow says. ¡°Hold on!¡±

    The ship is fighting a vortex now, rotating in a slow circle against a much more rapid whirl of water. A sharp bang jolts the ship as the Prismatic scrapes against the platform. And then the color at the top of the window shifts, like a line has been drawn across it. The line starts moving down, and that¡¯s when it finally clicks: the water isn¡¯t being drained from the base of the coliseum, it¡¯s being drained away from our little platform. Flushed out like a giant toilet.

    The Prismatic lands heavily on the stone pillar, then rolls across its round underbelly and pitches to the side. I yelp as the bar I¡¯m holding pivots from being on the wall to the ceiling, and the sudden lurch cracks one of my arms completely off. I jolt down¡ªand the void reaches up, wrapping around my arm and handhold, keeping me from falling to my doom.

    Meanwhile, everything else is equally going to shit.

    The giant cubes I¡¯d filled with null arcana roll with the motion of the ship, and two of them tumble right through the windows. Zyneth manages to perform a stunt that would make Indiana Jones proud, and leaps over one of the rolling cubes and out of the way of the second before they can sweep him outside.

    The ship groans, finally settling to a tenuous stop, and for a moment, all is still.

 Chapter 85 - Not Great

    ¡°Kanin!¡± Zyneth calls.

    ¡°I¡¯m alright!¡± The void stretches as it lowers me to the ground. Once I step back to the unsteady floor, I let go of the handhold and retract my severed glass arm. ¡°Well, mostly okay.¡±

    ¡°Everyone alive?¡± Gillow¡¯s voice echoes through the loudspeaker.

    Zyneth grimaces as he catches sight of my broken arm. ¡°Yes, fortunately.¡±

    ¡°Good,¡± Gillow says. ¡°Because I¡¯m going to fucking murder you both for what you just did to my ship. It¡¯s not designed to be out of water! You need to reverse this right now!¡±

    Whoops. I step to the window. Nothing¡¯s moving outside. Then, hesitantly, I step out. My boots scuff over the surface of the pillar, now dotted with rippling puddles.

    ¡°Gods¡¯ grace,¡± Zyneth breathes, stepping out beside me. ¡°I¡¯ve visited many Ruins, but I¡¯ve never seen anything like this.¡±

    The roar of running water is all around us as I turn in a slow circle to take in our new surroundings. We¡¯re still on the pillar, but we¡¯re now in a large pocket of air, the water pushed back to form a giant bubble around us. Waves that defy the laws of physics swell and splash back down against the surface of the inverted ocean, held back by an unseen force, now dozens of feet away.

    ¡°Well,¡± I say. ¡°Technically, it did create a bubble of air, like I said it would.¡±

    Zyneth cautiously approaches the edge of the platform and looks down. ¡°Don¡¯t let Gillow hear you say that.¡± Instead of joining him at the edge, I float some of my glass over to look down for me. Sure enough, the bubble of air wraps beneath us too, bisecting the column about halfway down. Beneath that is the ocean. So much for clearing a spot around the spell circle down there.

    ¡°This is terrible!¡± Gillow cries, stumbling out of the Prismatic. Their hands are clasped around their head as they back up, eyes on their ship. ¡°What have you done to her!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just a little air,¡± I say. ¡°You said she can withstand monster attacks¡ªthis shouldn¡¯t be worse than that, right?¡±

    The murderous glare they shoot me says otherwise.

    ¡°She runs on water magic, you idiot,¡± they snap. ¡°Water arcanum to increase her speed. Water arcanum to track and steer her heading. Water arcanum to keep her from being crushed by the depths¡ªor sea monsters. And that was all mostly powered by water I had Attuned¡ªwhich has now been swept away, gods know where, thanks to your little spell.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± I stand there awkwardly. ¡°That all sounds pretty bad.¡±

    ¡°Pretty bad. Pretty bad?¡± Despite their blue skin, I swear their face is turning red. ¡°You¡¯ve marooned us! Without those spells to protect her, the Prismatic is beached. She¡¯ll be crushed like tin once this water collapses back in¡ªand we¡¯ll be crushed with her.¡±

    ¡°Can we get it back?¡± I ask. ¡°Your Attuned water.¡±

    In response, Gillow grasps the empty air in front of them, seeming to throttle some invisible foe.

    ¡°You know,¡± I sign to Zyneth. ¡°I don¡¯t think they plan to kill us. If they had, it would have been just now.¡±

    ¡°And stop doing that!¡± Gillow cries, pointing accusingly at my signing glass. ¡°Don¡¯t think I haven¡¯t seen that! You keep saying things behind my back, I just know it!¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s all calm down,¡± Zyneth cuts in before I can make a quip about the likelihood of Gillow experiencing a mental breakdown. ¡°I still intend to leave here alive, and I suspect I¡¯ll need both your help to do so. Now is the time to gather ourselves. Take stock of our circumstances. What do we have to work with?¡±

    Despite my bravado, I¡¯m glad Zyneth¡¯s here to ground us. I don¡¯t know why I feel the need to needle Gillow¡ªmaybe it¡¯s just so they won¡¯t realize how scared I am that I really fucked things up here. Even if I¡¯m able to end this encounter by escaping back to Earth, I can¡¯t leave Zyneth stranded to die under the ocean. Even worse, knowing my actions put him there.

    But he¡¯s right. We need to focus. Figure out a solution. I try to keep calm and focus on just that.

    ¡°The spell circle is under the ship,¡± I say, scuffing my boot over the ground. ¡°Even if we get the water spells back, I won¡¯t be able to reach it unless we move the Prismatic.¡±

    ¡°And we likely can¡¯t move the ship without water to lift it.¡± Zyneth rubs his chin with a frown. I know that look: We¡¯re in trouble.

    ¡°What else do we have?¡± I ask. ¡°The arcana containers?¡±

    Zyneth tips his head to gesture behind us. ¡°Two fell over the side. Likely somewhere in the ocean beneath us, but I can¡¯t make them out.¡±

    Damn. ¡°Gillow,¡± I start, then pause when I see where they¡¯ve gone. They¡¯re grumpily seated at the edge of the platform, cross legged like some kind of yoga pose. ¡°Er. What are you doing?¡±

    ¡°Searching for my arcana,¡± they snap. ¡°I should be able to pull out anything that moves within my range. Luckily this bubble is just barely small enough that I can reach a bit into the water. And given some time, I might be able to Attune some new water to make up for whatever I can¡¯t retrieve. No promises though.¡± They bare their teeth at me. ¡°You better work on figuring out a solution to all this in the meantime.¡±

    Fair enough.

    Zyneth gestures me away, and we circle around the other end of the ship. We don¡¯t have to go far to be out of earshot of Gillow, with the water roaring around us.

    ¡°We need to work on communicating your plans before you execute them,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°And when I say we, I mean you.¡±The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°To be fair, I did tell you this plan in advance.¡± I glance over the edge of the platform with my signing glass. ¡°It just, er, didn¡¯t do what I expected it to.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know why you would have assumed a spell circle on this platform would have caused the spell to be cast down there, anyway,¡± Zyneth says.

    Now that he puts it like that, it does seem a bit obvious.

    ¡°So,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°Do you have any other ideas you¡¯re not telling me?¡±

    ¡°I have tons of ideas,¡± I say. ¡°Plans is another story.¡±

    ¡°Such as?¡±

    ¡°I could levitate myself down there,¡± I say, gesturing below us. ¡°And then with the help of one of your charms, and, er, the predator, I could navigate the waters without being crushed or chopped in half. From there I could search for more dormant spell circles. Find something that would drain the area on the arena floor. Or, I could activate the trans-dimensional spell circle without draining the area, if I¡¯m quick enough.¡±

    Zyneth looks at me flatly. ¡°And what happens if you get teleported away again and the charm runs out before you have a chance to get back? What do Gillow and I do up here while you¡¯re down in the water? How do we get out of here even if you¡¯re able to find a way home?¡±

    ¡°You asked for my ideas, not my plans,¡± I say. ¡°I told you they were half-baked.¡±

    Zyneth sighs, looking over the edge as well. ¡°This isn¡¯t good. We need to start turning some of these ideas into actions as soon as we¡¯re able. This spell won¡¯t last forever, but even before it runs out there¡¯s the null currents and sea serpents to worry about.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll figure something out,¡± I say.

    ¡°How?¡± Zyneth repeats, this time an edge in his voice. I lean back, surprised. ¡°This is serious!¡±

    He¡¯s more bothered by all this than he¡¯s been letting on.

    ¡°I know. Hey.¡± I take his hands and give them a squeeze. ¡°I¡¯m going to fix this. No one¡¯s going to die here.¡± Well, I wouldn¡¯t shed any tears over Gillow, but I¡¯m not about to ruin my hero speech with that qualifier.

    His frown softens. ¡°Are you just saying that to sound brave, or have you actually thought of anything new?¡±

    ¡°Both,¡± I admit, and he chuckles softly. But he¡¯s not going to like it, and to be frank, neither do I.

    Alright, beasty, I say, and the predator perks up. You¡¯ve skipped paying rent long enough. Time for you to start earning your keep.

    The predator catches a glimpse of my thoughts and surges eagerly forward, reaching for control.

    Not so fast, I say, pulling back. I double-check the Predator Influence stat: still at 33%. I¡¯m the more powerful mind here, I have to remind myself. I¡¯m in control. We¡¯ll be doing this together, but you¡¯ll be working for me. Like in Yedzaquib¡¯s library.

    Except, you know, for the whole part where I slipped up and the predator was able to pull more of itself from Between. It is mortally crucial that doesn¡¯t happen again.

    The predator only puts up a token resistance, which is fairly concerning. It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll just remain more vigilant this time.

    If you know you¡¯re stepping into a viper¡¯s den, does that make you more prepared? Or does it just make you a fool?

    ¡°Alright,¡± I say, tamping down my nerves. I let go of Zyneth and step back. ¡°Let¡¯s get to work.¡±

    Zyneth frowns as he watches me. I¡¯m sure he knows what I¡¯m planning¡ªsomehow, he always manages to read me like an open book. But he doesn¡¯t object; his look says enough, and I try to not let it cut me as I focus on summoning the void.

    I only have to nudge the predator for it to fall into line, allowing me access to its control over the magic. The void spirals out from our coat, spilling into every nook of our glass, bracing our joints and strengthening our body. It¡¯s amazing how much more powerful we feel like this, both types of arcana joining together to become something greater than the individual magics. And yet, we can sense we¡¯ve barely tapped into the potential of either.

    We can dwell on that later. First, the ship. We move to the side of the Prismatic.

    ¡°Don¡¯t forget communication,¡± Zyneth finally says. ¡°No more unexplained plans.¡±

    We haven¡¯t forgotten. Although talking in this form is slightly more difficult. Like the translator is struggling to interpret our merged thoughts¡ªor maybe our thoughts have moved somewhat beyond words.

    Still, we can force them out, if we focus. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We were only planning to destroy the ship.¡±

    His mouth twitches with the hint of a smile. ¡°Oh, well, so long as that¡¯s communicated first.¡±

    Amusement ripples through us, and Zyneth¡¯s tense stance relaxes a fraction. Good. We don¡¯t want to worry him.

    Dropping to the ground, we place our hands on the stone, running the void out beneath our fingers and squeezing beneath the tiny gaps under the hull. The sensation becomes like a second sight, mentally mapping out grooves cut into the stone. After a moment, we come across something familiar.

    ¡°There,¡± we say. ¡°The spell circle. We can reach it.¡±

    ¡°Good,¡± Zyneth breathes. ¡°Now we¡¯ll just need to make sure Gillow has their Attuned water back and their ship¡¯s spells reactivated¡ªthen we¡¯ll have a way out, at least.¡±

    We stand, withdrawing our void¡ªor, most of it. We leave a pool sitting on the surface of the spell circle, ready to reactivate it when needed. While we¡¯re in contact with the circle, we are also learning more things about it. Ways it can be tuned. Part of our mind splits off to ruminate on this while the rest of us focuses on what we need to do next.

    Killing the nereid would make things easier. They¡¯re going to fight us when they learn our plan. Best to eliminate the obstacle now¡ª

    No! No killing. We¡¯ve been over this.

    We know not to kill Zyneth. He is valuable to us. Besides, we are also valuable to him, so he poses no threat.

    No killing anyone. Jesus. It¡¯s not that hard.

    It will be more difficult this way.

    That¡¯s fine. If it gets us all down to the circle alive, nothing else matters.

    We send more of our void into the ship as we turn to Zyneth. ¡°We are going now.¡±

    His face is somber. ¡°I thought as much. And you need me to charm you so your vial won¡¯t break in the water?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    His expression becomes pained. ¡°I want to talk to you before you go. Just you, Kanin. As you normally are.¡±

    We tip our head. ¡°We are not leaving yet. You are coming with us.¡±

    He raises an eyebrow. ¡°What do you mean? Where?¡±

    Ah, there. We¡¯ve found what we¡¯re looking for.

    ¡°The spell circle,¡± we say, pointing to the ocean floor. ¡°In the Prismatic. You should get back inside. Gillow too, we guess.¡±

    ¡°You know, we just talked about communication,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°If you¡¯ve got a plan¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± We pull our prize from the ship. ¡°You charm us for strength. We Identify and activate other spell circles, then move the ship to the basin when the way is clear.¡±

    ¡°With me in it?¡± Zyneth seems skeptical. ¡°How are you going to manage that?¡±

    We hold up the arcanum crystal, which we pried from the ship¡¯s control room. Even without tapping into the magic, it feels alive, buzzing in our void.

    Zyneth¡¯s eyes widen. ¡°Be careful with that. Do you even know what you¡¯re doing? The amount of arcanum in there¡ªit¡¯s meant to power spells, not living things.¡±

    ¡°We are not alive.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t say that,¡± Zyneth snaps. ¡°Kanin wouldn¡¯t say that.¡±

    We would. This existence, this body, is not life. But that¡¯s why we¡¯re still fighting for the chance to change things. A chance to live again.

    And the solution is right beneath our feet.

    ¡°Hey!¡± Gillow¡¯s faint voice echoes from the other side of the Prismatic. ¡°What did you do to my ship?¡±

    We bare our core to Zyneth. ¡°The charm. Please.¡±

    Zyneth glances toward the ship, then swears. He whips out our spell scroll and smooths it out on the ground. ¡°Alright. Quickly, now!¡± The lines of his spell are already glowing as he funnels mana into the circle.

    We place our core on the page, but keep our body nearby as the magic takes hold.

    ¡°Get on the ship,¡± we tell him one last time, then send our body to wait in the cargo hold.

    ¡°Be careful,¡± Zyneth says, but without our signing glass or translator we can no longer reply. Instead, we wrap the void around our core, tighten our hold on the arcana crystal, and leap into the ocean.

 Chapter 86 â€“ Tipping Point

    Here¡¯s where the predator¡¯s abilities become crucial.

    The ocean tears at us and streams of null magic slice through our void, but we shield our core from the angry buffeting as we plunge into the depths.

    We shield the arcana crystal, too. We¡¯ve taken that with us, in case Gillow tries to do anything to stop us. But we¡¯ll need all the mana we can get for this next stunt.

    Activate Inspect.

    Nothing happens. Echo does not confirm our spell.

    We turn our attention inward and can feel our interface, barely out of our grasp; reaching for it feels like pushing through mud. We press harder, will our magic into existence, and a sharp pain lances through our mind, as if we¡¯re about to split back in two. We can¡¯t let that happen though; if we lose our void manipulation now, we¡¯ll be exposed to the whims of the null magic. We¡¯ll certainly die.

    Slowly, Echo fizzles into our mind, voice corrupted with static.

    [Activated¡­]

    Relief spills through us as glowing lines of magic appear on the pillars next to us. That¡¯s not enough, though. We need to see everything. We draw on the arcana crystal, just the tiniest amount, and are immediately flooded with energy. Before the power can overwhelm us, we funnel it all into the Identify spell. The world lights up with magic.

    The entire coliseum has become a circuit board of luminescent lines, all criss-crossing each other, looping around pillars, connecting the intricate web of spells that were programmed into this place centuries ago.

    (And there¡¯s a distinct, overwhelming familiarity to this place. We¡¯ve seen this before. We¡¯ve been here.)

    We trace the spell patterns around us, dissecting how they intersect and what they mean. We force Echo to explain them to us, to show us what we¡¯re looking for. It takes work. Reaching her is like digging through wet cement. But we do, and she tells us.

    (This place was different before. It wasn¡¯t empty. There were people. As indistinguishable from fish as the fish are from the sea. We hadn¡¯t even realized what they were at the time. What is one system of chemistry compared to another?)

    First, the pillars. The water races around us, null currents tearing against our void as we rush through the water. We pick up null arcana as we go, stashing the magic within us. Echo tries to document this: [Bo-s M-na: 23-2] but bits of her voice and visuals cut out. It¡¯s the void, we know. It¡¯s interfering. Neither of us understand why.

    (We could see lines of magic flowing through everything, like the pulsing arteries of an animal. They led to bubbles of air, where visitors resided; they led to the city¡¯s defenses, which kept back the untamed beasts and currents; they led to fields of kelp and ecosystems of coral; they led to the telepad, consumed by a featureless black dome of magic. The people of Emrox swam in and out of that hemisphere at will.)

    We activate the spell circle the next column over, beginning to drain the water. We understand what these structures were for, now: platforms for transportation. Where you could wait before transit. This entire stadium was for transportation.

    (It¡¯s so different, so strange experiencing this place with a new understanding of what we see. With¡­ linear thought. Distant memories¡ªno, shadows of memories¡ªtake on new meaning.)

    Before the water can fully drain away, we rocket through the turbulence, activating the spell on the next platform, and the next. Pockets of air begin to populate the stadium, overlapping and merging to form a giant bubble. We spiral down to the stadium floor this way. The null arcanum is thickest here.

    (The inhabitants stopped what they were doing as a great shadow descended over their home.)

    We wrap null arcana around us, any and all we can get our hands on. Draw upon it to concentrate the void. Back on the platform, we wrap it around the Prismatic, too, hoping Zyneth made it back on board. In both places simultaneously, around the Prismatic, and at a space just in front of us, we pull the void tight. Compressing it. Compacting the magic smaller, even smaller.

    (They were looking up. They were looking at us.)

    The water around us is draining away. We settle onto the ground as the tide recedes, and focus instead on our magic.

    (We noticed none of this. So much magic condensed in one place¡ªit was irresistible. We reached out for the energy¡ªfor the life force that sustained this place. Why wouldn¡¯t we? It¡¯s what we craved.)

    The void is now denser than matter can achieve. We funnel every ounce of null arcana we can into the act, and pull even more from both the ocean and the arcana crystal. There¡¯s a swirling ball of physical shadows in front of us, like a miniature black hole, and even still we compress it. With one last swell of magic, we overcome some invisible tipping point of spacetime, and the singularity we¡¯ve been forming turns inside out, and then¡ª

    (A black cloud eclipsed the metropolis.)

    The Prismatic slips through, from one point in our void to the next, and appears abruptly in front of us.

    There¡¯s still water around us, quickly draining away, but it¡¯s enough to cushion the ship¡¯s sudden appearance. We recall the void still left back up on the platform, the other end to our tunnel, and it comes spilling down to us in a wave of black.

    [...pell obtained!]

    As the last of the water washes away, pushed back against the now massive dome of air surrounding the stadium, the last of the null currents wash away with it. All that is left is us, the ship, and the giant spell circle under our feet.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    (Death. We hadn¡¯t understood death before.)

    Zyneth and Gillow spill out of the craft.

    ¡°What did you do? What did you do?¡± The nereid stumbles out of their ship. ¡°My crystal! Give it¡­¡± Their angry tirade comes to a stuttering stop as fear flickers over their face. ¡°Gods above. What are you?¡±

    Zyneth is looking around with apparent surprise. ¡°How did we get down here?¡±

    We can¡¯t speak¡ªnot in any sounds that would make sense to their ears¡ªso we summon our glass body from the Prismatic. Half of our void rushes to retrieve it, filling in the joints like cartilage, attaching to the limbs like black muscles on crystal bones. It walks out of the ship on its own. Gillow scrambles out of its way as it strolls to meet us. Void flows back into void, the glass returning to our structure, as we become whole. The rest of the void¡ªthe null arcana we¡¯d borrowed from the surrounding waters in order to achieve our spell¡ªhangs about us like a dark cloak.

    We turn to Zyneth now that we have our translator back. ¡°Void.¡±

    He eyes us warily, but stands his ground even as Gillow draws a defensive blade. We ignore them.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Zyneth asks. ¡°How did you move us down here?¡±

    We¡¯d done it once before, when the tempo squid teleported us away. In fact, it was that creature who showed us how the void could be used. Not to mention all the times before that we experienced null magic with the telepads. It¡¯s spatial magic, after all.

    We struggle to put this into words. ¡°We connected two points within our void.¡±

    And it doesn¡¯t just have to be within our void. With a spell circle, it could reach much further. Between worlds. Into extra dimensions.

    Our mind spins with these thoughts. There¡¯s layers to them, other meanings, like stacks upon stacks of transparencies, each with their words, and we¡¯re trying to understand which sheet the print is on. It¡¯s dizzying. We need a break from this.

    Just for a moment.

    As we stop pulling from the arcana crystal, as we separate our mind once again, the range of our void collapses back into its original painfully small radius. The Identify spell flickers out.

    [Mana depleted,] Echo says, her voice finally clear.

    Without the predator¡¯s strength, weariness hits me all at once. I at least have enough awareness to catch my core, no longer attached to my body, as the void puddles to the ground around me. Without it there to help hold me up, I stumble, then sink to my knees, mentally exhausted.

    Zyneth rushes over, dropping down in front of me. ¡°Are you okay?¡±

    I shake my head. My mind is buzzing¡ªfrom all that magic or the predator¡¯s thoughts, I¡¯m not sure. ¡°It¡¯s been here before. I¡ªI think it did something to them. I think it hurt people.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Zyneth holds out his hands. ¡°What are you talking about?¡±

    I place my core in his grasp, too tired to get it strung back up on my own. I¡¯d probably drop it. ¡°The predator. This place. I think¡­ I think it was here before Emrox was a Ruin.¡±

    Zyneth gingerly clasps my core back on my chain, where it bumps lightly against my chest. It¡¯s not inside a pouch any longer, but I can¡¯t be bothered to find one, and the double vision doesn¡¯t bother me as much now anyways.

    ¡°What are you saying?¡± Zyneth says, lowering his voice. ¡°You think it¡¯s what caused Emrox to become a Ruin?¡±

    I put a hand to my core, like I could massage away the headache that¡¯s forming. ¡°Maybe. I don¡¯t know. Those memories¡ªI think they were memories¡ªthey weren¡¯t from the predator, exactly. They were from something¡­¡± I can¡¯t even describe it. It wasn¡¯t even seeing, in a way that I would consider sight. It wasn¡¯t hearing, in a way I would consider sound. The way it interacted with reality was beyond anything I can experience. ¡°...The memories were from something much more vast.¡±

    Zyneth is quiet for a long moment. ¡°I¡¯m no mage, Kanin, but all of this¡­ it seems beyond me. That thing in your magic¡ªwe¡¯re out of our depths.¡±

    My soul sinks. It isn¡¯t what I want to hear, but I think I¡¯ve always known. ¡°I know.¡±

    ¡°We can still turn around,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°You don¡¯t have to go through with this. Gillow attuned enough water that they think they can get the Prismatic running again. Let¡¯s leave this spell circle behind and head back to civilization. See Noli and Rezira again. Please, Kanin. Come back with me.¡±

    My soul feels like it¡¯s being squeezed in a vice. ¡°But what about the predator? It¡¯s why we came here in the first place. Open a portal Between¡ªtrap it there between your world and mine.¡±

    Zyneth gives me a critical look. ¡°We came here because you wanted your body back. That was the goal, even before the predator became an issue. But there¡¯s bound to be other ways to restrain that creature. We haven¡¯t even begun to look.¡±

    ¡°We can¡¯t go back to the Athenaeum,¡± I say.

    ¡°It¡¯s not the only library in the world.¡± Zyneth takes my hand. ¡°Let¡¯s leave this cursed place behind and search for an answer. You can figure it out another way. We can figure it out another way.¡±

    The predator is listening to all this, tense with anticipation. It¡¯s waiting for me to decide. It doesn¡¯t want me to leave¡ªwhich makes me think leaving must be the right answer.

    But I¡¯m so close. I¡¯m so close to the only way I know to get home. To retrieving my body. Can I give that all up, right when I¡¯m on the threshold?

    Zyneth watches me, pain etched over his features, waiting for me to respond. I feel like I¡¯m being torn in two. If I do this, if I activate the portal, then I¡¯d be giving him up, too.

    I steel myself. In my heart of hearts¡ªor, I guess, glass of glass¡ªI know what I should do.

    There¡¯s a blur of motion from Gillow. I react. My void shoves Zyneth out of the way, but the spear of water still clips his shoulder. Their attack deflects off Zyneth¡¯s arm and stabs instead into me¡ªinto my core.

    Pain explodes through me. My mind is sent reeling, dizzy, stunned by the numbing agony which leeches away into a distant chill.

    [15 points of Piercing Damage sustained. HP: 4/10]

    The predator¡¯s anger erupts through me, and I¡¯m too disoriented to temper it. What just¡­

    Its outrage swells like rising a tide. I try to push through my disorientation, but it¡¯s like swimming through mud. The wave crashes over my head, and I drown in it.

    We leap at Gillow, seething at their arrogance.

    (A piece of glass shifts with the violent motion. A distant voice says, [HP: 3/10].)

    How dare they try to hurt Zyneth. How dare they hurt our anchor! Gillow braces themself, terror and defiance clear on their face as a whip of water circles them at the ready. It¡¯s not their magic we are concerned with, however. Their soul glows bright in their chest. Yes, it is past time we devoured another. We¡¯ve been holding back. Our anchor didn¡¯t want us feasting¡ªand he held up his end of the bargain¡ªbut we cannot sit idly by as this prey breaks our only foothold in reality.

    Our void clashes with their water, which turns to ice on contact. The shock ripples through us with a sting of something unfamiliar¡ªpain.

    [HP: 2/10]

    ¡°Don¡¯t!¡± Zyneth cries from behind us.

    We ignore him, wrenching our void from Gillow¡¯s ice as we stab at them again. Spears of black come at them from several directions at once. They raise a wave of ice, chips of it shattering off from the impact of our attack. Before we can withdraw, it turns just as abruptly back into water and collapses on us.

    [HP: 1/10]

    ¡°Stop!¡± Zyneth cries, dashing after us. ¡°You¡¯re falling apart!¡±

    We struggle to escape from the water, but it¡¯s nearly as intangible as our void, slipping through our attacks¡ªstabbing for our core. And finally we understand what that pain means¡ªwhat Zyneth was saying. Our anchor is about to shatter.

    We try to cluster our glass around it, but our control of the strange material is clumsy, imprecise¡ªwe need our other half to help with this, but it¡¯s no longer fighting us or Gillow. It¡¯s tired¡ªdrifting¡ªfading.

    We stumble back from the icy attack, clutching our shattered anchor as an unfamiliar emotion fills us: Fear.

    Our soul. We¡¯re going to lose our soul.

 Chapter 87 - Our Soul

    A hand grabs our shoulder and jerks us back as warmth floods through us. Zyneth steps around as we fall to the ground¡ªour void swarms to catch us¡ªa hand pressed to our chest even as he extends another toward Gillow, lightning flashing from his fingers. It flashes through us, too, stinging our void, bits of the essence hissing into black fog at the contact, but our glass is unharmed.

    There¡¯s a glowing scrap of paper between his hand and our core. We grab his arm, ready to sink our claws into his flesh, ready to tear the limb off for daring to lay a finger on our anchor¡ªbut the pain is abating. He¡¯s not attacking us, he¡¯s reinforcing.

    Gillow cries out as the electricity jolts through their water and back into them. They stumble away, their ice crashing to the ground like shattered pottery. They clutch at one of their arms, which now hangs limply after the attack.

    ¡°You idiot,¡± they snarl, backing away. ¡°You¡¯re protecting it?¡±

    Still keeping a hand on me, Zyneth raises his knife, lightning sparking to life across its surface, writhing like a nest of angry snakes. ¡°That¡¯s rich, coming from the person who just tried to kill me.¡±

    ¡°You¡ªit¡ªit doesn¡¯t matter,¡± Gillow hisses, taking another step back. ¡°That thing isn¡¯t natural. It should be left down here at the bottom of the ocean¡ªand you along with it, if you think it¡¯s your friend.¡±

    ¡°His name is Kanin,¡± Zyneth snaps.

    Gillow barks out a pained laugh. ¡°You sure? I don¡¯t think he¡¯s home right now. Look at it. It¡¯s not even talking.¡±

    Zyneth¡¯s gaze darts back at us for a moment. Our grip on his arm tightens¡ªa warm wetness forms beneath our claws in response. We need to be careful with our anchor, but if he tries anything, we should be able to eviscerate him in seconds.

    ¡°No thanks to you,¡± Zyneth says, turning back to Gillow. ¡°You nearly killed him.¡±

    ¡°Self-preservation,¡± Gillow says, retreating toward their ship. ¡°If I¡¯d known he had this monster in him before we set out on this trip, I would have killed him back in my shop.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s not a monster,¡± Zyneth says.

    ¡°No?¡± Gillow scoffs as their shoulder bumps into the side of their vessel. ¡°You¡¯ve always been soft, Zyneth, but you were never stupid. It¡¯s about to tear your arm off.¡±

    Ah, yes. Blood. That¡¯s what that sensation is. We¡¯d nearly forgotten. These creatures are so strange¡ªso fragile. Yet, he¡¯s not retaliating. Part of us trusts him; we don¡¯t understand why, but it does. We extract our claws from his flesh, and he winces, but doesn¡¯t pull his hand away. Commendable. Strange.

    ¡°I¡¯m not a fool,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°I know the risks. But that is why I must remain beside him. He asked me once to do what needed to be done, should the situation require. I will honor his wish if that day ever arrives. But it is not, I think, today.¡±

    Weariness and distant pain courses through us as a portion of our consciousness fades back into awareness. We¡¯re not dead. Somehow, we¡¯re still alive.

    Our minds spill over into one another, confusion mixing with context. Regret stings us. Zyneth¡¯s arm¡ªwe didn¡¯t mean to do that. He saved us¡ªagain. But we also saved him, didn¡¯t we?

    Anger burns in us at the memory. Gillow tried to kill him! And they very nearly killed us.

    ¡°Zyneth,¡± we say, pushing through the mind static. Gently, we remove his hand from our core as we rise to our feet. The glass of our core is still broken, but it¡¯s no longer breaking, reinforced by his magic. Ah, it¡¯s so much easier to move now with all of us in sync. All of us working with one shared objective: Destroy Gillow.

    Zyneth looks at us with a mix of tired emotions¡ªworry, relief, fondness¡ªas we touch his arm. ¡°Your arm. Sorry.¡± But a troubled look returns when we speak next. ¡°We are alright now.¡±

    ¡°You nearly got Kanin killed,¡± Zyneth says, which is strange. We are Kanin. But we are not. He is speaking to us, but only some of us. It¡¯s troubling to try to understand. ¡°You can¡¯t do that. He¡¯s mortal, and from what I understand of you, that makes you mortal, too. If you lose him, you¡¯ll lose everything.¡±

    Not everything. But losing our soul, losing reality, that¡¯s more than we¡¯re willing to give up. Perhaps he¡¯s right. Sometimes, it is difficult to remember we are so susceptible like this.

    Conflicted, then alarmed. Hey, we don¡¯t want to die, either!

    Behind Zyneth, something is happening. Gillow reaches a hand behind them as they slowly step back. The ship creaks as it shifts. Zyneth whips around, stabbing his blade in Gillow¡¯s direction and firing off another bolt of lightning. They duck away and as the electricity arcs into their ship. One of the tentacles lifts into the air.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!

    Inspect.

    Nothing happens. We push harder. Inspect, Inspect, Inspect!

    [...activated.]

    Lines of magic spring into view. Radiating from where Gillow is touching the ship, arcana circuits are lighting up, activating spells in the ship too quickly for us to follow. They don¡¯t have the arcana crystal, but they¡¯re using their own magic. We guess they got their hands on enough attuned water to reactivate the ship. Metal screeches as one of the mechanical tentacles laboriously reaches for us.

    Time to move.

    We leap away, Zyneth only a heartbeat behind us, as the limb crashes down onto the stone, spraying us with chips of rock. No! We still need the spell circle inscribed here. We can¡¯t let it destroy the pattern.

    ¡°The tentacles. Break them,¡± we say. If we can slip our void between the seams, we should be able to rip them apart. We elongate the void around our hands into needle-sharp claws.

    ¡°We can¡¯t,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°We need The Prismatic to get home, or we¡¯ll be stranded here!¡±

    We hesitate as another tentacle rears up to attack us. Outside the water, it¡¯s slow, but its weight can cause enough damage as is¡ªboth to us and the spell circle. What do we do? We can¡¯t let the circle be destroyed, but we also can¡¯t destroy it. ¡°Gillow.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll stop them,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°You can keep the ship busy?¡±

    Amusement. ¡°Yes.¡±

    The tentacle looms overhead, and this time instead of running, we reach up even as it falls toward us. Reshaping our magic from claws into a Void Whip, we snap the magic out, wrapping around the limb as all its weight slams down on us. We stagger beneath the force. Our void compresses as the limb presses down on us. We push back, and metal on metal grinds through the limb. It stops feet above our head.

    Satisfaction crackles through us. There. No destroying anything.

    And then the limb lifts back up, pulling us with it. Oh. We should have dispersed the Void Whip. A miscalculation.

    The limb snaps us through the air, and we can only hang on as our surroundings become a blur of color. If we let go now, we could be thrown in any direction, and it¡¯s unlikely our glass would survive the fall.

    We hope it doesn¡¯t smash us into the ground.

    That would probably be the smart thing to do.

    Deciding a change of tactics would be wise, we reel ourself in, latching onto the tentacle as we funnel as much void around us as possible, forming a protective bubble. If we can finish the shell in time, it should be able to cushion the blow. Probably. We hope.

    There¡¯s shouting below, but even when we use our void as our eyes, we¡¯re moving too erratically to tell what¡¯s going on. There¡¯s a flash of lightning. Daggers of ice. Zyneth and Gillow must be fighting. Other limbs are moving, too, and we brace for impact, expecting to be squished between them. Instead, however, they are sweeping around the ship. One has even reached out of the air bubble and is touching the ocean. What is it doing? It can¡¯t go anywhere without¡ª

    Without the arcana crystal. Even as we realize this, circuit lines explode through the Prismatic, lighting up the ship in a dazzling display. They got it back.

    They¡¯re planning to leave.

    No! They can¡¯t abandon us here. What about Zyneth? He¡¯ll die if he¡¯s left behind. This tentacle we¡¯re latched onto isn¡¯t trying to kill us, it¡¯s trying to keep us out of the fight.

    It¡¯s high time to get back into it.

    Keeping our orb of void tightly knit around us, we let go of the tentacle and are sent flying through the air. We brace all our glass, cushion our core as much as we can, then slam into the ground, streaking across the coarse stone. Our void splatters away, and our elbow clips the ground, immediately shattering on impact. The shards stay within our void, held in place for now, but we don¡¯t have time to stitch the glass back together. We have to stop Gillow.

    Bloodlust overcomes us in a wave we don¡¯t even want to fight: Not stop. Kill.

    Water floods over the ground as the ship pulls itself toward the edge of the bubble, metal screeching on stone with the movement. Even that stops after a moment when the water flows beneath the ship, buoying it up and wrapping around the Prismatic. Water crawls up the side of the craft, forming a shimmering layer over its surface. Do we have time to get back into the ship and steal the arcana crystal, shutting down the Prismatic¡¯s power? It begins to drift toward the edge of the bubble.

    No. No time.

    But we can do something else.

    The void unwraps from around us like petals of a flower, which fall away and swirl into the ground we¡¯re kneeling on. Fragments of our broken arm clatter to the ground, but we can¡¯t pay that any mind now. We summon an ancient memory of the circle to our mind, and our void replicates it on the stone, flowing into the grooves, filling in the damaged sections of the circle, completing each spiral and runic figure in inky black lines.

    The Prismatic breaches the edge of the water. Only a few moments more and it will be too late.

    Echo, we call, forcing our link with her. Echo. For the Location spell, establish foci: Our soul. No. My soul.

    There¡¯s a pause as we experience a mental dissonance: We need to be separated enough to work our magic, but still close enough to retain control over our void. We can¡¯t let our control over the circle slip. We wait, tense. We have to time this perfectly.

    [Foci Established,] Echo says.

    Pushing through the mind static, we activate the Location spell.

    A thread of light appears within our soul, vanishing into the air only inches from my body.

    Now.

    Activate Planar Linkage spell, we tell ourself.

    The is the moment of truth. The moment where it can chose to help us, or stop us in our tracks. It must know what we¡¯re planning. That we intend to leave it Between.

    Yet, it doesn¡¯t hesitate. Both halves of us are eager to activate this spell.

    And maybe that means we shouldn¡¯t.

    Echo says, [Planar Linkage Spell Activated.]

    All across the base of the stadium, the circle illuminates with the black light of our magic. We pour everything we have into it. All our mana, everything Zyneth gave us, all the bonus mana from the null magic we¡¯ve been storing. As more null arcana drifts around the stadium, like flotsam caught in a hurricane, we grab that, and we add it to the spell circle, too. Void jumps into the air, tracing the lines of the spell. The Prismatic edges closer to the wall of ocean, closer to the edge of the circle¡ª

    Then the world splits open, and darkness wraps its familiar weight around us.

 Chapter 88 - The Brink of Between

    Black. Nothingness.

    Between surrounds us, yet we still have our shape. We still have our glass, and void. The Prismatic is next to us, and the stone summoning circle is beneath our feet, but otherwise we¡¯re alone in the dark. Like the base of the stadium was consumed by a dome of darkness.

    This is different from other times we¡¯ve been Between. We flex our hand, our bones of glass and sinew of ink. We can definitely still feel. Still move.

    There¡¯s motion near the Prismatic.

    ¡°Get off me!¡±

    Gillow grunts as they fall out of the ship and go rolling. Zyneth jumps after them, feet landing inches from their head.

    They both pause to look around in surprise.

    ¡°What is this?¡± Gillow says, scrambling back. ¡°Where are we?¡±

    Zyneth steps around them, half a pace in our direction. They look at us. ¡°Are we Between?¡±

    ¡°Almost,¡± we say. The thread of light emanating from my soul now shoots off into the dark, like an arrow toward a target. I know where it will take me: I just need to take the first step.

    Zyneth glances one last time at Gillow, then strides over to us. ¡°Talk to me,¡± he says. ¡°Where do we go from here?¡±

    We didn¡¯t mean to pull Zyneth into this as well, but it was the only way to cut us off from the ocean and stop the Prismatic from leaving. We need to talk to him¡ªjust us.

    Before we allow our minds to separate, however, we check with Echo.

    Spell duration?

    Since we¡¯re not completely Between yet, we aren¡¯t sure if Echo will be able to reach us. It¡¯s difficult enough to reach her through the void¡¯s interference. Luckily, she answers.

    [Five minutes and twenty-seven seconds.]Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

    Not much. Not nearly as much as we want. Void requirement?

    [No further void is required to keep the spell active: However more would be required to sustain it longer.]

    We don¡¯t need the predator¡¯s help to keep the path open, then. Good. We have diverging goals at this point, anyway.

    ¡°Zyneth,¡± we say as the void pulls away from us. ¡°We¡ªI¡ªwait a moment.¡±

    As the predator¡¯s mind separates from mine, I catch a glimpse of its plans. It¡¯s looking for the rest of itself¡ªa way to free it from my inventory. Since my inventory is a pocket of Between, I guess it¡¯s hoping to cut out the middleman and shred its container from the inside. I don¡¯t know if that will work, but if I¡¯m able to get back to Earth before then, it won¡¯t matter.

    Of course, I only have five minutes and counting.

    The predator leaps away into the black, leaving only the small scraps of Attuned void with me.

    ¡°What the fuck?¡± Gillow cries, pressing themself against their ship. ¡°What is all of this?¡±

    ¡°A portal,¡± I say. ¡°The threshold of it, anyway. And as long as you don¡¯t follow me, you¡¯ll stay on this side. When it closes, you can go home. With Zyneth.¡±

    ¡°But what are you,¡± they cry. ¡°What was that¡ªthat thing?¡±

    Isn¡¯t that the million dollar question. ¡°A predator. And if you don¡¯t want to find out exactly what it¡¯s capable of when it gets back, I suggest you get back in your ship and wait there.¡±

    Gillow doesn¡¯t need to be told twice. They scramble through one of the Prismatic¡¯s windows, disappearing back into their ship.

    Good. As much as I¡¯d love to exact my revenge for trying to kill Zyneth¡ªand me¡ªI don¡¯t have time to deal with Gillow right now.

    ¡°It left?¡± Zyneth asks, keeping a suspicious eye in the direction the predator vanished.

    ¡°Yes,¡± I say. The thread of our bond trails behind it like a leash, fading into the dark. ¡°But it will be back¡ªwith the rest of it, I suspect.¡± I think I could take hold of our bond and yank it back, if I really wanted to. But it would fight me the whole way, and by then the spell would be up. ¡°I need to move fast. I only have five minutes.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± Zyneth asks. ¡°What will happen then?¡±

    ¡°The spell will end,¡± I say. ¡°And if I¡¯m still here, the predator will be, too. Only then I¡¯m not sure I¡¯ll be able to stop it anymore.¡±

    Zyneth¡¯s mouth presses into a thin line. He must understand what this means¡ªthat five minutes from now, if I get what I want, we¡¯ll be worlds away. Will he protest? Suggest yet another alternative?

    ¡°What can I do to help?¡± he asks.

    My heart bursts and breaks all at once. ¡°Come with me?¡± I ask. ¡°Not all the way. But at least, to the brink.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll go as far as I can,¡± he promises.

    I can¡¯t delay any longer, yet I hesitate. Even counting down the days until we¡¯d arrive at Emrox¡ªas days became hours, and those have become minutes¡ªI thought I¡¯d have more time. Somehow, it always felt like there¡¯d be more time.

    ¡°Kanin¡­¡±

    The timer keeps ticking.

    I stand up straight and hold out my hand. Zyneth takes it. It¡¯s now or never.

    Following the faint thread of the Location spell as it pierces the dark, I picture Earth, picture home, picture my body, and step into the black.

 Chapter 89 - A Mingled Yarn

    The Between moves. It¡¯s impossible to see it, because all there is to see is nothing, but somehow I can feel the space shifting around me. Ripples of light appear beneath each of my footfalls, matching the shade of the Location spell, like a pathway is being built beneath us with every step. The spell tugs on my soul.

    ¡°What happens at the other side?¡± Zyneth asks. ¡°When we reach it, will it pull me through?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± I say. Somehow, I can still feel there¡¯s a distance ahead of us. Not a real distance, not a place that can be walked to, yet that feeling of a great expanse remains. ¡°We stepped in one side, and we¡¯ll have to actively step out the other. However, don¡¯t let go,¡± I add. ¡°The Location spell is providing the bridge between the two worlds, and without it, you¡¯ll fall back to your reality.¡±

    Wordlessly, he tightens his grip.

    I let the spell lead me. The Prismatic is gone. The stone beneath our feet is worlds away. Everything is darkness, timelessness, spacelessness. My void always reacted to my instincts, so I use that here as well: Focusing on me. On my body. On the moment I left.

    Then, finally, a light. My spell is leading us straight toward it, like a lure at the end of a line, only that small pinprick is rapidly growing, until there¡¯s suddenly a bubble of white right in front of us. It¡¯s twice our size, opaque and swirling. Somehow, I understand that all I have to do is reach out and touch it, pop the film of reality, and then the bridge will be complete.

    My soul flutters. I¡¯m here. This is it.

    Zyneth breathes in deeply. ¡°Can you smell that?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± But the light is changing, gaining color, like a lens out of focus.

    ¡°It smells like nature,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°Like a forest.¡±

    Not something I associate with Los Angeles. But I can¡¯t think about forests now, in case somehow that accidentally changes where the portal will open to. I keep focusing on my body. I keep trying to manifest the moment I left.

    The light slowly morphs into blurry shapes, and I can feel a distant warmth¡ªsunlight. Zyneth¡¯s right, wherever this is on Earth, it¡¯s outside. Bird chirps echo from the scene, muted and distant. I know I must only have a couple minutes left, but still I don¡¯t reach out¡ªI can¡¯t bring myself to say goodbye. Instead, I concentrate on bringing everything into focus.

    Slowly, the scene resolves.

    There¡¯s a tree in front of us, and though I can¡¯t see its source, I can make out the distant but oh-so-familiar sound of traffic, a sound that¡¯s been absent ever since I arrived in Valenia. My soul tightens with longing. It¡¯s really Earth.

    But that begs the question: Where is my body? Why did the portal open up in a park of all places? Did I do the spell wrong?

    ¡°This is where you were before coming to our world?¡± Zyneth asks.

    ¡°No,¡± I say, drifting closer to the boundary. ¡°No, I was in the studio. This is still Los Angeles, I think, but¡­¡± As the scene continues to resolve, my gaze falls on the grass. Or, more specifically, the headstones that litter the grass.

    My chest seizes up. I feel light. Dizzy. No, but I thought I could get back to the exact moment. I thought the Between existed outside of time. I thought¡­

    ¡°What is it?¡± Zyneth asks as I sink to my knees. ¡°Kanin what¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°Too late,¡± I say, dazed. I feel hot and cold. Pins and needles. My mind is buzzing, spinning, thick. I sink down to my knees. ¡°It¡¯s gone.¡±

    Somehow. Somehow it was never actually real until this moment. Despite knowing I died, I never actually felt it was true. It always seemed reversible. Temporary. If I was clever enough, I could find a way out. A way back. All I had to do was give it my all, and I¡¯d be able to go home. Get my job back. My life back. My body back.

    But it¡¯s buried six feet under my gravestone.

    In Loving Memory of

    Kanin Reed

    1996-2024

    ¡°Life¡¯s but a walking shadow, a poor player.

    That struts and frets his hour upon the stage,If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    and then is heard no more.¡±

    My grip goes slack, but Zyneth squeezes tighter before my hand can slip away. ¡°Don¡¯t fall apart on me now,¡± he says. ¡°Not here. I need you. If you can¡¯t go through, then we have to go back.¡±

    I distantly understand he¡¯s right¡ªI can¡¯t go through. There¡¯s nothing to go back to. If I step over that boundary, there will be no body to bind to, and if my bond with this one is severed, all that¡¯s left is the afterlife.

    And I don¡¯t want to die. I don¡¯t want to be living this half-life, either, but I¡¯m not ready to be dead. It just hurts. It hurts so much.

    Shakily, I let Zyneth help pull me to my feet. ¡°I can¡¯t believe it,¡± I moan.

    ¡°What?¡± he asks softly. ¡°Talk to me.¡±

    ¡°They used a Shakespeare quote. For an actor.¡± I cover my face. ¡°It¡¯s just so fucking cliche.¡±

    ¡°It sounds like you have a lot to work through,¡± Zyneth says.

    He tugs me away from the portal, and I let him. The image drifts a few feet away. I should let it go. I should end this spell, and never look back.

    ¡°Perhaps we can do that back in reality,¡± Zyneth suggests.

    Yeah. Okay. Yeah, he¡¯s right. I can¡¯t bear to look at this anymore anyway. But if we¡¯re heading back to reality, and I¡¯m coming with¡ª

    I realize what I should have been paying attention to with a lurch of fear. The predator. I grab our tether. Where is it? Can I pull it back? I can feel its eager excitement through our distant bond. Anticipation is thrumming down the string and into my soul. I try to yank it back, but it resists me. I¡¯ll need all my mental focus for this. If only I wasn¡¯t still battling with the emotional trauma of seeing my own grave. Come on, Kanin, keep it together. Just calm down. Focus. And¡ª

    I double over as pain rips through me. I feel something inside my soul tear. The predator is filled with elation¡ªand then that elation is met with malice and hunger, and its mind is multiplied tenfold.

    Oh. Oh no.

    I Check the Predator¡¯s Influence Stat. Echo¡¯s hardly crackles through the Between, distant but discernible.

    [Predator Influence: 99.98%]

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Zyneth puts a hand on my back. ¡°Are you hurt? We should get out of here.¡±

    I fight through the mental pain, forcing myself upright as I turn to face the direction of the predator. Our tether is vibrating as it rushes toward me. Its hunger drums against me like physical blows.

    ¡°It escaped. All of it.¡± I draw my blade¡ªZyneth¡¯s blade¡ªthen press it into his hands. ¡°If it comes to it¡ª¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Zyneth asks, horrified. He tries to push it back into my hands. ¡°No. We¡¯ll fight it.¡±

    Maybe. Maybe we could. I don¡¯t think it can be killed, but it¡¯s at least been knocked back before.

    But can we risk it? The second it gets here, I¡¯ll be lost, and Zyneth will be left facing it in the Between. He won¡¯t have the upper hand.

    My hands shake as I push the knife back into his grasp. ¡°If it comes to it,¡± I repeat, and neither of us need for me to finish that thought. I heard him talking with the predator. I know he¡¯ll do what has to be done if there¡¯s no other option. That¡¯s the only reassurance I have.

    I let go of the knife and Zyneth. ¡°Run,¡± I tell him.

    I suddenly flash back to Attiru¡¯s bookshop, to me telling Noli the same thing, terrified and shaking as the predator¡¯s mind pressed into me. I try to still my shaking now. Even after everything, I haven¡¯t changed, have I?

    Our tether whips back and forth as I feel the predator approaching, imminent. I can¡¯t escape it. I¡¯ve already lost. But Zyneth¡ª

    Without me to anchor him, he¡¯s drifting away¡ªdrifting back to Emrox.

    ¡°No!¡± Zyneth snatches for my hand, but we¡¯re not really in the same place, it only seems that way. Gray stone spreads beneath his feet as he slips back into reality. Good. That¡¯s as much as I can do to help him. I Check the Planar Linkage timer: The spell will be up in just over a minute.

    I end the Location spell. The line of light pointing me to Earth evaporates, and the bubble of reality begins to shrink. Maybe if both sides close, I¡¯ll remain Between when the predator reaches me, and we¡¯ll both be trapped here. I hope that will be enough.

    NO.

    The void crashes into me, and I only put up the smallest, most pathetic excuse of a fight, taking that last gasp of air, before¡ª

    Our magic slams into this new body, wrapping around the glass, pulling memories from our other selves to weave our shadows into a familiar form. Yes, this body is much better than before. Our soul has gotten stronger. But it won¡¯t be enough¡ªnot enough to sate our hunger. We take quick stock of our surroundings: Two openings into reality, both closing fast. We leap for the nearest one.

    The spell holding the portal open might have already ended, but we are not one to give up on reality so easily. Or void stabs ahead, puncturing the fragile bubble of spacetime. Our tentacles hiss as they make contact with this reality¡ªthis place where magic shouldn¡¯t exist.

    We can¡¯t go through¡ªbut we don¡¯t need to.

    We grasp the boundary between Everything and Nothing. We yank the shrinking hole wide. The effort tears at our essence, at the wrongness of this, but we must anchor this place, this time, in existence.

    A small, white ball of light drifts through the gateway and into Between. Then a second. Then a third. We stab a spear of black through the nearest one, devouring it with a flood of horrifically familiar ecstasy. It¡¯s a soul.

    They¡¯re all souls.

    They¡¯re falling through the portal every second, sometimes several at a time, and the longer we hold the gateway open, the more we collect. We snatch up the souls and gather them in our void, keeping them from dispersing Between and moving beyond¡ªwe can¡¯t eat them all now. We¡¯ve learned that much after last time¡ªwe need to ration them.

    This can¡¯t be happening. Not again¡ªthis can¡¯t be happening again¡ª

    We snuff out the horror like a doused match, amused. We¡¯re still sorting through all these new thoughts¡ªall these new memories we don¡¯t remember having. It¡¯s a lot to parse at once, but we need information. This time will be different. This time, we won¡¯t fall for the same tricks and be cast back into the Between. Speaking of which¡­

    The other portal is closing. We can keep this end open a few moments longer, collecting more souls, but we can¡¯t hold both sides open at once. Tucking our prizes close, we release our grip on the second world¡ªEarth, the word comes to us¡ªthen fall back to the other side.

    There¡¯s someone already there, waiting for us. Prey¡ªthe cambion¡ªZyneth. His face is set and grim. Lightning flickers to life in his twin blades.

 Chapter 90 - Stars in the Black

    We reach for reality, then hesitate. Doubt poisons our mind. Zyneth¡¯s lightning can dissipate our void¡ªweaken us. Maybe we shouldn¡¯t fight. Maybe we should stay here. If we stay here for just a few moments longer, the portal will be closed, and then¡ª

    No! We hiss, shaking off the intrusive thoughts as we dive for reality. The exit is narrowing, closing right in front of Zyneth as he stands, waiting, guarding the rapidly diminishing portal. We form our limbs into needle-like claws, spearing toward the exit. Zyneth raises a blade, ready to sever our hand and stop us from escaping¡ª

    And he stays the blow.

    We grab the boundary, and it cuts into our essence as we tear it wide and throw ourself through. Zyneth swears as we go rolling across the stone, bristling in a defensive ball of spikes and blades. The portal shuts behind us.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Kanin,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°I know you would have wanted it, but I couldn¡¯t trap you there.¡±

    We gather ourself to our full height. Twice the size of the cambion, all shadow and sharp edges. Our hunger manifests in our void, forming a maw, glass shards aligning in the shape of teeth, empty sockets of smoke where any other creature would have eyes. Our surroundings smell of salt and stone. The air tastes wet and metallic. Ahh, how we¡¯ve missed taste and smell. The sensations fill us with euphoria.

    But with it, the hunger continues to gnaw at us.

    Our new memories tell us we had worked out a deal with our soul¡ªit let us eat away at its magic to sustain our presence in reality. But now, with so much of us here, we¡¯ll need more than scraps of magic to keep us grounded. Luckily, the dozens of souls we¡¯re carrying in us now should feed us for quite some time.

    We look at Zyneth, and he tenses. We¡¯d also agreed not to hurt him. But we don¡¯t see the benefit to maintaining that deal. One more soul in our collection is more valuable than alliances. Ichor drips from our jaws like drool.

    ¡°That said.¡± The lightning dancing over Zyneth¡¯s blades grows erratic, shifting from yellow to white-hot. ¡°I don¡¯t plan to die today, either.¡±

    We strike, a blur of shadows, bolting straight for Zyneth¡¯s chest. He stabs his arm forward at the same time, despite us being far out of his reach.

    Lightning erupts through us before we even know we¡¯ve been struck. It sears through our essence, blasting a hole through our void as it disperses all the shadows in a giant hole around our torso, exposing the unscathed glass beneath. We shriek, reforming our void, but Zyneth has made a miscalculation. While his lightning may be able to temporarily peel away our magic, it does not hurt us, nor does it slow us down. Our claws crash into him the next moment, wrapping around his sparking knives as our weight slams him into the ground.

    We stab a spear of void toward his chest, but he uses the momentum of the fall to roll away, static discharge rolling over his body to evaporate any of our tendrils that get too close.

    An inconvenience, but we have more than just the void to fight with, now.

    We levitate the broken shards of glass that used to be an arm, though the movement seems to resist us. It¡¯s not as natural as controlling the void, and we need complete concentration¡ªcomplete cooperation¡ªto use the ability to its full potential. We stamp out the part of us that¡¯s holding back, force it into compliance. There. Easier. We shatter the arm into a dozen blades of glass, which we orient in an array pointed at Zyneth.

    He comes out of his roll, gaze flickering over our newest weapon with a grimace. ¡°Shit.¡±

    We send the shards flying. He stumbles back, arms a blur, and we feel several pieces of glass shatter beneath his whirlwind of blades.

    As we¡¯re launching this attack, the structure near us groans. We pause, tipping our head at the peculiar sound, flipping through memories like flash cards as we search for context. The structure¡ªyes, the Prismatic¡ªis shuttering to life, its many limbs reaching for the ocean once more. It¡¯s being brought to life by Gillow.

    Gillow.

    Hatred catches us off guard. Oh, how we wish to crush that one. How we will savor their soul. The fear in their eyes as we extract our revenge. The ship begins to drag itself across the stone, metal shrieking as it scrapes over the surface, and we reach out with our void, grabbing one of its tentacles and yanking it back. The whole ship lurches toward us, a toy in a child¡¯s grasp.

    Now, how to get inside? We could crack it open like an egg, spilling its delicious contents. There are openings¡ªwindows¡ªtoo. We pull the ship closer, vines of void splitting off to quest over the ship and find our prey.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    A sharp hiss and vents of steam erupt from the side of the ship. We pause, confused by this new development. This wasn¡¯t in our memories. We curiously reach for the shape on the side of the ship that is making noise¡ªthat is flickering with more magic than the rest of the craft¡ªwhen it abruptly rips itself from the side of the ship, splattering through our void as it blasts away from the Prismatic. The craft¡ªthe escape pod¡ªrockets across the stoney ground, bouncing and rolling until it impacts the wall of water. And then it¡¯s gone, vanished into the ocean.

    We hiss in anger. Escaped! Fled from us! No, we will not be outsmarted by them. We gather our void around us, recalling how we¡¯ve braved these waters before. We will hunt them down and eviscerate their craft.

    But first, we can already feel our power waning. We already need to consume another soul¡ªnot to mention, there¡¯s still one here yet to harvest.

    We round on Zyneth, and he grimaces as we turn to face him.

    ¡°Was sort of hoping you¡¯d forgotten about me,¡± he says. ¡°Don¡¯t suppose you can still be reasoned with? I¡¯d much rather expend this limited air supply on figuring out how to get out of¡ª¡±

    We rip our void away from the Prismatic with a frustrated roar, stabbing it toward Zyneth. He skips away, slashing through the vines of black as they near him.

    Why do they fight? Why don¡¯t they understand how pathetic their struggle really is? Enough. We don¡¯t have time for such play. It¡¯s time to end this.

    Once more wrangling the glass into cooperation, we infuse our next spears of void with dozens of razor-sharp shards of glass, and likewise launch these at our prey. As usual, he slashes through the attacks, his lightning dissipating the void.

    But the glass continues to fly forward on its original trajectory.

    Three shards strike his legs, stabbing into meat and bone, as a fourth slices through his arm, sending one of his blades clattering to the ground. Zyneth hisses out a growl as he slips to one knee, clutching his arm to his chest as he doubles over in pain. Too easy. We move in for the killing blow.

    Our shadows converge on him, despite our last, desperate protests. He put up a good fight. We will award a quick death.

    Zyneth looks up at us as we close in, looming over him. There¡¯s no fear in his eyes¡ªonly intense calculation. He pulls his injured hand away from his chest, exposing the blinding star-like blaze of his soul.

    No. Wait. That is not his soul. That¡¯s¡ª

    With a flick of his hand, Zyneth releases the compressed ball of lightning.

    We try to flinch away, but there¡¯s no time. The lightning blasts through us, dispersing our shadows as the attack illuminates the arena with a flash of light. We lose our grip on our glass, and more importantly, we lose our grip on the souls.

    No! We shriek with rage, rushing to regather ourself, but the souls are already slipping away, dispersing into the world. Slamming back together in a wave of black, we grab one¡ªtwo¡ªthree souls from the air, crushing them in our grasp. We can still eat these¡ªpull enough power from this small handful to sustain us long enough to¡ª

    Zyneth slashes through our void, severing our shadows which wisp away in mere moments. Then those souls vanish, too.

    Enraged, we grab his blade, yanking it from his grasp with a spray of blood. Zyneth gasps, scrambling backward as a thick trail of crimson follows. He grabs for the knife he¡¯d dropped before, while we raise his own against him. Loathing courses through us. We seethe with a hatred like none we¡¯ve ever known. He took all our souls from us, so we will destroy him with his own weapon, and then we¡¯ll take his soul. That will be a fitting end for such abhorrent disrespect.

    With all our strength and precision, we hurl his own knife back at him¡ªor at least, that¡¯s what we¡¯d intended. Just as the knife leaves our grasp, our aim shifts to the right. The knife flies past his head, instead stabbing into a block of stone a dozen feet away. Sparks fly at the impact, filling us with relief.

    Fool! We stamp out the brief flare of resistance. That meant nothing. We¡¯re only delaying the inevitable.

    Zyneth glances to where his blade struck, then back at us. Impossibly, he¡¯s smiling. Mocking us! He snatches up his last knife, though with the injuries he¡¯s sustained, his grasp is weak.

    ¡°You did well, Kanin,¡± Zyneth says as we stalk toward him. He runs a fond hand down the flat of his blade, the runes illuminating on its surface, but he must not have enough magic left for any more electric displays. Instead he aims it at our anchor¡ªour glass heart. ¡°You don¡¯t have to fight it anymore.¡±

    He must be delusional if he thinks he can destroy our core. He didn¡¯t have the willpower to do so before, and he doesn¡¯t have the strength now. We will savor his soul. Make it last as we tear it to shreds.

    Zyneth throws the blade at our chest, his motions labored and obvious. We casually swipe the attack away, deftly catching the blade from the air. This time we will not throw it back: We will plunge it into him ourself.

    The world warps. A vortex pulls at our essence, dragging bits of us away. The sensation is clawing its way up our arm, sucking us down into a cramped, dark place. We don¡¯t understand. What¡¯s happening?

    A memory surfaces¡ªthe knife.

    Our glass is bare where we¡¯re holding the blade, all the nearby void sucked into the weapon, yet even more streamers of black twirl down into the knife as if pulled by an invisible whirlpool. We whip around, locating the other knife, still buried in the stone cube. But it¡¯s not just a cube. We wrench memories from our depth, and new understanding blooms inside us. It¡¯s the containment cube, and the knife is stabbed right into the center of its aperture. The void is being pulled through the blades and into the magic capsule. We try to drop the weapon, but our glass won¡¯t let it go. Without the souls to power us, on top of losing more bits of ourself by the second, our control is waning.

    It¡¯s working. It¡¯s actually working.

    No! We won¡¯t be dragged back into a prison again. We just escaped! And we won¡¯t go down without a fight.

    We stab several spears of void into the container, piercing the stone. Blue sparks of magic jump from the cracks.

    Fear courses through us. Gillow warned us to be careful with the containment cubes. If it ruptures, it could explode.

    We replace the fear with smug satisfaction. Yes. That¡¯s the idea.

    We slash another blade of void across its surface, severing the circles and runes etched in its surface.

    The following blast hits everything in the arena.

 Chapter 91 - Alive

    Wrestling control from the predator isn¡¯t easy, but I do it. Its mind¡ªlike its body¡ªis scattered, sent reeling from the explosion. Plus, a good portion of it getting ripped away by the containment cube didn¡¯t hurt.

    I mean, it did hurt the predator. That was the point. Anyway.

    Now that I¡¯m back in reality, back outside of the predator¡¯s influence, Echo¡¯s notifications are streaming through me. Fall damage, concussive damage, bludgeoning damage¡ªyet somehow, through all that, I¡¯m alive.

    I¡¯m alive.

    The predator is, too. It¡¯s still there, lurking at the other end of our tether, though I¡¯m keeping a tight hold on its leash. Enforcing as great a distance between us as I can manage. For now, it¡¯s not pushing back. The creature is still confused, scattered, reeling. I might say humbled if I didn¡¯t know any better. Right now, I just do my best to box it away and focus on my surroundings.

    The world quakes, sending the scattering of rubble and broken glass clattering over the stone floor. I roll onto my side, causing hundreds of microscopic fractures to send stabbing pains through me, and just as many new notifications from Echo. I brush them aside.

    ¡°Zyneth?¡± I call. At least my translator isn¡¯t broken. There¡¯s black ichor and broken stones everywhere¡ªI can¡¯t see him.

    Echo, help me find Zyneth.

    [Affirmative,] Echo says. [The user will be notified when the Zyneth subject is identified.]

    I try to stand, but one of my legs falls away. Dammit. I float the leg back up in place and go to activate a Sculpt, but¡ª

    [Mana: 0/111]

    Shit. Bonus Mana?

    [Bonus Mana: 0]

    Between activating the portal to Earth and the predator sucking up every point of mana at my disposal, I¡¯m bone dry. I guess the predator needed everything I had left to keep its claws latched onto reality. Pity it wasn¡¯t killed when the containment cube exploded¡ªI guess I¡¯ll just have to take ¡°weakened¡± for now. But I have other things to worry about.

    ¡°Zyneth!¡± I call again, trying to limp over a large chunk of stone. I slip, falling and shattering what remained of the broken leg. One leg, one arm. I can¡¯t be of any help like this. Unclasping my core from around my neck, I set myself down on the ground. My core is fractured, still damaged from Gillow¡¯s attack, but at least the harness and four legs I have secured around my vial aren¡¯t broken. Carefully picking my way through the debris, I reach into every shard of glass within my range, controlling every piece I can manage, and move them with me.

    I activate Elemental Radar as I go, swirling the glass through the rubble.

    The portal¡¯s spell circle is ruined. Lines in the stone are broken, runes blasted away, everything shattered by massive chunks of the coliseum¡¯s pillars that have fallen to the ground. Bits of void are scattered everywhere, too, though even now they¡¯re slowly, painfully starting to seep back in my direction like creeping black slugs. I ignore them, desperate to find Zyneth.

    As I search, the world shakes again. There¡¯s a terrible roar somewhere in the distance. I levitate my head, as high as my range will allow, and turn it in a slow circle. Several white cracks run through my vision, but on the other side of the arena, nearest where the containment cube had been, I can make out where several of the pillars had collapsed and water is now gushing in through the side of our bubble.

    The spell circles powering the air bubbles are damaged. Their magic is failing. We have to get out of here¡ªsoon.

    I speed up. I need more eyes to find Zyneth, but the last time I tried turning on more than a few sources of sight, it was overwhelming. Too much to parse. And I¡¯d only had a dozen pieces of glass, then.

    The predator regularly uses several sources of sight¡ªit wouldn¡¯t have a problem with this. But I¡¯m not giving that monster even the smallest sliver of control¡ªnot now, when there¡¯s more of it than there is of me.

    But it doesn¡¯t have to just be sight, does it? I¡¯m already using a sense of touch in all of them.

    ¡°Zyneth!¡± I call again. Then I tell Echo, Turn hearing on in all my pieces of glass.

    [Activated.]

    The room becomes deafening. The same thundering sounds ripple through me, delayed a fraction of a second between my furthest pieces.

    And somewhere amidst all that chaos, I hear a moan.

    I push myself harder, trying to zero in on which glass had heard it. Not the ones to my left; I turn the sound off in all of those.

    ¡°Zyneth!¡±

    I hear him again, a raspy breath. I turn off more glass. Push myself faster. One by one, I start whittling away at my glass, closing in on where I can now make out his consistent labored breaths. But he¡¯s still not answering my calls. I steel myself for the worst.

    [Zyneth identified.]

    I see the blood first, and I start shaking. Not with fear or regret, but rage. This is what the predator made me do. What the predator did. It hurt him, and I¡¯m overcome with a violent urge to hurt the predator back. At this moment, if I had the opportunity, I would do unspeakable things.If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    But Zyneth comes first. He¡¯s on his back, several shards of glass protruding from his limbs, glass that had been outside my range when I¡¯d first started looking for him. Apart from the stab wounds, a puddle of blood is forming beneath his head, and a large piece of stone is obscuring his left leg.

    I Check him.

    [HP: 45/150. Zyneth is suffering from a concussion, fractured leg, and multiple lacerations.]

    Even as I watch, his HP ticks down one more point.

    ¡°Okay,¡± I say. ¡°I¡¯m going to need you to wake up, buddy. I can¡¯t carry you out.¡±

    He¡¯s still breathing, but he doesn¡¯t stir. What can I do? I¡¯m out of mana. A trickle of water streams past us, mixing with Zyneth¡¯s blood. And we¡¯re running out of time. I¡¯m not strong enough to lift the rock off his leg, let alone pick him up after.

    ¡°Zyneth!¡± I shout, although the volume of my translator seems to be capped. I shake his arm with some of my glass. ¡°Please, wake up, I need you to help me.¡±

    The void is creeping back toward me, too, gathering its scattered bits from the battlefield, crawling back toward me as it follows the predator¡¯s call. I try to ignore it.

    Echo, what¡¯s the state of my inventory? I ask.

    [Inventory: 0/1]

    My soul leaps. There¡¯s one slot? I can use that?

    [Affirmative,] Echo says. [Although largely perforated by the attacks of the entity designated predator, a small fraction of the pocket null dimension is still functional as storage space.]

    I don¡¯t even let her finish before I¡¯m already racing to the rock on Zyneth¡¯s leg. I tap my core against it. Add this to the inventory.

    The stone vanishes. At the same time Zyneth lets out a strangled cry, eyes snapping open as his body spasms.

    His HP slips to 34.

    ¡°I¡¯m here!¡± I rush back over toward his head. ¡°It¡¯s okay. We¡¯re getting out of here.¡±

    Zyneth sucks in a tight breath, squinting through a grimace as he turns to look at me. His eyes pinch in a pained smile. ¡°Little friend,¡± he says between breaths. ¡°Happy to see you looking like this.¡±

    Never thought I¡¯d say the same, but me too. ¡°Don¡¯t get too excited, I won¡¯t be much help to you in this form.¡±

    He closes his eyes. ¡°That¡¯s fine. Give me a moment. Need to rest.¡±

    Not with his HP still slowly ticking down¡ªand the water turning into a small stream beside us. ¡°Uh, afraid not, buddy, we¡¯re about to get flooded. And then probably crushed by a million tons of water. Also, you need a healer. Like, five minutes ago.¡±

    ¡°Alright.¡± Zyneth lifts a clumsy hand to his head, wincing as it touches his temple. Then he screws his face tight, and pushes himself up. He immediately stifles a scream as his injured leg shifts.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure walking is an option,¡± he says through a gasp.

    The ground shakes, and with a sharp crack, another pillar collapses to the ground. Zyneth ducks his head and I tense as a cloud of dust and pebbles race past us.

    ¡°You have to,¡± I say. ¡°We¡¯re going to die here if you don¡¯t get up!¡±

    ¡°No, just me,¡± Zyneth says, breathing heavily, as he takes in our surroundings. ¡°You can make it back to the Prismatic.¡±

    ¡°Fuck that!¡± I cry. ¡°And then what? Twiddle my thumbs at the bottom of the ocean with no idea how to get back as I reflect on your death? Get up! You have to get up.¡±

    ¡°Kanin,¡± Zyneth says, pausing every other word to catch his breath. ¡°I cannot stress enough how difficult it is to even be holding this conversation. I am very tired. I am in excruciating pain. Please understand, I make no suggestion lightly.¡±

    No. I won¡¯t accept it. He didn¡¯t give up on me when the predator had me, and I won¡¯t give up on him now. Options. Options!

    The void is slowly pooling next to me, clustering around the shattered pile that was my clothes and body. It¡¯s keeping a respectful distance. Maybe it knows how pissed I am. Even at the thought, it shrinks in on itself, seeming to compress into a smaller pool.

    Wait. Compress.

    Echo what was that spell that the predator did before? With the null magic. When we teleported the Prismatic.

    [Displace, Level 1,] Echo says. [Objects may be moved between two coordinates within an Attuned volume of void. Requirement: Attuned void. Mana: variable depending on size.]

    How much to move Zyneth?

    [Mana: 320]

    Even if my mana wasn¡¯t totally extinguished, more than I can handle. But¡­

    I Check Zyneth¡¯s mana as well.

    [Mana: 335/640]

    Holy shit. Just enough.

    Just enough if the predator doesn¡¯t suck any of it away. Would it cooperate? It¡¯s only invested in keeping me alive, and it already tried to kill Zyneth once today. Can I force it to cooperate? Or would initiating that contact open a new can of worms?

    A distant column collapses, then hits another. That one collapses, too. Water geysers into the arena, crashing into the ground and spreading out over the floor. By the time it reaches us it¡¯s no longer a wave, but a quickly moving stream. Zyneth plucks me from the ground just before I can be swept away. He holds me to his chest as the water races past.

    ¡°Kanin. You have to get out.¡±

    No time to waffle¡ªthis is our only shot. ¡°I am¡ªwe are! Zyneth, I need your magic. All of it, as fast as you can.¡±

    ¡°What are you¡ª¡±

    ¡°No time!¡± I cry. ¡°Do it now!¡±

    Zyneth takes a steadying breath, then a comforting yellow light engulfs me.

    [Bonus mana: 25,] Echo says. The counter starts to race up.

    I turn to the predator next.

    You¡¯re going to work with me here, I tell it. The predator¡¯s attention shifts to fall over me like an icy wind. You were willing to work with me before. And after what you just pulled, you owe me.

    It doesn¡¯t reply, it only radiates frigid hate and resistance.

    I frankly don¡¯t give a fuck, I say. This is all your fault to begin with. If you hadn¡¯t attacked Zyneth¡ªif you hadn¡¯t taken those souls¡ªwe might have been able to find middle ground. But you¡¯re only capable of thinking about yourself. The words make me pause, even as I¡¯m thinking them, but I press ahead. Well now it¡¯s time to fall in line. Because if he doesn¡¯t get out of here, neither do I¡ªand neither do you. If you take a single whiff of the magic we¡¯re getting right now, it¡¯s through. We¡¯re dead. So. Right now? You¡¯re working for me.

    The predator moves. Its mind presses forward, and I steel myself, ready to throw everything I have at it, ready to kill myself over this one final, desperate, most important act. But it doesn¡¯t attack. The gap along our bond closes, and for a moment I am seeing its thoughts as clearly as my own: Like looking in a mirror, it¡¯s focused on my resolve, my determination, my conviction. And I¡¯d die for Zyneth right now. I really would.

    This is one fight not worth having.

    The predator lets me take the void. It lets Zyneth¡¯s stream of magic pass through its grasp. I can still feel its reluctance there, its unending hunger, but it¡¯s also radiating a new concept, one that a part of itself had only learned within the last few weeks: restraint.

    I grasp the void, flinging half of it to the edge of my range. With the predator¡¯s mind this close, with it cooperating instead of fighting, it makes it all the way to the Prismatic. The rest I gather around Zyneth and I, clustering all my remaining glass as close as I can manage as well.

    Another geyser of water burst through the bubble, this one closer, sharp lashes of water pelting against Zyneth¡¯s back. He hunches over me, eyes squeezed shut.

    I Check Zyneth¡¯s HP: 22.

    I Check my Bonus Mana: 310.

    I swirl the void around us. ¡°I¡¯m going to need you to trust me on this.¡±

    [Bonus Mana: 315]

    I can¡¯t see from my core anymore, Zyneth¡¯s hand obscuring my vision on one side and his shirt on the other, but my other glass has a front-row view as the nearest column collapses and the ocean thunders toward us.

    Zyneth¡¯s hand, still gentle and careful as ever, squeezes tighter. ¡°I always have.¡±

    [Bonus Mana: 320]

    I activate the spell.

 Chapter 92 - Adrift

    Void wraps around us, and all light vanishes from the world. I pull the magic tighter, squeezing not us but space itself. The darkness collapses in. There¡¯s an inflection point¡ªa tipping¡ªand I feel the two separate points in the spell connect like magnets snapping together.

    The roar of the wave vanishes. My soul lurches as I fall¡ªZyneth and I are both falling¡ªbut it only lasts for a fraction of a second. We hit the ground with a metal clang, a rush of water splashing around us, and all my glass crashes to the ground in a broken heap nearby.

    [Spell complete.]

    The void wilts around us, ebbing into the floor as light surrounds us once more.

    We¡¯re in the Prismatic. I did it. We made it. We¡¯re alive.

    Zyneth falls back with a heavy exhale, still weakly clutching me on top of his chest. The puddle of water on the floor beneath him is swirling with threads of pink and red.

    ¡°Zyneth?¡± I Check his HP: 18. ¡°Zyneth, stay awake!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m awake,¡± he mutters, eyes closed.

    I wiggle myself out of his grasp, and he lets me. ¡°We can¡¯t rest now¡ªwe have to get you somewhere safe! Somewhere secure. The water¡ª¡±

    Even as I say it, an impact slams into the ship, and I¡¯m suddenly airborne. I call my glass and void to me with a lurch of panic. The void gets there first (which is probably for the best, given the un-gentle nature of glass), catching me and staying my fall. A distant screech of metal on stone reverberates through the ship¡¯s hull as the water drags the Prismatic over the ground. I have the void set me down, but still hold on to keep me upright and grounded.

    The impact rolled Zyneth onto his side, and he¡¯s making no attempts to roll back. From here I can see the half a dozen pieces of glass impaled in him¡ªI can feel them in him¡ªbut I don¡¯t dare take them out. Not with his HP so low.

    [HP: 15/150]

    Every time I blink it¡¯s lower than before. This isn¡¯t good!

    The ship rocks again, and Zyneth threatens to roll over onto his chest¡ªonto the shards of glass. I lunge forward with my magic, catching him with a claw of void. It¡¯s massive, covering his whole chest in shadows, but it stops him from moving. Zyneth doesn¡¯t react.

    ¡°Zyneth? Zyneth!¡± No no no, not when we¡¯ve made it back to safety. It can¡¯t end like this.

    I can¡¯t kill someone else. Especially not him.

    Echo, what can I do? I ask, desperate. Are there any healing spells I can learn? Please, anything!

    [Negative,] Echo says. [Healing type magic is incompatible with your class.]

    Why didn¡¯t I pick healer? Why¡¯d I have to pick a stupid wizard?

    [HP: 14/150]

    No healing spells. No healer. What else can I do? What else do I have?

    My soul lurches. I don¡¯t have anything¡ªbut Zyneth does. All those charms and spells he¡¯d purchased in preparation for the trip¡ªthere was a healing potion in there, I¡¯m certain of it.

    I¡¯m already racing for the door. I leave more of my void behind, keeping Zyneth pinned to the ground to try to keep him from moving while the ship continues to be buffeted by the rising sea-level. I hope it¡¯ll be enough.

    As my glass and void sweeps me out the door and through the ship, I realize I¡¯m still able to keep a hold on the void I¡¯ve left behind. Did I level up again? No, even that wouldn¡¯t account for such a huge increase in my range. It¡¯s the predator; it¡¯s helping me.

    Summoning all my courage, I finally let myself Check the predator¡¯s influence.

    [Predator Influence: 50%]

    The number chills me. Our minds are equally powerful now, which means it could take over without any warning. I¡¯d be able to fight it off¡ªeventually. But then, the same thing could be said for it.

    Yet, it¡¯s not doing anything. It¡¯s lending me its power, and I¡¯m not making it do that or fighting it for it. Cautiously, even as I race for our quarters, I mentally turn my attention on the predator.

    It¡¯s¡­ fighting isn¡¯t the right word. It¡¯s in some sort of discourse with itself. Even looking at the predator, I feel like I¡¯m seeing three versions of itself at once. Each slightly different copies of the same mind.

    Something like this happened before, when the predator was able to pull some of itself from my inventory. It was like there were two versions: the version I had come to an uneasy truce with, and the newer version that had just come out of the inventory. They¡¯d shared the same mind, the same goals, the same disposition up until they¡¯d first become split: Then the fraction of the predator that had lived with me¡ªthe one I agreed not to Attune, the one confined inside a bottle, the one that helped me break into the library¡ªhad changed, in the subtlest of ways. At the very least, it had gained new memories and experiences while the rest of it remained inside my inventory. And then when more of it had emerged, the two versions of itself found they were no longer entirely identical. The new piece had to learn from the old one. And what emerged was something slightly different from both.

    The same thing is happening again now. This new piece of the predator is conversing with its other selves, absorbing the memories and experiences of its previous versions as it merges into one new identity.

    Maybe it understands that helping me is better for both of us. Or maybe it¡¯s just too preoccupied with more important matters to pay me any mind. Whatever the case, I need its superior control of the void as long as possible if I want to keep Zyneth alive.

    In our quarters, I find Zyneth¡¯s bag. I hastily slice it open with claws of glass and shadow, spilling its contents onto the floor. A faintly glowing bottle of blue-white light rolls across the deck. There! I snatch it up and rush back to the cargo bay, desperately hoping I¡¯m not too late.

    He¡¯s still lying where we left him.

    [HP: 10/150]

    ¡°Zyneth!¡± I gently try to settle him on his back. ¡°You¡¯re going to be okay. We have a health potion. You¡¯ll be okay.¡±

    I try to remove the potion¡¯s stopper and struggle with the cork for a horrific, laughable moment. A cork? A cork is what¡¯s going to thwart me? Then I dig the void in and rip the stopper away. A few drops of the potion spill and I freeze, carefully steadying the bottle.

    ¡°Can you drink?¡± I tip it up to his mouth. He¡¯s supposed to drink it, right? That¡¯s what they do in games and TV shows. A few drops drip between his parted lips, and I wait.

    [HP: 10/150]

    Nothing¡¯s happening. It¡¯s not going up or down. I pour a little more into his mouth. The glow vanishes down his throat¡ªthen Zyneth jerks, and starts coughing.

    ¡°Zyneth!¡± I pull the potion away so he can¡¯t knock it out of my grasp with his spasms. ¡°Are you awake? Are you okay? Can you talk?¡±

    [HP: 10/150]Stolen novel; please report.

    His eyes open, tears pricking at the corners as he takes a shaky breath. He looks at the potion I¡¯m holding and gestures it over. I move the bottle toward his mouth, but he shakes his head and grabs it before I can pour more in.

    ¡°Glass,¡± he rasps to me, coughing again as he tries to speak. He taps at his arm, where one of my shards is protruding from his skin, crusted with crimson blood.

    ¡°What?¡± I ask. ¡°You want me to pull it out?¡±

    He nods.

    ¡°But that¡¯ll cause more bleeding,¡± I say. ¡°And your health¡­¡±

    ¡°Remove it,¡± Zyneth says, gritting his teeth. ¡°Now.¡±

    I don¡¯t like it, but I know better than to argue. Cringing in anticipation, I yank the glass out of him as quickly as I can.

    Zyneth growls between clenched teeth, splashing some of the potion over the wound. The liquid evaporates almost immediately as the magic sinks into his torn skin. And slowly, it knits itself back together.

    [HP: 12/150]

    Relief floods through me as Zyneth lets his head fall back to the ground and he pants heavily for a few moments. His health is going up. He¡¯s going to be okay.

    Finally, after he composes himself, he tips his head in my direction. ¡°All that trouble to avoid the ocean, and you try to drown me?¡±

    I want to laugh and cry, but since I can do neither, I do my best to look ashamed. ¡°I thought you had to drink it.¡±

    ¡°Drink it?¡± he repeats. ¡°I suppose you¡¯d suggest I drink burn ointment as well.¡± He smiles faintly. ¡°It¡¯s almost as though you¡¯ve never used a healing potion before.¡±

    ¡°Would you believe it?¡± I say.

    He chuckles, and it turns into a wince.

    As Zyneth steels himself for me to remove the next piece, I sag to the ground, everything catching up to me all at once. Earth, my body, the predator, those souls. It¡¯s a lot for me to sort through, and I haven¡¯t had a second to process any of it. But Zyneth¡­ At least Zyneth will be alright.

    <hr>

    The Prismatic rocks as it¡¯s carried away by the ocean currents, aimlessly adrift. Most of the null arcana was removed from the surrounding waters when I activated the air bubble spells, and we¡¯ll just have to hope we¡¯re long gone by the time much more of the magic accumulates. The ship¡¯s designed to avoid the stuff, but without Gillow here, it¡¯s hard to say how much oversight the Prismatic needs to operate properly. There¡¯s not much we can do about it but hope luck is on our side.

    Occasionally the jolt of some collision vibrates through the ship, but I don¡¯t leave Zyneth¡¯s side until his health creeps back up to a safe level. Even with his fractured foot healed and all the bleeding wounds closed, his HP still hovers around 75/150. I guess there¡¯s more under the surface that will just take time, but for now, I can live with it.

    Once he¡¯s capable of walking again, we make our way back to the bridge. Zyneth sits heavily in the captain¡¯s chair, working through the controls as I dump all my worldly belongings (that is, tattered clothes and a giant pile of broken glass) nearby. And of course, all the void.

    More void than I¡¯d had before, but it¡¯s not as much void as when the predator had been in control. Not to mention, its mind then had been overwhelming.

    Echo, what was the Predator Influence after we came out of the Between earlier?

    [Although the Predator Influence stat fluctuated in that timeframe, the average value was 99.63%]

    Shit. I really didn¡¯t stand a fighting chance. What happened to it? Where did all that void go¡ªand the predator¡¯s mind? Why is the influence less now?

    [Unknown,] Echo says.

    Well that¡¯s not terribly useful. Did the containment cube explosion kill it? I ask.

    [Negative.]

    Is it back Between?

    [Negative.]

    Is it in my Inventory again?

    [Negative. Inventory: 1/1. Contents: a rock.]

    Then where? I ask, exasperated.

    [Unknown,] Echo repeats. [This unit was unable to access the user for a duration of time while the nature of the entity designated predator interfered with the connection. After connection was reestablished, the quantity of void and Predator Influence was reduced.]

    I inwardly grimace. I guess I should be glad that it¡¯s gone, but not knowing how or where it went is concerning. What if it comes back someday? Would I have any warning?

    Then again, I¡¯ve plenty of other more immediate problems to be concerned with at the moment.

    The ship hums, streaks of light illuminating its magic circuits, as its list straightens out and comes under Zyneth¡¯s control.

    ¡°That should do it for now,¡± he says with a sigh. ¡°I don¡¯t know how to get us back to Miasmere, but I can at least point us toward the west. We¡¯ll intersect land eventually.¡±

    ¡°Will you have enough food and water?¡± I ask.

    ¡°And air,¡± he adds. ¡°Yes, I believe so. There was enough on board for Gillow and I when we first departed, and now that it¡¯s just me, it should be enough to cover however long it takes to reach shore.¡±

    I feel like he should be more worried about the fact that we¡¯re lost at sea and only have an inkling of an idea how to control the ship. Not to mention the monster infested waters we had to fight our way through just to get here.

    Maybe he just doesn¡¯t have enough energy to worry about all that right now.

    As the Prismatic slowly turns, the shadows of Emrox floating by the window like phantoms, Zyneth pushes himself back and turns to me. He watches me for several moments in silence.

    ¡°Um,¡± I say.

    ¡°Sorry,¡± he says, rubbing his temple. ¡°It¡¯s just with everything that just happened¡ªeverything you just went through¡ªI don¡¯t know where to start.¡±

    I don¡¯t either. I awkwardly shuffle my glass around, sifting through the pieces as if I could begin fixing the puzzle of my broken body. I Check my mana: 0, of course. I guess this new version of the predator has decided our previous agreement is null and has gone right back to sucking up all my excess mana again. That¡¯s going to be a problem if I want to use any spells. Because I will need to use more spells eventually, won¡¯t I? I¡¯m stuck here.

    I¡¯m never going home.

    ¡°My body is gone,¡± I say. ¡°Earth is gone.¡± Voicing it out loud makes it more real than it had ever felt before this moment. Somehow, I¡¯d felt it in my soul all this time. But seeing my own grave, knowing for certain, it fills me with a heavy grief. Yet, at the same time, relief. There¡¯s a finality now that wasn¡¯t there before. That queasy uncertainty has been washed away. I just feel¡­ tired. Worn.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°Maybe there¡¯s another way¡ª¡±

    ¡°No,¡± I say. I don¡¯t know if I can live through getting my hopes up again, just for them to be shattered a second time. ¡°No. The spell circle is destroyed.¡± I tap my way over to the window, looking down into the murk. Even as we begin to leave it in our wake, I can make out the ruins of the arena, the stone circle that had been inscribed there buried and broken.

    I might be able to recreate it, in time. If the predator worked with me. If I grew powerful enough. ¡°But you know,¡± I say. ¡°Even if I had another chance, I don¡¯t think I¡¯d take it. Without my body, what would I be returning to? What I really want is to just move on.¡±

    I turn to look at Zyneth. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ve been such a fool. This journey was cursed from the start and I dragged you into it. You were right. I was just using the predator as an excuse to try to rush into a solution for my body. And now the predator¡¯s stronger than before. I¡¯ve been selfish and bullheaded and it nearly got you killed.¡±

    And that hurts me the most. Worse than the loss of my body.

    He shakes his head. ¡°I understand why you did what you did. And yes, you may have let your emotions drive you. But who wouldn¡¯t act the same in such circumstances? Besides, at the end of the day, we¡¯re alive, we¡¯re together, and that¡¯s what counts, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    He smiles fondly, and I¡¯m filled with affection. For the first time, I don¡¯t try to stomp those feelings out.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to get both of us out of here,¡± I promise. ¡°I¡¯m going to make sure we make it back to land in one piece.¡±

    He chuckles. ¡°Glad I have you here to protect me.¡±

    He says it as a joke, but his words fill me with a fierce protectiveness. There¡¯s monsters before us, destruction behind us, and Zyneth will be counting on me to get us out of here alive. I¡¯m the only one who can leave this ship and fight off whatever comes our way.

    And I will. I¡¯ll protect him with my life.

    ¡°And when we get back to land?¡± he asks. When, not if.

    ¡°The souls.¡± The memories make me shiver. I can¡¯t get the image out of my head of all those Earth souls that fell through the hole in reality while the predator held it open. They were the souls of the dead. People who¡¯d died and were meant to pass through Between and into¡­ whatever comes after that. But instead I was there to stop them.

    Just like what Trenevalt did to me.

    ¡°I have to find them,¡± I say.

    ¡°Find who?¡± Zyneth asks.

    ¡°The souls,¡± I repeat, guilt resurfacing once more. ¡°It¡¯s my fault. If I¡¯d never come here¡ªif I¡¯d never tried to get my body back or go home¡ªthey never would have fallen through. And I¡ªthe predator still managed to kill two of them. I couldn¡¯t save them. But I can help the rest.¡±

    Zyneth shakes his head. ¡°Slow down. I¡¯m not following. Those lights the predator had¡ªthose were souls? And you think they¡¯re somewhere in this world now? Assuming that is true, without anything to keep them anchored, they should have just blinked back into the Between and moved onto the afterlife on their own.¡±

    I suppose he¡¯s right. I¡¯m only stuck here because Trenevalt¡¯s magic bound me to this bottle.

    But I know that¡¯s not the end of it. Something else happened to these souls. When they passed through my spell, through my Attuned void, through the predator¡¯s ethereal body, I felt¡­ something. And I still feel it, distantly.

    Echo? I ask. Can you shed any light? Do you know where those souls are now?

    [Negative,] Echo says. [The spatial displacements of the souls are unknown to this unit. However, the nature of the spell they interacted with¡ªintending to seek out a body¡ªcoupled with the nature of the abundant null magic they passed through¡ªthe most powerful arcana that can be used for soul bonding¡ªindicates they will have or are currently in the process of locating and binding to a new compatible vessel.]

    I slump. I was right, then. I really did just pull a Trenevalt¡ªonly a hundred times over. Two hundred, maybe.

    ¡°They¡¯re out there,¡± I tell Zyneth, my resolve crystalizing. Since I did this to them, it¡¯s my job to fix it. I won¡¯t be able to send them home, but maybe I can at least help them avoid going through what I experienced. They might be in a strange, new world, but they don¡¯t have to do it alone.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know where,¡± I say, ¡°and I don¡¯t know how, but I¡¯ll find them.¡±

 Chapter 93 - Epilogue

    Thunder boomed through the temple as a god appeared in a flash of light. Brushing an errant lock of black hair away from the empty pits where his eyes should have been, he smiled.

    ¡°So. Who died?¡±

    At the central dais, Lorata turned her head to cast a disparaging look over her shoulder. She moved only precisely as much as she needed to, as if the act of acknowledging the other god was beneath her. ¡°No one¡¯s died, Shirasil.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± Shirasil asked. ¡°Then why the full house?¡± He swept an arm around the room, his silk sleeve whispering with the motion as he took in the few dozen other gods in attendance.

    They were an odd sight to behold, every one of them almost passing as a different species of Lusio. Almost, as, though their likeness was based on the mortal species of their planet, their visages diverged in distinct and unsettlingly ways that were decisively otherworldly. Widengra, the orc god, had skin that swirled with living patterns of blood, barely an inch of green showing beneath his tattoos. Quimalad, an arachnoid, was ever shrouded by a white mist, their many limbs moving like shadows through a fog. Lorata herself might have appeared human, if not for the golden light which shone from her eyes and hair and clothes.

    Ever the showboat, that one.

    ¡°That,¡± Lorata said, turning her back on Shirasil, ¡°is perhaps the first good question you¡¯ve asked this century.¡±

    Shirasil cocked an amused brow as he strolled toward the center of the room. Some of the deities stood patiently nearby, hands clasped piously behind their backs, while others scattered toward the edge of the marble chamber, muttering and hissing amongst themselves. A few paced nervously near Lorata and the dais. Only one was reclined on a stone sofa, their silver hair spilling over the side of the marble and their silver face turned to the ceiling, which opened to the purple-blue nebula of the heavens. That one, Yua Tin, smiled pleasantly, as if the tense atmosphere of the room slid from their conscience as easily as water over a carp¡¯s scales.

    Shirasil liked Yua Tin.

    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± he asked, stopping before the dais. A shimmering, contorting sliver of nothingness floated in the air over the pedestal, like light reflecting through broken glass. A shattered fragment of living reality: a remnant. ¡°You said no one died.¡±

    ¡°No one has,¡± Lorata repeated.

    He reached a hand toward the remnant, stopping when his fingers buzzed against the edge of the containment spell. The broken space inside spiked and sizzled, as if trying to claw its way out. ¡°Then where did this come from?¡±

    ¡°Step back,¡± Lorata snapped, grabbing Shirasil¡¯s hand. Energy crackled between their skin, and defiance swelled within him like a thundering wave. Oh, how he¡¯d love to meet this challenge with a show of force. How he desired to crush her smug, superior ego beneath his boots. It would be desperately cathartic.

    Instead, he slipped his wrist from her grasp and stepped back with a respectful bow of his head. ¡°Come, now, you treat me as though I¡¯ve been tainted.¡±

    ¡°Stop acting as though you are, and I will stop treating you as such,¡± she said.

    He shrugged helplessly. ¡°What is a chaos god to do? It wouldn¡¯t be in my nature to leave well enough alone. The day I settle down¡ª¡± He smiled, the expression as empty as his bottomless eyes. ¡°¡ªNow, that¡¯s the day you should really worry.¡±

    ¡°Enough,¡± Widengra grumbled, his voice deep and grating like a mortar and pestle. ¡°We are all accounted for now. Lorata. Why did you summon us?¡±

    Lorata stared at Sharasil for a moment longer, then flicked her hand to another god fidgeting nearby.

    The halfling deity, god of fishing, moonlight, and the tides, stepped forward. ¡°The remnant came from Emrox. Something happened there. Something big.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± a nereid god stopped her pacing. ¡°That¡¯s not possible. It was destroyed.¡±

    ¡°It was,¡± the halfling agreed. ¡°It has been abandoned since the Frey. But something happened there recently, nevertheless. I felt it in the oceans. The remnant was collected here at the same time.¡±

    ¡°And we don¡¯t know what?¡± Sharasil asked. ¡°Surely, Lorata, oh seer, our god of light, whose eyes pierce the darkest shadows¡ªyou saw this happen?¡±

    Lorata scowled in exactly the way Sharasil had hoped, bringing him immense amusement. ¡°I did not. However, I discovered something else.¡± She made a sweeping gesture about the room, and a display appeared in Shirasil¡¯s vision.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    ¡°System users?¡± he asked as he mentally scrolled through the list. ¡°I don¡¯t see what¡ª¡±

    Murmurs hushed through the room. There was a new name on the list.

    ¡°Who is this Kanin?¡± Widengra asked.

    ¡°Unknown,¡± Lorata said. ¡°Clearly, they didn¡¯t gain access to the remnant of anyone present. They must have found one another way. A new remnant.¡±

    ¡°Impossible,¡± Quimalad said. ¡°Where would they even find one? This is without precedent.¡±

    ¡°Is it?¡± Shirasil asked. ¡°Not so in the early days. And we know many remnants fell dormant in the world before we could find and contain them. Others remained inaccessible. Perhaps they stumbled somewhere they ought not to be.¡±

    ¡°That is my assumption as well,¡± Lorata said, though her tone indicated she was none too pleased Shirasil had reached the same conclusion. ¡°Something left behind in the ruins of Emrox, perhaps.¡±

    ¡°Do we know how long this person has had access to the System?¡± another god asked.

    Now Lorata looked uncomfortable. ¡°That is¡­ unclear. I typically run a status check on the System on a bi-decade basis.¡±

    Shirasil barked out a laugh. ¡°They could have been walking around on this planet for twenty years without us noticing?¡±

    ¡°Absolutely not,¡± Lorata snapped. ¡°The last check was done seven years ago.¡±

    Shirasil laughed even harder.

    ¡°However,¡± Lorata said, raising her voice, ¡°I think it¡¯s more likely they received access today. Too many things have happened at once. This remnant appearing here might be an indicator of the event. Not to mention, there¡¯s an even bigger issue at hand.¡±

    ¡°Oh, please.¡± Shirasil grinned. ¡°Do tell.¡±

    Lorata made another gesture, and their shared displays updated again. Instead of the user list ending with this new Kanin person, dozens¡ªnearly two hundred¡ªmore spaces in the list appeared. They were all blank.

    ¡°Templates,¡± Lorata says. ¡°Auto created by the System. Potential new users that meet the requirements to be added.¡±

    ¡°What does that mean?¡± Widengra asked. ¡°Can they be removed?¡±

    Lorata frowned, her lips drawing a thin line. ¡°I do not have the authority.¡±

    Shirasil snickered. ¡°Of course not. This is what happens when you dabble with magic older than the gods, Lorata. You pretend to have made it your own, but you¡¯re only fumbling your way along like a child playing soldier.¡±

    ¡°This is no laughing matter,¡± Lorata hissed. ¡°Do you not understand the implications of this? If each of these new users imply the existence of new remnants which have been unearthed, we are facing potentially mass devastation.¡±

    There was a pause, then several gods started speaking at once.

    ¡°Surely, not all of these indicate acquisition of a remnant?¡±

    ¡°¡ªan upset to the natural order¡ª¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t mean war¡ª¡±

    ¡°Lovely,¡± a voice said, tinkling like windchimes. It was not a voice Shirasil or any of the other gods often heard. The room quieted. ¡°It¡¯s lovely, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Yua Tin flowed from their couch like liquid moonlight into the air, face still raised to the stars. ¡°To be reminded we still live in our infancy in this vast space? That a thousand years is so brief. Look at us throwing a fit over the first small pebble we overturn. Here there are worms and fertile earth and cool ground. Look at how we witness an ecosystem and call it pests. It¡¯s beautiful to be reminded of our folly, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Shirasil marveled at them, wondering how anyone could think they might be tainted.

    ¡°You¡¯re suggesting we overreact,¡± Lorata said. ¡°Perhaps this is true. Though it is my belief that this would be preferable to brushing off this significant threat. It is our purpose to retain the order, is it not?¡± She turned to the rest of the gods. ¡°Our duty. At minimum, we need to search out these new users. Learn what change has transpired¡ªif there are new remnants waking in the mortal realm.¡±

    ¡°I for one, agree,¡± Shirasil said. Lorata raised a skeptical eyebrow. ¡°Is this not why we raise champions in the first place? To be our eyes and hands among the mortals¡ªto settle matters regarding the remnants, should they arise?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Lorata said, eying Shirasil with clear suspicion. ¡°Precisely. Now is the time to make use of our champions.¡± She stood straighter, shoulders back, managing to look down her nose at all the other gods¡ªeven the ones twice her height. ¡°First we must settle the issue of finding a suitable vessel for this remnant¡ªor vessels. It is so large, I think it will need to be split at least ten ways; bring forward your submission when decided upon. Then, summon your most trusted champion. Send them looking for what has gone wrong in the world. To search for these templates and this Kanin individual.¡±

    ¡°And if we find them?¡± Widengra asked.

    ¡°Evaluate the risk they pose,¡± Lorata said. ¡°Use your best judgement from there.¡±

    Widengra smiled at this, and Shirasil withheld a snort. Trusting Widengra to exercise good judgement was like trusting nereid to live in a desert. The rest of the gods bowed or nodded respectfully and began to disperse, vanishing from the hall in wisps of light. Shirasil turned to leave as well, musing over each of the gods and which would require his closest attention.

    ¡°Shirasil,¡± Lorata said, stopping him. ¡°I wanted to thank you for the support. It is not often we see eye to eye, though in this regard, I suppose I should not have doubted.¡±

    ¡°Is that your version of an apology?¡± he teased.

    She smiled, tight lipped. ¡°It¡¯s as close as you¡¯ll ever get. Though, after your initial comments, I am unsure why you changed stances.¡±

    ¡°On the contrary,¡± Shirasil said. ¡°I enjoy mysteries. I enjoy the discovery of a tangle of things yet understood. This anomaly is the most exciting thing to have happened in millennia, and I crave to learn more. Suggesting we investigate is very much in line with my priorities.¡±

    She considered this with a slow nod. ¡°I see. That is good to hear. Well then, I will hold you here no longer.¡±

    Shirasil inclined his head, turned on his heels, and let the hall of the gods fade into stardust behind him.

    Oh, Lorata. Arrogant, naive Lorata.

    He did intend to investigate, of course. His champions would be eager for the action. But he didn¡¯t only intend to send his minions; some things required a more delicate touch¡ªa more direct involvement.

    He was the god of curiosity, after all. Maintaining the status quo was not in his nature. And this promise of mass disruption Lorata warned of¡ª

    Oh. It would be delicious.

 Upcoming Post Schedule

    Hope you guys have been enjoying the Glass Kanin books so far! The name of the series, as you might have seen from the cover, is the NPSeeds Saga. The three spin off books will all fall inside the NPSeeds universe as well. Here''s a sneak peek at the titles and the upcoming post schedule you all can expect:

    A Little Salty

    Launch Date: August 26th

    Post Rate: M W F (after 9 chapters the first week)Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    Friendly Fyre

    Launch Date: Mid November

    Post Rate: M W F (after 9 chapters the first week)

    Nyte in Shining Armor

    Launch Date: Mid December (after 9 chapters the first week)

    Post Rate: M W F

    Kanin Fodder (Book 3)

    Launch Date: August 9th

    Post Rate: F (until I finish writing Nye, then I''ll ramp this back up to 2 or 3 days a week)

    More info to come on each of the new books, but I''d love to hear your theories and speculation in the meantime, haha. I''m taking next week off, so there will be no updates then. See you in two weeks with the start of book 3!

 Book 2 Recap

    After getting Noli¡¯s soul back in her body, Kanin sets his sights on the same. Spending a month Attuning and Sculpting glass, he builds a body capable of accompanying Zyneth to the country¡¯s capital, where he hopes to learn more about his predicament. In the Library of Miasmere Kanin investigates ways to recover his body. This line of study leads to him discovering a portal in the underwater ruins of Emrox that might lead back to Earth. Only, Kanin isn¡¯t sure if he wants to leave this world anymore. At least the portal might provide an opportunity to retrieve his body.

    But the portal to Earth evolves from possibility to urgent need when Kanin is attacked, his core damaged, and a fraction of the predator leaks back into the world. Now, getting to Earth wouldn¡¯t just be a way to recover his body, but could provide an avenue for escaping the predator¡¯s influence as well.

    Desperate to rid himself of the predator before it becomes too much to control, Kanin seeks help from an unlikely source: Gillow, a black market dealer Zyneth is indebted to. Gillow agrees to use their magical submarine to take the crew to Emrox, on the condition that Kanin steals a magical artifact from the Library required to power the vessel. Kanin initially hesitates, but when Gillow sweetens the pot¡ªand offers to wipe out all of Zyneth¡¯s remaining debt¡ªKanin jumps at the opportunity.

    But the Library¡¯s curator, Yedzaquib, is not so easily parted from his collection. Zyneth and Kanin sneak into the Library¡¯s underbelly and manage to find the artifact¡ªjust as Yedzaquib finds them. Yedzaquib is willing to let Zyneth go, but intends to keep Kanin as payment, in part due to the ¡®remnant¡¯ he sees latched to Kanin¡¯s soul. Thinking quick, Kanin uses the predator to take down the magical barriers inside the Library, releasing all the dangerous magical artifacts and prisoners being kept there. The Library is thrown into chaos and Yedzaquib is injured, allowing Kanin to escape with Zyneth, the artifact, and his life. But while his use of the predator facilitated their successful heist and retreat, it also resulted in the creature growing more powerful. The clock is ticking until Kanin won¡¯t be able to suppress it any longer.

    While recovering from the Library, Kanin and Zyneth have a heart-to-heart. Zyneth admits burgeoning feelings for Kanin, and while Kanin admits the same, he is reluctant to commit to a relationship given the likelihood of him leaving. The two leave the matter unresolved as they take the artifact to Gillow and prepare for their undersea journey. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.

    The path to Emrox is filled with magical sea beasts, which the group fights their way through. When they finally arrive, Kanin finds the fabled spell circle that can take him home, but he hesitates on its hearth. Once more Zyneth asks him to consider other options, as they both have a bad feeling that the predator might try to make some move when the portal is activated. Kanin nearly relents¡ªbefore Gillow launches an attack, damaging his core and summoning the predator¡¯s wrath.

    Quickly outmatched by the predator, Gillow attempts to flee in their submarine, which would leave both Kanin and Zyneth stranded at the bottom of the ocean. Seeing only one way to keep Gillow from leaving, Kanin activates the portal, trapping them all on the precipice of two worlds.

    While Gillow flees in an escape pod, Zyneth accompanies Kanin to the brink of Between, where Kanin can look back into Earth. What he finds there devastates him: his body in a graveyard, long since buried. There is no way to go home.

    While the two are distracted, the predator slips away, breaking the rest of itself out of Kanin¡¯s inventory and overwhelming him. Zyneth retreats back into his world, while the predator uses the link to Earth as a way to collect souls¡ªlike Kanin¡¯s¡ªwho had died and fallen Between. Zyneth fights the predator in an attempt to free Kanin, and in the process, the trapped human souls are released into the world. Due to quick thinking on Zyneth¡¯s part, and the sliver of control Kanin retained, the two work together to cause an explosion which blows the predator away.

    In the settling dust, the Ruins of Emrox begin to collapse. The predator is scattered, but not defeated: now Kanin and the predator¡¯s influence levels are exactly even, neither edging out the other. Kanin helps an injured Zyneth back into the submarine as the ocean collapses back in around them, and the two are sent adrift: aimless, injured, but alive and together.

    Kanin no longer wants to try to find a way back home¡ªor a way to recover his body. He was in denial about both of those things, and now he only wants to move on. After all, he has a new mission: find the lost human souls he accidentally brought into this world.

 Chapter 94 - Captains Log: Day 4 Lost in the Emerald Sea

    Getting marooned at the bottom of the ocean in a crippled submarine with rapidly dwindling supplies can be surprisingly peaceful.

    I mean, it¡¯s quiet, at least. Lots of hours to reflect on the long list of mistakes you might have made. Quality time spent with an attractive cambion who is bafflingly interested in you despite your inorganic glass form.

    And sure, Gillow¡¯s out there somewhere, potentially preparing to enact their revenge by murdering us and taking back their ship. Technically, a void monster is fused to my soul and is capable of mind-controlling me at any moment. I suppose it could be said that we have no control over our ship, nor a way to replenish the food and air supplies for Zyneth, nor can we predict when teleporting sea serpents might attack us without warning.

    But given the circumstances, it could be worse. At least we¡¯re both still alive.

    Actually, alive might be debatable, in my case.

    Remember: no eating the magic, I tell the predator. This is for my renewal spell, understood? We need it to keep from ending up Between.

    The predator grumbles from inside my head, not very pleased by the prospect of leaving my magic alone, but at least aware of the consequences (this time) if it touches it.

    Okay, good, I say, still a little suspicious. It¡¯s like an untrained dog. While I¡¯m staring it down, I know it might not have the courage to snatch the food from the table, but I don¡¯t trust it the second my back is turned.

    ¡°Ready?¡± Zyneth asks from his seat at the helm. His hands are outstretched in my direction, already beginning to glow with the faint yellow of his magic.

    I¡¯m standing in the middle of a spell circle I¡¯ve drawn on the main deck of the Prismatic, the only part of the ship large enough for a spell circle that can accommodate my form. I mean, I could just make a smaller circle, one sized to my vial, but over the past few days, as I¡¯ve been stitching my broken body back together (albeit a much more thin and frail form given all the glass I lost in Emrox,) I made the long-overdue decision to fix my core permanently in the chest of my glass body like a little magical heart.

    My chest. My body. It¡¯s still a weird mental adjustment to make. This body isn¡¯t temporary anymore. This is it. Which means I need to start focusing on turning it into the most ideal form I can forge it into¡ªmaterials permitting.

    ¡°Ready,¡± I tell Zyneth. ¡°Just laying out the ground rules with my passenger.¡±

    ¡°It won¡¯t take all my mana this time?¡± he asks. ¡°Because at some point we¡¯re going to need it for something else. Like not dying.¡±

    ¡°This will not be a repeat of last time,¡± I say. I turn an inward glare toward the predator. Right?

    It dignifies my accusation with a disgruntled growl. Good enough, I guess.

    ¡°Okay,¡± I say. ¡°Here we¡ª¡±

    I lurch to the side as the room pitches sideways, and only the void saves me from shattering into the wall. Zyneth clutches his chair as I dislodge myself from the nest of black tentacles that have sprung up from beneath my cloak and grabbed every available surface.

    Outside the window, giant plate-sized suckers are pressed to the glass. ¡°Oh, for the love of¡ª¡±

    ¡°Looks like we¡¯ve got company,¡± Zyneth says, hands flying over the controls.

    I stumble upright and lurch my way over the slanted floor to the nearest chair, where I can tap into the Prismatic¡¯s weapons systems. ¡°Can we not catch one fucking break?!¡±

    ¡°Technically, we¡¯ve had several quiet days without any attacks,¡± Zyneth said. ¡°Likely due to your spell at Emrox clearing the surrounding waters of null arcana. But now that it¡¯s had time to reaccumulate¡ª¡±Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

    ¡°That was rhetorical, Zyneth!¡± I strap myself into the seat and slam my hands down on spell circles, blue lines of magic swirling into existence and shining distortedly through my glass. Two new entities appear in my mind: the controls for two of the ship¡¯s giant mechanical tentacles. I unfurl them from the back of the ship and bring them around to get a good look at what¡¯s grabbed onto us.

    The predator stirs with eager anticipation as we catch sight of the creature. Attached to the front of the Prismatic like some sort of horrific, wriggling tumor is a massive cluster of tentacles, like a whole school of octopi got scaled up, then squished together.

    (Octopuses? Octopi? Is ¡®school¡¯ the right term?)

    Either way, it¡¯s some kind of gross eldritch abomination.

    ¡°Alright, I can see it,¡± I tell Zyneth. ¡°It¡¯s big, but it looks pretty squishy, so I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll give us too much trouble. Let me just¡ª¡±

    I pull two strands of void from beneath my cloak, intending to tap into two more of the Prismatic¡¯s limbs. But before I have a chance to activate the additional spell circles, the void pulls away from me, and a mental concussion slaps through my mind like a punch to the gut. I double over as the void snaps away from all my limbs, the predator grinning in my head as the void darts through the room and vanishes into the ship.

    Zyneth turns, alarmed. ¡°Was that the predator? What is it doing?¡±

    Trying not to panic, I wonder the same. Left without a drop of void to reinforce my joints, my glass body suddenly feels rickety and unstable; it¡¯s a good thing I¡¯m strapped to the chair, or I might have collapsed from the sudden absence.

    The predator doesn¡¯t care about any of this. I can feel its excited dash through the ship, arriving in the cargo bay before plunging out one of the windows and into the ocean. It only has one thing on its mind: slaughter the beast attached to our hull.

    ¡°Uh, it¡¯s just helping,¡± I tell Zyneth, trying not to sound as alarmed as I feel. The predator tears into the beast with sadistic glee, ripping its limbs apart. ¡°Getting some pent up energy out, I think.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Zyneth says hesitantly. ¡°That¡¯s good. Right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± But truthfully, I¡¯m shaken. It moved so quickly, with such force, I didn¡¯t even have a chance to react. I have no control over it. It¡¯s an untamed animal, bored and hungry, and if it ever arbitrarily decides to turn its bloodlust onto Zyneth, I don¡¯t know if I could stop it. At least it¡¯s left him alone so far, some of my attachment to Zyneth filtering into the predator enough for it to treat him as an ally. But what happens when I get back to land? What will I do when we¡¯re surrounded by people instead of sea monsters?

    I don¡¯t even need to use the ship¡¯s limbs. In a matter of minutes, the predator has completely shredded the tentacle monster, leaving the surrounding waters clouded with viscera and fish meat.

    ¡°Well,¡± Zyneth says at length, staring out the window. ¡°At least it can be said it¡¯s an effective sea creature deterrent.¡±

    That¡¯s an understatement.

    As the predator finally bores of shredding small bits of flesh into even smaller pieces, it finally slinks back toward the ship. It would have liked to go hunting for more, but the waters surrounding the ship are as far as it can venture, given its range is still anchored to my core. That¡¯s one small blessing, I suppose.

    Echo blips into my mind as the predator spills back into the ship.

    [EXP Threshold met. Level up! Class Evolution unlocked.]

    [Name: Kanin]

    [Class: Wizard (Pending Evolution)]

    [Level: 20]

    [HP: 10/10]

    [Temp HP: 197]

    [Mana: 200/200]

    [Role: Homunculus]

    Well, what do you know. The predator killing things counts toward my experience as well. Is that because it¡¯s tied to my soul? Or because my Attuned void is mixed in with its essence?

    ¡°Hey, Zyneth,¡± I say, calling his attention away from the gory visage still floating outside the window. As I do so, the predator makes it back to the deck, slinking into the room. I pause, and both of us stare, as the creature flows back over to me. It¡¯s like looking at a picture you can¡¯t quite bring into focus. One moment it appears to be made of shadow, and the next it almost seems more like tar. It could be a puddle of black, but then it takes a step, and it almost seems to have a wolfish form. Maybe it¡¯s all these things at once, and this is the only way my mind can think to interpret it.

    The predator flows back beneath my cloak in a frankly creepy display, then I feel the void fall back within my control once more. Uneasily, I patch up my joints, and hide the rest away in the shadows of my coat, as the predator mentally curls up for a self-satisfied nap.

    How is this my life.

    ¡°Uh, anyway,¡± I say awkwardly, as Zyneth continues to stare. ¡°I was going to say, it looks like I¡¯ve got a class evolution option.¡±

    He tears his eyes away from my coat, gaze lifting to my face, despite the fact that I don¡¯t really have one. ¡°A what?¡± he asks.

    ¡°A class evolution,¡± I say. ¡°I think it will give me some new abilities. It might help with¡­ well, everything.¡±

    ¡°What sorts of new abilities?¡± Zyneth asks, reclining in the chair and appearing to relax a fraction.

    What are my class evolution options? I ask Echo.

    She lays them all out for me.

    If I had eyes, I¡¯d be rolling them.

 Chapter 95 - Class Evolution

    Echo begins listing off the class options. [Mirror Mage.]

    ¡°Sounds dumb,¡± I say.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what it¡¯s called,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°What does it do?¡±

    [A class specializing in glass based magics. Mana consumption reduced by 50% for glass-based spells. Glass Attunement time reduced by 50%. The user additionally obtains the skill Elemental Dowsing which allows them to discover Attunable elements within range.]

    ¡°Could be useful,¡± I admit. ¡°I really need to develop my glass magic. Especially if I can find a way to make it less fragile.¡±

    ¡°That should certainly be possible,¡± Zyneth agrees. ¡°Maybe even without this class evolution. I¡¯ve witnessed glass more durable than the type you wield: perhaps it has something to do with how it¡¯s forged. Regardless, what are the other options?¡±

    [Shade Sorcerer,] Echo says next.

    I snort. ¡°Could it be any more edgy?¡±

    ¡°No one will know what it¡¯s called, Kanin.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll know.¡±

    [A class specializing in void based magics. Mana consumption reduced by 50% for void-based magics. Physical void constructs durability and precision increased by 50%. The user additionally obtains the skill Elemental Dowsing which allows them to discover Attunable elements within range.]

    ¡°So, effectively the same thing but for your void magic,¡± Zyneth says.

    If it reduced mana consumption for using the void, maybe this would stem the predator¡¯s constant hunger for more souls and help me wrangle a little more control over it. Alternatively, the increased durability and precision to void magic might just make the predator stronger. This one could turn out really useful, or really bad.

    ¡°And the last one?¡± Zyneth asks.

    [Arcane Attendant]

    ¡°Oh, please,¡± I sigh. ¡°Is the alliteration necessary?¡±

    ¡°Just tell me what it means!¡± Zyneth cries, exasperated.

    [A servant class specializing in the protection and assistance of others. The user gains access to the passive ability Arcane Guardian: When spells are used for the benefit of anyone other than the user, all arcana use increases in effectiveness by 100%. Elemental Kinesthesia increased by 50%. Mana consumption reduced by 50%. The user additionally obtains the skill Elemental Dowsing which allows them to discover Attunable elements within range.]

    ¡°It¡¯s a play off my Role,¡± I say, mildly annoyed. ¡°The Homunculus. An artificial servant. It¡¯s rewarding me if I continue to play that part.¡±

    ¡°That seems¡­ vindictive,¡± Zyneth says.

    ¡°The gods of this world must have a sick sense of humor,¡± I grumble. ¡°But joke¡¯s on them¡ªI¡¯m a bigger person now. Something as small as a dumb class name won¡¯t get to me.¡±

    Zyneth raises an eyebrow.

    ¡°Okay it won¡¯t get to me much,¡± I admit. ¡°But it does seem like the class to pick.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Zyneth asks. ¡°It¡¯s only useful situationally. If you¡¯re defending yourself, for instance, you won¡¯t gain any bonuses.¡±

    ¡°But it won¡¯t hurt, either,¡± I say. ¡°It would be the same as I am now; and with the predator invested in keeping me alive, I¡¯m less worried about protecting myself than making sure the same can be said for others.¡±

    Zyneth, specifically.

    ¡°When in effect, it is stronger than the other two classes combined,¡± Zyneth admits. ¡°And it¡¯s definitely advantageous that it boosts both of your affinities.¡±

    ¡°Exactly,¡± I say. ¡°Two in one.¡±

    ¡°It sounds like you¡¯ve already made your choice,¡± Zyneth says.

    I hesitate. This is an important decision, and I should probably give it more than ten seconds of thought.

    Mirror Mage (as stupid as the name sounds) would probably be the safest pick. I need glass manipulation no matter what, and making my body stronger¡ªnow that it¡¯s probably my permanent body¡ªshould be my number one priority from a magic standpoint.

    The Shade class is high risk, high reward. It could be the solution to gain a leg up over the predator. But it might also tip the tables in the opposite direction, and I¡¯m not sure that¡¯s a risk I can take.

    And of course, there¡¯s the cheeky servant class.

    Echo, I ask her. If the ship were to come under attack, and I used my magic to protect it, would the conditions be met for activating Arcane Attendant¡¯s effects?

    [The answer varies depending on the specifics of the situation.]

    Assuming Zyneth was onboard, I clarify.

    [Affirmative,] Echo says. [If magic was used to protect a structure in which the user was aware others were housed, the conditions of the Arcane Attendant class would go into effect.]

    That¡¯s exactly what I needed to hear. This class will help keep us alive while we¡¯re still trapped in the submarine. And once we get to land¡ªonce, not if¡ªit will also help me when I start tracking down the Lost Souls.

    Yeah, I haven¡¯t forgotten about those guys, as frustrating as it is that there¡¯s nothing I can do to try to find or help any of them at the moment. I¡¯ll just have to hope their first few days on this planet are better than mine.

    ¡°Arcane Attendant,¡± I say with an inward grimace. Okay, Zyneth might have been right that the name still bugs me. But I won¡¯t let that stop me! ¡°Select class evolution, Echo.¡±

    [Class evolution selected,] Echo says, and a warm energy washes over me. [Spell obtained: Elemental Dowsing. Ability obtained: Arcane Guardian. Mana: +100. Mana Recovery Rate: 1 point per minute.]

    [Name: Kanin]

    [Class: Arcane Attendant]

    [Level: 20]

    [HP: 10/10]

    [Temp HP: 197]

    [Mana: 300/300]

    [Role: Homunculus]

    The predator sits up and pays attention. It seems to understand that some sort of latent boost has been granted to its void abilities, even if it¡¯s not in effect at this moment.

    Don''t get too excited, I tell it. We only get the effects of Arcane Guardian while we¡¯re helping someone.

    The predator doesn''t seem to understand this, which is entirely unsurprising.

    ¡°Is that it?¡± Zyneth asks. ¡°You don¡¯t look any different.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t feel any different,¡± I admit. ¡°But hey! I got a pretty significant mana boost. About time!¡± All it costs is a sliver of my dignity every time I glance at my Class.

    ¡°That¡¯s great news.¡± He smiles wryly. ¡°Maybe now you won¡¯t need to leech off my mana every time you need to renew your spell.¡±

    ¡°Leech!¡± I repeat, offended. ¡°That spell keeps me alive, thank you very much!¡±The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± he says with a chuckle. ¡°I apologize for comparing you to a blood sucking parasite. There¡¯s no blood involved at all.¡±

    I grumble. ¡°The only parasite here is the predator.¡±

    Despite his objections, Zyneth still offers me some of his mana when I finally get back to completing my Core Bond renewal. I use up all of my mana and some of his, buying another week for my Core Bond spell. It¡¯s always a little anxiety-inducing, being a week or two away from death if I¡¯m not paying attention and run out of mana at the wrong time, but at least I have Trenevalt¡¯s beads to help me keep track.

    The predator doesn¡¯t mind that I used up all my mana, because it steals enough scraps away from me each day that Echo¡¯s Predator Time Limit stat is invariably sitting somewhere around 50 hours. I guess we both have our own stakes in reality to maintain.

    The rest of the day passes without any more monster attacks. Zyneth spends most of his time studying the controls of the ship, trying to intuit the runes that keep the sub running, and which ones might point us back to land. I study some sign language¡ªreally that book is the only form of entertainment I have down here¡ªfix little pieces of my still-broken body as my recovering mana allows, and try out my new Elemental Dowsing spell. Like my Inspect spell, which allows me to trace magical connections and learn a bit about their purpose, the Dowsing spell¡¯s mana consumption depends on how big of a range I use. I can have it running at 1 mana per minute, perfectly balancing with my mana recovery rate, if I only apply its area of effect to a sphere with a one-foot radius originating from my core. Which is, of course, totally useless. If I¡¯m looking for some glass or void to Attune, and it¡¯s already right in my face, I don¡¯t need a spell to find it. However, if I wait until I¡¯ve saved up some more mana, it could be interesting. Each point of mana doubles its range, so spending 10 mana per second expands the range to a whopping 5oo feet. Of course, I could only keep it going for 30 seconds, and then I¡¯d be out of mana and unable to Attune anything, but still, it could be useful for when I need some more glass in a pinch. I¡¯m eager to try it out once I¡¯m not stuck in a metal submarine.

    As the evening approaches, I can feel the predator becoming restless. It had been moping and recovering since Emrox, having lost half of its power, but I guess today¡¯s hunting spree has reawakened some of its instincts. I warily keep my eye on it as Zyneth prepares for bed and I take up watch on the main deck. I hate sitting here all night, twiddling my thumbs in the dark and silence, anxiously waiting for something out there to find us.

    Words tickle my mind: We don¡¯t have to wait.

    I mentally cast a suspicious glance toward the predator. What are you talking about?

    We are a predator, not prey, it thinks. We should be out there in the waters, hunting anything that dares venture too close; not waiting for them to come to us!

    I can¡¯t go out in the water, I say, tapping the core in my chest. The pressure would crush my vial. Or have you forgotten?

    The predator paces angrily in my mind. So weak! No, it hasn¡¯t forgotten. But we don¡¯t need to risk our soul to guard our territory. Our range is big enough that just the void can leave. We know this: it showed us earlier today.

    Don¡¯t remind me, I say. But speaking of that stunt, we need to have a talk about how we¡¯re going to coexist going forward. You can¡¯t just leave whenever you feel like killing something.

    Even if it saves us?

    Well, I hesitate. That might be an allowable exception.

    The predator smirks.

    But you still have to be careful, I add before it can get too full of itself. If I hadn¡¯t been strapped into a chair, I would have collapsed, and that could have injured my core.

    That sullens the predator. It doesn¡¯t want to risk damaging our soul. It needs it. Maybe¡­ maybe¡­ it can leave some of its void behind so I am not so weak.

    That¡¯s my void, thank you very much.

    Our void, the predator counters.

    I sigh. Alright, fine. I¡¯m willing to share, if you¡¯re willing to play ball.

    I get the mental equivalent of a head tipped in confusion.

    What I mean is, I want to figure out a system that works for both of us, I say. No more surprise unilateral decisions on your part. And absolutely no more eating souls.

    That sours the predator¡¯s mood. It needs souls to stay in reality. To keep from being sent to the timeless monotony of Between.

    For a moment, my train of thought is knocked off track. I¡¯d never really spared a moment to think about why the predator wanted to stay in reality. With its thoughts just now, however, I caught a glimpse of what it experienced while stuck in the null dimension: endless nothingness. Infinite boredom. A lack of everything¡ªno sense of space, no sense of time, no sense of self. The mind-numbing lack of stimulation was its own form of torture. Any living creature would have been driven mad in its place.

    Was it some thinking creature that had been driven mad over the eons? The thought briefly horrifies me, but as I catch another whiff of the predator¡¯s memories of its time spent Between, I realize that, no: It was just really, really bored.

    Anyway, you don¡¯t really need souls to stay in reality, do you? I point out, not letting the extremely-faint-and-already-diminishing pity I feel for the creature distract me from its argument. You can absorb excess mana from my soul and achieve the same thing. That¡¯s what you¡¯ve been doing for over a month now.

    The predator wilts. Yes, but it doesn¡¯t taste nearly as good.

    Cry me a river. Taking souls kills people. You can¡¯t do that. That¡¯s a hard line you¡¯re not allowed to cross.

    It won¡¯t take Zyneth¡¯s soul, the predator concedes.

    Or anyone else¡¯s! I cry. God, it¡¯s like arguing with a brick wall.

    Perhaps reacting to my own emotions, I feel a current of irritation stir in the predator. So many demands. But what does it gain? How is this¡­ It pauses, unsure what it¡¯s even trying to articulate. Then it reaches into me, into my mind and memories, just as I¡¯d been doing with it a moment before. I reel back at the invasion, but the predator found the concept it was looking for.

    Fair. How is this fair? What does the predator gain from this cooperation?

    At that, I¡¯m at a loss for words. Frankly, I hadn¡¯t really been concerned with what the predator got out of it. I¡¯m not sure, I admit. What is it you want?

    Souls.

    No.

    Permanently merging our minds and body.

    Absolutely not.

    Just a couple souls.

    Still no.

    The predator growls. It doesn¡¯t have to ask. It doesn¡¯t have to work with me. It might not be at its full strength, but it¡¯s just as strong as I am.

    Its presence builds into a pressure, its mind pressing against my own, and I have push abruptly back to keep from being overwhelmed.

    I can resist, the predator acknowledges. I can fight it off sometimes. But I can¡¯t fight it off forever.

    Alright, I say, shoving it away with not a small amount of effort. You¡¯ve made your point. And as much as I hate to admit it, you¡¯re right: I can¡¯t always beat you. And you can¡¯t always beat me. But constantly fighting each other isn¡¯t going to make either of us happy. So what¡¯s the compromise?

    The predator laughs; the answer is obvious. And I really can¡¯t blame it, because it¡¯s right, the answer is obvious, just not one I particularly like. But if I¡¯m making demands, and it¡¯s willing to meet them, then I have to be willing to make concessions, too.

    The predator¡¯s mind swirls around me excitedly as it brings its proposal into focus.

    50/50. That¡¯s the split in our power. So it¡¯s only fair that should be the split in our control, too. During the day, we do what I want and stay separate, but at night, we agree to the predator¡¯s wants and become one mind. The night is when I need its help the most, it argues. Both of us on watch is better than just one. Searching for prey is the best time to let it act freely.

    Not completely feely, I object. No souls. No killing anyone.

    The predator¡¯s mind presses closer. Excited. What about monsters? What if they attack us?

    Just self defense, I say. Only if we¡¯re protecting the submarine.

    Its will is pressing against my own, waiting for me to agree, but I still hold it back. It¡¯s not really trying to take over my mind, yet. But it¡¯s eagerly waiting to.

    And stay away from Zyneth, I hurriedly add.

    The predator scoffs. It knows not to hurt the cambion.

    It pushes more forcefully against my mind, waiting for me to give in, and I try to fight off the swell of anxiety this summons within me. I know this is the right move, even if it terrifies me. I know I have to do this, even if I hate it.

    First, it had been the dominant mind, and crushed my will. Then, I¡¯d been the one in control, suppressing it. Neither of these approaches were sustainable. If we both want to survive, we have to find a way to coexist.

    And I¡¯ve witnessed it learn. I know it can grasp ideas now it didn¡¯t understand when it first latched itself to my soul. If I want to temper its threat to others, connecting with it daily¡ªexposing it to more human thoughts and feelings¡ªmight be the best way to expedite that change. It will only be another couple of weeks until we make it back to land. Will that be enough time for any recognizable change? I guess if nothing else, I have to try. I don¡¯t know if the two of us coming to an understanding will ever be possible, but maybe at least a truce¡ª

    The predator throws its mind at my own. Enough thinking. Now, it¡¯s time to hunt.

    For one panicked moment, I fight back, instinctively clutching to my control. But this is what I agreed to. This is the first step toward moving forward. Forcing myself to make the most terrifying choice I¡¯ve ever had to make, I stop fighting, and I let the predator win.

 Chapter 96 - Beach Day

    We bound through the ship like an excited puppy, making a beeline for the exit. Well, most of us does: we had to leave our core back in the control room. But we take small bits of glass with us, pieces that don¡¯t have air pockets. They act as bones within our form and can be rearranged as claws or teeth as we see fit. We like it when we¡¯re able to merge the two magics. Even the part of us that doesn¡¯t want to admit it¡ªwe feel more whole when we¡¯re able to make void and glass work together.

    As we¡¯ve done several times before, when we reach the cargo bay, we dive out the window and into the ocean. The sea immediately assaults our senses¡ªcold and briney¡ªsensations that summon a keen sense of nostalgia in half of us. Smell, taste¡­ senses that have been locked away for so many months now. It stirs a strange, uncomfortable ache in our mind, which we quickly squash. We came out here to feel powerful and good, not whiny and pathetic!

    The water passes through our void in a strange, viscous sensation, yet we have no difficulty maneuvering the dark, empty waters. Attuned void, like all Attuned magic, is propelled by instinct and intention. Simply wishing to be in another place moves us in that direction.

    As we make a few laps around the Prismatic, keeping a keen eye out for the telltale shifting currents of nearby prey, we can start to feel the limit of our range. Although the many level ups we¡¯ve gained while on the underwater mission has increased the range of our Attuned magics, it still doesn¡¯t feel like nearly enough freedom. We¡¯re bound to our core by a radius of a little over one hundred feet, now. That might seem like a lot, but it feels like a short leash.

    Which isn¡¯t necessarily a bad thing. Maybe it¡¯s good we can¡¯t range too far.

    Ridiculous! How are we supposed to hunt this way?

    The goal isn¡¯t to hunt: it¡¯s to protect the Prismatic.

    That¡¯s the same thing. And we¡¯d be more efficient at it if we could go farther. Expand and guard our territory.

    That will only happen if we level up.

    Which we get from fighting!

    And practicing spells.

    We chew on this thought. It doesn¡¯t seem as fun as fighting. There is no sense of victory in doing spells. And they seem so restrictive¡ªnothing like the instinctive way we can shape and move our void. But if it makes us more powerful¡­

    Yes! We will practice spells. But which ones?

    Any of them are good to practice and level up. But if we want to build up our body¡ªbecome stronger, more durable¡ªwe need more material to work with. The newly acquired Elemental Dowsing spell could be a good place to start.

    For once, we¡¯re all in agreement, equally curious to try the spell and learn what it can do. Getting stronger is something both of us want. Building our body into a more ideal form is something both of us want. On these things, at least, we are in sync.

    We try to activate the spell in just a small range at first¡ªbut nothing happens. Right. We¡¯ve always struggled to activate spells when we¡¯re like this. Like there¡¯s interference. It¡¯s interesting, because simply controlling the Attuned glass and void still comes easily. And there have been times when we were able to perform a spell while the predator was in control¡ªlike when we teleported our core through the ocean via a Displace spell the predator intuited from the tempo squids. But the predator hadn¡¯t known it was a spell called Displace; it had just acted on instinct. Is that the trick? When we are separate, we rely on a concrete magic system to perform spells¡ªconcrete, similar to our mortal mind.

    But like this, an entity of abstraction, concrete ideas begin to crumble. Is that how we must operate in this form? By embracing the turmoil?

    We try again with the Dowsing spell. Without trying to separate our minds, without trying to reach for Echo or the System, without trying to force concrete rules into the chaos that is this form. Instead, we cast our mind out, imagining what we want, willing it to be: searching for void or glass that we can join with.

    [...ell activated¡­]

    And to our surprise, we feel something. We can feel our awareness expand¡ªand a strength in us faintly ebbing away. Is that the Dowsing spell we can feel? And mana being extinguished? For a moment we want to pull our mind back, search for Echo and our interface to check¡ªbut we can confirm later. For now, we¡¯re too excited to explore the function of this spell.

    We focus the Elemental Dowsing spell downward, searching for the seafloor. If we¡¯re going to find glass we can Attune anywhere, it¡¯s down there. But there¡¯s nothing in that direction to sense. Are we too high up? Is the range of our spell too small? We plunge downward, continuing our search.

    And then¡­

    Ah! Like sparks of light in the dark. Tiny, miniscule flickers of something at the edge of our range. Are those grains of glass? Specks of void? We don¡¯t know, but we¡¯re eager to find out. We swim toward them, picking up speed as we eagerly close in on our treasure.

    And then a painful pressure snaps through us. We reel back in surprise and hurt, a tension like a taught spring pulling us back toward the Prismatic.

    It¡¯s the range of our void. We can¡¯t move any further away from our core¡ªthe distance aches in us like a sprained limb. We¡¯re at the limit of our range.

    Agh! So close, too. The speckles of light are only a dozen feet away. Maybe if we just stretched a little farther¡ª

    Ahhh! The pressure again spikes into sudden pain, and we recoil. No, this is a limitation we can¡¯t test. What if trying to pull away from our core actually works, and the connection snaps? It might kill us. It might send us back Between. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    Can¡¯t risk it. Sulking, we drift back toward the Prismatic. We were so close to finding something, too! If only we were a little bit deeper.

    The thought gives us pause. Maybe we can move a little deeper. Zyneth has been working on the controls of the ship. What if¡­

    No! Bad idea. This is a bad idea. Given our track record, we¡¯d end up nose-diving the sub into the ocean floor.

    But we don¡¯t have to mess with the controls. With our void outside the ship, maybe a little nudge is all it needs.

    We still don¡¯t think this is a good idea. Zyneth would tell us, ¡°Kanin/Predator, this is not a very good idea.¡±

    That¡¯s never stopped us before.

    Okay¡ªyes¡ªfair point. But maybe it should! We could start today. Turn over a new leaf. We don¡¯t have to give into the impulse of every bad idea we have!

    ¡­But we will. Because we¡¯re very, very curious.

    ¡­

    ¡­

    ¡­Dammit.

    We swim back up to the Prismatic, relief flowing through us as the pressure of our range limit vanishes back into obscurity. Instead of heading back into the ship, however, we settle on top of it. We press down a little, testing our strength, and our void flattens out over the surface like a pancake. That won¡¯t do. We try again, gathering ourself back together, and try to focus on staying in one, solid clump of void, pressing down on the hull.

    A dozen pieces of our glass clink against the Prismatic, and we use these points to focus our void on, providing structure to our form. We try again, pressing down, clinging to our glass anchors. Then, we push harder.

    It¡¯s hard to tell if we¡¯re doing anything. The water moves around us as it always does. Always a current, even when we¡¯re not heading anywhere, but if we¡¯re moving down, it¡¯s not fast enough to notice. Probably a good thing: if we could feel our descent, it would be too fast. After a few minutes of pushing on the sub, we stop, then swim back beneath the Prismatic once more, using Elemental Dowsing to see if the distance has changed.

    And it has! We still can¡¯t reach the ocean floor, but it¡¯s closer. Excited by the progress, we swim back up to the Prismatic and try again.

    It takes several attempts of carefully nudging the sub toward the floor before we can finally reach the bottom. See? Look, patience and restraint: concepts both halves of us are learning to put into practice. We¡¯re giddy with excitement when we finally swim down to the sand.

    The pinpricks of light are pieces of glass, we think. Small specks the size of the surrounding sand itself. What makes something sand instead of glass? Is it just heat? We aren¡¯t sure. Maybe we can take some back to the ship and play around with it.

    We run our void through the sand, like fingers dragging through the beach, and the sensation summons abrupt memories within us. We¡¯ll never be human again. We¡¯ll forever be locked out of so many sensations and experiences¡ªexcept like this. Except when we¡¯re living as some kind of monster. Is this really what our life will become?

    We growl within our mind, digging claws of void into the sand and squishing the material in our grasp. What¡¯s wrong with being a monster? We¡¯re powerful. And we¡¯ll only get stronger. What¡¯s so appealing about being squishy and organic and vulnerable?

    We¡¯re vulnerable whether or not we¡¯re squishy and organic. Our core is so fragile.

    Then we¡¯ll make that stronger, too!

    We sift through the sand, plucking out pieces of glass that stand out to us because of the Dowsing spell. It¡¯s only then we realize we can¡¯t Attune them here¡ªthey need to touch our core to be Attuned. We¡¯ll have to bring them back to the ship. And just as we¡¯re thinking this, the lights in the sand vanish as the Dowsing spell ends. Our mana is extinguished.

    Irritation ripples through us, but it¡¯s only a minor inconvenience. Even this small handful will be useful to us. And there¡¯s more glass in the surrounding sand: we can pick it out later when we have more mana.

    Scooping up a pile of sand and holding it within our void, we glide carefully back to the ship. Too fast, and our void moves around the sand, spilling it back into the water. Too slow, and¡­ well, there¡¯s no drawback to moving slow. We¡¯re just impatient.

    When we reach the window leading back into the Prismatic, we experience a strange pulling sensation as the spelled window repels the water in our void and sand. But it¡¯s not enough pressure to stop us, and with another push, we spill back into the ship¡ªand the sand goes spilling across the deck. Oops. We¡¯ll clean that up later.

    In the meantime, we flow through the ship and back to our body, rejoining void and glass once more as we nestle protectively around our core. Motion in this body, walking on two legs instead of flowing between whatever form is most convenient, is more restrictive¡ªless adaptable. But it¡¯s also more cohesive, and the glass bones make us feel powerful. We grab all the broken bits of glass that we still haven¡¯t had enough mana to reattached to the body, and take those with us, too.

    As we relocate back to the storage room, void and glass alike float along with us, like moons caught in an orbit. We could tuck all of the void beneath our clothes if we wanted to, but there¡¯s so much now that it¡¯s a tight fit, and the shadows still manage to spill from every opening in our coat. Besides, we don¡¯t see why we need to hide the void, anyway. We should be proud of this power, not try to stifle it.

    We settle before our pile of sand. In the light, we can now see it¡¯s a colorful mix. There¡¯s white bits of coral and black bits of volcanic rock; pink and blue pieces of shells, and many more yellow and green specks we don¡¯t recognize. We wouldn¡¯t be able to tell the glass from the rest if it weren¡¯t for our magic. But sure enough, with a bit of mental prodding, now that a few points of our mana have recovered, we can begin to single them out.

    We remove our core from our chest and settle it atop the pile of sand. Without our coat or a pouch to cover our core, we enter a now-familiar state of double-vision, looking up at our body from the perspective of the core, while simultaneously looking through our glass and void back down at the little glass vial that houses our soul. Bits of glass sparkle as they lazily float around our body, while blobs of void separate and rejoin like the contents of a lava lamp. No, we don¡¯t look like a monster: we look like something far more alien.

    The specks of glass are so tiny, they only take seconds to Attune. We have to go digging through the sand and pull out the pieces one by one, which takes a while, but we¡¯re steadily amassing a small, new store of granular glass at my disposal. We¡¯ve never worked with bits so small before. In a cluster, it¡¯s almost easier to treat them like a fluid¡ªlike our void¡ªthan separate pieces of solid material. What can we do with this? What applications might it have?

    Time slips away from us as we work, and with no change in lighting to indicate the passage of time, we bristle with a start when we hear a noise within the ship.

    ¡°Ah, here you are,¡± Zyneth says, ducking under the bulkhead and into the room. ¡°Couldn¡¯t find you on the main deck, and I assume there¡¯s a good reason for¡ª¡± He stops mid-word as he catches sight of us.

    Alarm and shame course through us. We hadn¡¯t wanted Zyneth to see us like this, and we¡¯re already pulling away, fighting for mental space, even as another half of us disappointedly resist. No! It¡¯s not time, yet. We don¡¯t have to separate. We were having fun!

    As we continue our mental struggle, Zyneth¡¯s surprised gaze falls from us to the floor, where his brow quickly pinches in confusion. ¡°Kanin¡­ did you spend your watch building a sand castle?¡±

    We look at our little pile of sand with our core perched on top like a decorative seashell.

    Our void puddles to the floor in mortification.

 Chapter 97 - The Pirate AU would be called Kanin Ball

    Zyneth narrows his eyes at my reaction. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±

    ¡°We were¡ª¡± I struggle to pull my mind away from the rest of the predator. It¡¯s resisting only enough to be irritating. ¡°I was¡ª¡±

    ¡°That already explains quite a bit,¡± Zyneth remarks. ¡°Did it take over? Are you alright?¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­¡± I finish mentally batting the predator away, struggling to gather my thoughts as our minds split apart. All the predator¡¯s extra senses¡ªsmell, taste, its softer touch, its abstract vision¡ªfall away as the last filaments of its mind snap away from me, and I¡¯m left alone with my thoughts.

    I¡¯m a little disoriented. I¡¯ve never been merged with the predator for that long before. With it giving me mental space, I suddenly feel¡­ empty. Or maybe, exposed. I don¡¯t know how to describe it. Like I¡¯d been wrapped in a blanket that¡¯s now been ripped away.

    I don¡¯t like that.

    ¡°Sorry,¡± I say, realizing I¡¯ve been quiet for too long and never answered his question. ¡°I¡¯m okay. Just processing everything. What time is it?¡±

    ¡°Morning, supposedly. I can never tell from the lighting in here.¡± Zyneth hesitantly crosses the room and crouches down beside me¡ªbut not too close. I wonder if he¡¯s giving me space, or the predator. ¡°So what happened?¡±

    My first instinct is to lie. Brush it off like I was just practicing some void magic. I hate making him worry, and telling him the predator and I are now splitting time would definitely do that. But Zyneth¡¯s too perceptive for half-baked falsehoods, and I¡¯m supposed to be working on my communication. I inwardly grimace and steel myself.

    ¡°The predator and I came to an agreement,¡± I blurt out. There. I said it. No going back now. ¡°I still don¡¯t really trust it, but I also can¡¯t stop it, so we tried to find a compromise that we could both tolerate.¡± Each word feels a little easier to say than the last. In fact, now that I¡¯ve gotten started, the rest starts to spill out of me. ¡°Since our power is split fifty-fifty, we decided to share our time that way too. I call the shots during the day, and it takes control at night. It agreed to guard the ship while we¡¯re on shift, so we went out into the water to search for prey, but since there was nothing around, I convinced it to try some of our new spells instead. Then we kind of got distracted with that and managed to pick up new bits of glass, but our spell ran out so we took more with us to the Prismatic while waited to recover our mana, and we spent the rest of the night meticulously Attuning all the bits of glass in this pile of sand and practicing moving it like our void.¡± I lean back, planting my hands on my knees. This is where non-glass people would probably take a breath. ¡°Whew! Being honest is terrifying. And relieving!¡±

    Zyneth is staring at me, eyebrows raised. ¡°Wow. That¡¯s quite the admission.¡±

    ¡°That felt good, actually,¡± I say. ¡°Maybe I should confess stuff more often.¡±

    ¡°Yes, that would be preferable,¡± Zyneth agrees. His initial surprise, or shock, or whatever it was I did to him, seems to be wearing off. ¡°I suppose now I¡¯m the one processing. The predator was in control the whole night?¡±

    ¡°Sort of,¡± I say. ¡°When we¡¯re¡­ cooperating¡­ it¡¯s more like both of us are simultaneously in control. Sometimes I can feel the separation between us, like we¡¯re two people fighting for the reins. And then other times there¡¯s no separation at all. Especially when both of us want the same thing. Then it becomes almost like¡­ we¡¯re one creature.¡± The thought disturbs me as I think about it. Recalling the experience of being fused with the predator is unsettling in hindsight, largely because of how unaware I was of all these things while it was happening. ¡°It felt so natural. Like being of one mind is the way it¡¯s always been. It takes something we disagree on to create a dissonance within us, and then I regain some self awareness again.¡± The implications of this are chilling. ¡°But what if¡ªwhat if one of these nights¡ª¡±

    Zyneth puts a light hand on mine, and I jump. ¡°You¡¯re rambling,¡± he says softly.

    ¡°Sorry,¡± I say, a little shaken. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ I don¡¯t want it to make me hurt anyone again.¡± There¡¯s a line of pale-red on Zyneth¡¯s hand¡ªa still-healing scar from the fight with the predator. The one health potion we had on this ship was only able to close the wounds, but the marks of that battle¡ªand his limp when he walks¡ªremain. I hope it all heals in time. If I did lasting damage¡­

    ¡°You think it might try to attack me again?¡± Zyneth wonders, trying to surmise my thoughts from my silence. ¡°It hasn¡¯t attempted anything in the last few days.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± I say, ¡°I don¡¯t think it will try to hurt you. At least, not unless the rest of it comes back. The bits of the predator that have been with me the longest seem to be¡­ learning, I guess. Maybe I¡¯m rubbing off on it a little. It¡¯s definitely more coherent now than our first encounter. It understands that you¡¯re an ally, and even if it doesn¡¯t really understand anything deeper than that, it knows you¡¯re more valuable to us alive than dead. And that¡¯s why I had to agree to do this, you see? I need to influence it more. I need to make sure that when we reach land, it can exercise as much restraint with other people as it does with you. And spending more time talking with it, working with it¡ªI can¡¯t think of a better way to try to impart morals.¡± This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.

    ¡°You¡¯re probably right,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°You know more about how that creature works than me. I¡¯ve also witnessed your influence on it grow across the months it¡¯s been with you. But that¡¯s also why it scares you, isn¡¯t it?¡± he asks. ¡°You¡¯re worried the influence goes both ways.¡±

    I don¡¯t reply. It¡¯s uncanny how he can zero in on the crux of the issue like that.

    ¡°For what it¡¯s worth, I¡¯ve seen no evidence of that thus far.¡± Zyneth crooks a reassuring smile. ¡°If you were behaving more animalistic, I would be the first to let you know.¡±

    I laugh weakly. ¡°I know, it¡¯s an irrational fear.¡±

    ¡°Well I wouldn¡¯t go that far,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°It actually sounds like quite the rational fear.¡±

    ¡°Thanks,¡± I say dryly. ¡°How reassuring.¡±

    ¡°But fear is normal,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°Moving forward in spite of it is bravery.¡±

    I let the words sit with me for a moment. I don¡¯t think I¡¯m brave. In fact, I¡¯ve done a lot of selfish things these last few months as a way to flee and deny my greatest fears. And they all caught up to me anyway. Right now, I think I¡¯m just in damage-control mode.

    ¡°Ugh.¡± I grab my core from atop the pile of sand and use my sleeve to brush some of the grit away. ¡°Alright. That¡¯s enough feelings for one day. Now you know my deepest darkest fears. But that¡¯s not something I can do anything about. Either the predator will take over, or it won¡¯t. I¡¯ll either get it wrestled under control by the time we get to land, or¡­ I don¡¯t know, I guess I¡¯ll become a pirate and spend the rest of my days at sea, so as not to endanger anyone else.¡±

    Zyneth raises an amused eyebrow at that suggestion.

    I place my core back in my chest, like the glass heart it¡¯s become, and use a Chain spell to magically glue it in place. ¡°But before all that, we need to get out of here alive,¡± I continue. ¡°And that is something we can do something about.¡±

    The lost souls are a whole different existential crisis I need to unpack, but focusing on the here and now is more manageable, and having something that I¡¯m capable of managing is reassuring. I need to take things one step at a time.

    Zyneth has the good grace not to push the heart-to-heart any further, which is a relief. ¡°What have you got in mind?¡±

    I explain to him how I was able to slowly shift the submarine around from the outside of the ship, using glass and void to nudge it in different directions.

    ¡°With you directing from inside the ship, I might be able to help move us in the right direction,¡± I say. ¡°Assuming we know which direction is the right one. And by we, I mean you.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m still trying to work all that out,¡± Zyneth admits. ¡°But it¡¯s a good idea. And it seems your range is big enough that you can keep your core inside the Prismatic now, so you¡¯re at no real risk should any sea creatures appear.¡±

    I¡¯d just be risking my Attuned glass and void. Losing the glass would be inconvenient, but the void might be more of a problem. Since the predator¡¯s essence (or whatever) is mixed up in the void, it seems like it physically can¡¯t go beyond my magic¡¯s range, and trying to hurts the both of us.

    But that shouldn¡¯t be an issue unless the predator gets cocky and tries to attack some giant sea serpent or something.

    On second thought, that¡¯s exactly the kind of thing it might do.

    We¡¯ll need to talk about responsible prey-hunting later.

    ¡°I¡¯ll also be more effective if I can Attune more glass and void,¡± I say. ¡°The further we get from Emrox, the less likely we¡¯ll come upon more free-floating clumps of null arcana, but the predator and I will keep a lookout with our Elemental Dowsing when we patrol the Prismatic. For glass, I can pick pieces out of the sand, but they¡¯re microscopic, and it¡¯s kind of tedious. I¡¯m thinking a different approach might work better.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± Zyneth says. ¡°Is that why you¡¯ve turned the cargo bay into your own personal beach?¡±

    I rub my hands together excitedly. ¡°Yesterday you mentioned how fragile my glass is and that you¡¯ve found tougher stuff elsewhere. You thought it might have to do with how the glass is forged.¡±

    Zyneth tips his head, perplexed. ¡°Yes, I remember. In the artificing work I¡¯ve done with metal, heat-treating is often used to make the forged weapons stronger. Although I¡¯ve not worked with glass as an artificing material before, so I¡¯m not certain how different that would be.¡±

    ¡°Heat, yes!¡± I point at him. ¡°I¡¯d thought of that, too. And maybe different materials. That¡¯s also something you do in metalwork, right? You add other stuff to the blade to make it stronger.¡±

    ¡°Yes, depending on the alloy, it can have varying effects,¡± Zyneth agrees. ¡°You¡¯re saying you want to try mixing other materials in with your glass?¡±

    ¡°Not exactly,¡± I say. ¡°I mean, that¡¯s a good idea, too. But I can¡¯t do that with a Sculpt spell: it would just form glass around the other material. I think I¡¯d need to heat my glass up high enough to mix something in with it¡ªand that would have to be heated, too. But first.¡± I gesture to the pile of sand in front of me. ¡°I¡¯ve got the materials to make new glass right here.¡±

    Zyneth¡¯s eyes light up at the idea. ¡°Yes, of course. Very intriguing. I¡¯m not really certain on the specifics of how one converts sand into glass, however¡ªapart from a high amount of heat.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s about as much as I know, too,¡± I admit. ¡°But I¡¯ve got sand. You¡¯ve got heat. What do you say?¡± I spread my hands. ¡°Want to experiment?¡±

 Chapter 98 - Blinded Me With Science

    Zyneth hovers over the pile of sand uncertainly. ¡°So I just fire a bolt of lightning into this? You really think that will work?¡±

    Since I¡¯m immune to lightning type arcana, I¡¯m not overly worried about it going wrong. But at Zyneth¡¯s insistence, we relocated the sand pile on top of a wooden pallet so as not to electrocute the whole sub. I figure, worst case scenario we just zap a bunch of sand and nothing happens; then we can play around with his fire magic instead.

    ¡°Can¡¯t hurt to try,¡± I say. ¡°I¡¯ve heard of sand at a beach being turned to glass after getting struck by lightning. So it must be possible, right?¡±

    ¡°I suppose,¡± Zyneth says, dubious. ¡°Well, alright then. As you said, no harm in trying.¡±

    Yellow light appears in his hands as he holds them over the sand. Sparks of electricity crawl around his fingers. The glow gets brighter, like he¡¯s charging it up. I guess he¡¯s worried about it not being as powerful as real lightning, so he¡¯s giving it some extra juice. More licks of electricity zap around his hands, sparking angrily off into the air around his fingers. The light becomes white.

    ¡°Here we go,¡± he says.

    I don¡¯t actually see the bolt of lightning strike the sand. It¡¯s so fast, I only see the resulting effect. Which is sand exploding through the room.

    Even my Attuned void can¡¯t act quick enough to shield me. Thousands of tiny grains sand-blast me at point-blank range. It pings off my glass and buries itself in my clothes. I jerk back half a second too late, raising a hand as the predator swirls an alarmed wave of void around me, but by then, the sand has already passed us by.

    [1 point of Piercing damage sustained.]

    Zyneth¡¯s face is screwed up tight, eyes squeezed shut, mouth pursed in a grimace. His hand is still outstretched over the now-empty pallet. A fine layer of sand covers every inch of him.

    I can¡¯t help but laugh as Zyneth cracks an eye open, then blows out a quick breath, sending a scattering of sand from his lips.

    ¡°Okay, so maybe a little harm in trying,¡± I say.

    Zyneth turns away to spit more grit from his mouth and rub his hands down his face. I similarly shake my clothes off, sending a snowfall to the ground with every pat. The predator recedes back into my mind now that the apparent danger has passed, still confused as to what had actually happened.

    ¡°Well that was idiotically predictable,¡± Zyneth says, scrubbing his hands through his hair. ¡°I don¡¯t know why I didn¡¯t expect that from the start.¡±

    ¡°I can be persuasive like that,¡± I say, still highly amused. ¡°Get you so focused on the goal that you don¡¯t think of the consequences in pursuing it. Actually, that¡¯s rather the story of my life.¡±

    Zyneth continues to pick grit out of his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m not sure that¡¯s a good thing.¡±

    ¡°Probably not,¡± I admit. ¡°But hey, we learned something, right? That¡¯s science!¡±

    ¡°I suspect a bit more theory is involved,¡± Zyneth says, but as he glances at me, he cracks a smile as well. ¡°You¡¯re filthy.¡±

    I remove my head to examine: it and my hands were the only exposed glass that took a hit from the sand explosion. ¡°Too bad there¡¯s no bathtub in here.¡±

    Zyneth groans, turning his head to the side and flicking at his ear. ¡°Don¡¯t remind me. At least you don¡¯t have to worry about feeling sweaty and disgusting all the time. But we can¡¯t risk wasting our limited resources on something so superficial.¡±

    ¡°Good hygiene is not superficial,¡± I say. ¡°But point taken.¡± The surface of my glass is a bit scuffed up now: looking through it makes the world seem slightly foggy and white. Annoying, but easily fixed with a quick Sculpt.

    Zyneth glances around the room while I fix my glass, and abruptly breaks out into a laugh.

    ¡°What?¡± I ask.

    ¡°What a mess,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°Gillow would have hated this.¡±

    ¡°Hah.¡± I look around as well. ¡°They really would have.¡± I¡¯m not ashamed to admit that brings me immense satisfaction.

    Zyneth grins. ¡°I really didn¡¯t like that one. As amusing as it would have been to see their face, I¡¯m glad they¡¯re not here now.¡±

    ¡°Even though that means it¡¯s just you and me trapped in an aimless submarine at the bottom of the ocean?¡±

    Zyneth looks at me, eyes crinkled in amusement. ¡°Especially because of that.¡±

    My soul warms. How can it be that I¡¯ve never felt so at home as I do here? I¡¯m trapped in a glass shell, possibly forever: I died, I lost my body, I lost my sense of identity. Yet a distant sense of dread I hadn¡¯t even been entirely aware of is now gone. I no longer feel like I¡¯m running to or away from anything. I¡¯m just here, in this moment. How can our situation be so dire, and yet I feel so hopeful?

    Zyneth finishes dusting himself off and turns back to the pallet, tipping his head curiously.

    No, I know why.

    ¡°It looks like our efforts weren¡¯t completely in vain,¡± Zyneth says, gesturing to the spot where the pile of sand had been.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I ask, leaning forward. ¡°Oh, hey! You¡¯re right.¡±

    I¡¯d missed it at first, hidden against the zig-zagging black branches the lightning had burned into the wood. But there is something left behind: a branching clump of sand, like a nest of rocky veins. It¡¯s only about two inches long. Still, I give it a Check.

    [A piece of fulgurite,] Echo says.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like glass,¡± I say. It¡¯s black and brown, and certainly not transparent. I activate Elemental Dowsing. Sure enough, the clump of sand lights up. ¡°But I guess it is. What do you know?¡±If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    ¡°At least we have something to show for this mess,¡± Zyneth chuckles. ¡°Your theory was correct.¡±

    ¡°See?¡± I gingerly reach a hand for the piece of glass, but hover my hand just above it. It looks incredibly fragile. I use a tendril of void to lift it instead, not trusting my unyielding glass fingers to be gentle enough. ¡°Science!¡±

    Zyneth holds out a hand, and I give it to him. He turns the strange, stick-like clump of rock over in his palm. ¡°I admit, it is an intriguing idea. We could try different types of sand as we travel and see if that results in a different strength. It¡¯s not as if we have much else to do with our time. Although, we should probably create a more contained volume for me to use my lightning so we don¡¯t end up with a repeat of this endeavor.¡± He laughs. ¡°The cargo bay would be a beach by the time we¡¯re done with it.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll get on that,¡± I say, already wondering how I can use my Attuned glass to create a box or container in which to keep the sand we experiment with. Might help with collecting it, too.

    Zyneth hands the melted sand back to me, and I pocket it for later. I¡¯m excited to play around with it and try sculpting it into different shapes, but I¡¯ll need to spend some time Attuning it first. I can¡¯t wait to get my hands on bigger pieces. In the meantime¡­

    ¡°Alright,¡± I say, floating some fractured pieces of glass over. I¡¯m not sure if they¡¯d originally been part of my torso or arms or legs, but since I¡¯ve been puzzling my body back together from the Emrox fight, I¡¯ve been storing all the smaller loose bits with my signing glass. ¡°This next.¡±

    Zyneth raises an eyebrow. ¡°You want me to electrocute that? I¡¯m not sure it will have a comparable effect.¡±

    ¡°Especially as I¡¯m immune to lightning damage,¡± I say. ¡°No, I was thinking we try fire, next. How hot can you get it?¡±

    Zyneth frowns. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I¡¯m less practiced with my fire magic. I can try to make it as hot as I can, however I¡¯m worried about the rest of our surroundings. One bolt of lightning is a brief expenditure of energy. But if we keep a fire in here for very long, it might start heating up the air¡ªan air supply which I am very much dependent on. Additionally, I¡¯m not sure how hot glass needs to get before it begins to deform. Higher or lower than metal, do you think?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I admit. ¡°Lower?¡±

    Zyneth turns his hands up in a shrug. ¡°Hopefully: as if we try to heat this up on a section of the floor, I wouldn¡¯t want to melt the vessel before we melted the glass.¡± He sighs. ¡°An artificing book would be extremely useful right now.¡±

    ¡°Maybe we don¡¯t have to go all the way to the melting point,¡± I say. ¡°We could try a couple things: Heat it and let it cool naturally. Heat it, and then I Sculpt it while it¡¯s still hot. Heat it and rapidly cool it. And so on. Then I can test the strength of each different configuration¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re starting to sound like a real mage,¡± Zyneth remarks.

    ¡°...by bashing it against the ground.¡±

    Zyneth rubs his forehead.

    ¡°No, wait,¡± I say. ¡°Go back to calling me a real mage.¡±

    ¡°I feel the procedure for testing your hypothesis might need more rigor.¡±

    ¡°Well how about this.¡± I activate a Sculpt on the test piece of glass, segmenting it into four equal-sized marbles. ¡°If it¡¯s small, it shouldn¡¯t take as much heat or time. I can hold it in the air for you if you can heat it between your hands. Maybe the closer you can get to it, the less wasted heat will disperse into the rest of the room. Then we can compare the strength of each of the four marbles. I¡¯ll keep one back as the control to compare the others to.¡±

    Zyneth stares at me. ¡°How can you sound so clueless one moment and so clever the next?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a man of mysteries.¡± One of my starter roles in film was as a background scientist character whose only function was to look hot and spout technobabble. I might have picked up a thing or two.

    Zyneth cups his hands around the bead of glass. ¡°Yes, I think this might work. Are you ready to try now?¡±

    ¡°Go for it,¡± I say. ¡°I¡¯m just here to watch.¡±

    Zyneth¡¯s hands glow yellow, and then warm firelight flickers to life between his palms. I can feel the warmth wash over the marble.

    Wait.

    Zyneth presses his hands together tighter and flames flare between his fingers with an intense light. At the same time, the heat hits me.

    [1 point of Fire damage sustained.]

    ¡°OW! Wait wait wait wait!¡± I instinctively snatch the marble back to me, pulling it from Zyneth¡¯s fingers.

    He looks at me in surprise, letting his fire die. ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I didn¡¯t realize¡ª¡±

    ¡°No, no, it¡¯s fine,¡± I say, the pain already gone. Like a papercut. ¡°I forgot I feel through these too, even if they can¡¯t really hurt me. One moment, let me think.¡±

    I¡¯ve been able to turn other senses on and off in my Attuned pieces of glass. Namely just sight and hearing. But ¡®touch¡¯ is the third sense I can use through my Attunements.

    Echo, I think. Can the sense of touch be turned off in my Attuned glass?

    [Affirmative.]

    I¡¯d smack myself in my head if I wasn¡¯t worried about breaking anything. You mean this whole time I¡¯ve been feeling pain every time one of my Attuned pieces of glass broke and I didn¡¯t even need to?!

    [Query unrecognized.]

    ¡°Ridiculous,¡± I grumble. Echo, turn off my sense of touch in this piece of glass.

    [Affirmative.]

    Instantly, the glass marble becomes invisible. Well, not literally, but invisible to my mind. I can¡¯t feel the air against it any more: no temperature, no pressure, no sense of movement. No wonder ¡®touch¡¯ is turned on by default. Without it, it¡¯s infinitely more difficult to sense and manipulate. So I guess this isn¡¯t the ¡°turn pain receptors off¡± quick fix I thought it might be. But it¡¯s at least useful for this experiment.

    ¡°Okay,¡± I say, floating it back over to Zyneth. It¡¯s wobbly in the air, and I almost overshoot him. ¡°It¡¯s a little wonky, but I¡¯ve got it fixed. Shouldn¡¯t feel anything now.¡±

    ¡°That easy?¡± he asks, raising his hands once more to cup the bead.

    ¡°It has some drawbacks,¡± I say. ¡°Definitely won¡¯t be able to walk around with my sense of touch turned off across my whole body. But a couple pieces should be fine.¡±

    ¡°Alright then,¡± Zyneth says, hesitating. ¡°You sure you want to try again?¡±

    ¡°Very sure,¡± I assure him.

    Fire blooms into his hands. This time it goes better. I don¡¯t feel a thing, and Zyneth is able to press his hands closed around the glass marble as he manifests a furnace within. Another downside to not being able to feel the glass is that I have no idea how hot it is, or if it¡¯s close at all to melting. After a minute, Zyneth cracks his fingers open, and we both lean over to peer inside.

    ¡°Aha!¡± It¡¯s a red-orange color. ¡°We did it! Well, you did it.¡±

    ¡°Now what?¡± Zyneth wonders.

    I set that marble aside to cool. ¡°We try again with a new one. This time, I¡¯ll activate a Sculpt on it while it¡¯s hot. Ready?¡±

    We spend the morning experimenting with different levels of heat and ways of cooling the glass down. When the glass is room temperature, my Sculpt seems to make it weaker, but when I sculpt the glass while it¡¯s more malleable, it ends up stronger once it¡¯s cooled to room temperature. Zyneth even lets me use a bit of his water for dunking the heated glass beads into some water, which disappointingly results in the bead cracking all over until it shatters. As Zyneth puts it: ¡°That¡¯s an important data point, at least.¡±

    We only break when Zyneth declares it¡¯s time for lunch. I sit back to admire my work: both the successes and the failures.

    [Heated glass,] Echo reports as I examine them. [+1 durability. Heated Sculpted glass: +2 durability. Rapidly cooled glass: -1 durability.]

    It¡¯s not a lot, but it shows promise. I wonder how the fulgurite will compare to my previously Attuned pieces. And if Zyneth helps me make more, if those will be any different from each other. I might end up with different types of glass designed to serve different functions. The idea excites me.

    What a strange thought. Yet I haven¡¯t felt this proud of an accomplishment since I first arrived on this world, when I¡¯d been crafting bits and pieces of my body together from broken tableware. It¡¯s amazing how an act as simple as making something can feel so satisfying.

    And I¡¯m just getting started.

 Chapter 99 - Secrets

    We fall into a routine. The weirdest kind of routine. During the day, Zyneth works on figuring out the controls of the sub while I tinker with my glass magic; or he and I experiment with strengthening my glass and making new fulgurite; or I head out into the water and the predator helps me try to nudge the ship in whatever direction and orientation Zyneth calls for. Then at night, of course, the predator takes over, and we spend our time prowling the waters, slaughtering any creatures who venture too close, and collecting more sand for our body.

    You know, the normal ways people spend their free time.

    The fulgurite proves interesting to work with. We¡¯ve gotten the process down to a science, and Zyneth and I can produce a few sticks of the sandy glass each day¡ªwithout sandblasting the inside of the submarine. They¡¯re all slightly different colors. Some are more yellow, and some are more gray, and some are more brown. It must have to do with wherever we dug up the sand from the night before, and whatever else got mixed in. Once I get some pieces Attuned, I start sculpting them into different shapes and testing their strengths. Fresh from Zyneth¡¯s lightning, they¡¯re pretty fragile, and some break when I first pick them up. But once Sculpted¡ªonce I smooth out all the tiny veins and irregularities and try to squish them into one solid mass¡ªthey¡¯re stronger than my un-tempered glass. I use it to patch up my body and replace some of the glass I lost back in Emrox.

    ¡°But what¡¯s interesting is that the glass that comes from fulgurite doesn¡¯t work with my Refraction spell,¡± I tell Zyneth. ¡°I guess the glass has to be transparent for that spell to work. Which makes sense, it¡¯s the play of refraction from the glass and shadows from the void that produces the camouflage effect¡ªbut it¡¯s still interesting, because the spell description doesn¡¯t mention anything about the glass needing to be clear.¡±

    Zyneth is smiling faintly as I explain my latest discovery to him. ¡°Yes. Very interesting.¡±

    I pause. ¡°Wait. Are you just indulging me?¡±

    He puts a hand on his chest. ¡°Me? Never.¡±

    ¡°Ha ha. Well, sorry if my glass ramblings are boring you.¡±

    Zyneth catches my hand. ¡°It¡¯s not boring me. I was just enjoying watching you be excited about something.¡±

    Am I excited? I guess I am, a bit. All this experimenting with the sand and heat has been, dare I say, (while trapped beneath the ocean and three inches of metal away from an untimely second death,) kind of fun! Despite never sleeping, it almost seems like there aren¡¯t enough hours in the day for everything I want to try. My mana refills faster now with the new class upgrade¡ªand another level up I gained thanks to the predator¡¯s nightly patrols¡ªbut even I occasionally hit empty, at which point I switch to reading the sign language book I¡¯d purchased in Miasmere and practice new words.

    ¡°And what do you get excited about?¡± I ask Zyneth. ¡°You know, when you¡¯re not trapped in a submarine.¡±

    ¡°Well on the rare occasion that occurs,¡± Zyneth says, his eyes laughing, ¡°I rather enjoy working on Artificing projects. Imbuing objects with spells, practicing with my blades.¡± His hand goes to the sheaths I¡¯d gotten for him at his side, one of which is empty. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll be needing to make another one when we get back to land.¡±

    I feel a pang of regret for losing it in the chaos of Emrox¡¯s collapse. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about that.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°It allowed you to escape the predator¡¯s influence, which saved both of our lives. I¡¯d trade a blade for a life in a heartbeat.¡±

    Even so, I¡¯ll find a way to make it up to him. ¡°About your artificing. You were able to temporarily imbue me with some spells before, which strengthened my core when I was in the water. Do you think you could do something like that again?¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°We¡¯ve plenty of parchment and charcoal left. I can draw up some new circles.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not exactly what I meant.¡± I fidget, spinning a piece of signing glass around my fingers. ¡°What about something more permanent? Could you etch a circle into my glass?¡±

    Zyneth raises his eyebrows. ¡°I mean, I suppose I could. I¡¯m¡­ somewhat hesitant to try, as I¡¯ve never worked in that medium, and the spell circles often need to be tweaked for whatever object they¡¯re going to infuse with a spell.¡±

    I tip my head. ¡°You can¡¯t just copy that same spell circle from the parchment onto some of my glass?¡±

    Zyneth shakes his head. ¡°The paper spell circles are temporary. It¡¯s more of a conduit than true artificing. It allows me to channel my magic through the circle and into the target object¡ªwhich was why it was so draining for me to do. However, once imbued, artificing does not draw on the user¡¯s mana. Like the spells in your jacket or boots.¡±

    ¡°Right,¡± I say, recalling a similar lecture Zyneth had given me back in the markets of Miasmere. Was that really only a month ago? It feels like a year. ¡°It¡¯s like a battery. And once the spell is out of energy, the circle stops working until it can be charged up again. Is that a problem? Can¡¯t you charge the spell circle once it¡¯s etched into my glass?¡±

    ¡°I could. It would just take some time; you won¡¯t get out more than you put in. Which is why it¡¯s wise to design a circle that can be charged by your own arcana type, so you don¡¯t have to go pay an artificer to charge the spell back up again once it runs out. That¡¯s not possible with all spells, but that¡¯s where the art in artificing comes in.¡± This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.

    ¡°You mean you think you could design a spell circle that I could charge up myself?¡± I ask. ¡°That would be amazing.¡±

    ¡°No promises,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°Are you looking for any effect in particular?¡±

    I splay my hands. ¡°I was thinking specifically something that would assist with ¡®not risking death every time I trip over that one step onto the main deck.¡¯¡±

    Zyneth chuckles. ¡°Durability, then.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that sounds about right.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll look into it,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°I¡¯ll need to borrow some pieces of glass from you to practice on, though. And you probably won¡¯t be getting them back in one piece.¡±

    ¡°Not a problem. Patching up broken pieces of glass is basically ninety percent of what I do.¡±

    Zyneth smiles wryly. ¡°Are you sure ninety percent of what you do isn¡¯t dragging me into trouble?¡±

    ¡°Ouch!¡± I put a hand over my chest, feigning offense. Okay, just a little offended. ¡°I¡¯m turning over a new leaf! No more secrets. No more impulsive decision making.¡±

    Zyneth raises an amused eyebrow.

    ¡°No more impulsive decision making without talking about it first,¡± I amend.

    ¡°You¡¯d think that part would come naturally, given how much you seem to enjoy hearing yourself talk.¡±

    ¡°Rude!¡± I playfully punch him in the shoulder.

    Zyneth flinches back, sucking in a breath as he puts a hand over his arm.

    I snap my hand away from him, alarmed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry! Did I hurt you? I didn¡¯t think it was that hard.¡±

    Had I hit harder than I intended? Had the void somehow done that? No, I would still feel it if there were more power behind the blow¡ªand Echo would have said something if I dealt any damage. I barely tapped him. It was supposed to be a joke.

    Unless I hadn¡¯t caused a new injury, but accidentally hit an old one. He¡¯s still healing from the Emrox battle with the predator.

    ¡°Oh, god,¡± I say, realizing what I must have done. ¡°Your injuries¡ªI¡¯m sorry. I should be more careful.¡±

    ¡°No, no,¡± Zyneth says, smoothing out his sleeve as he runs a hand down his arm. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault. Please, bear it no mind.¡± He tugs at the end of the sleeve, as if to pull it a little bit lower.

    Something about that gesture catches my attention. Was he injured where I hit him? The predator used my glass to stab him in several places across his body, but none of them were in the side of his arm. All the glass hit him from the front. I should know: I dug each and every piece out of him.

    ¡°Zyneth,¡± I say, suspicion creeping in. ¡°It¡¯s not really from your previous injuries, is it?¡±

    Zyneth hesitates, which is all the confirmation I need.

    ¡°Are you hiding something?¡± I ask, baffled. ¡°And after all that mocking I received for doing the same!¡±

    ¡°To be fair, every time you held something back, it only caused trouble,¡± Zyneth says.

    ¡°Oh, and this won¡¯t?¡± I ask.

    He grimaces. ¡°I didn¡¯t want you to worry.¡±

    ¡°That sounds familiar,¡± I remark.

    Zyneth lets out a sigh. Then he gingerly rolls up his sleeve.

    One of his tattoos is glowing.

    ¡°Oh,¡± I say, the implications slowly clicking into place. ¡°Oh, no.¡±

    The two remaining tattoos on his arm represent the debts he¡¯s accrued from various blackmarket dealers, like Gillow. And when one of them lights up, someone¡¯s calling in a favor. Only Zyneth wouldn¡¯t be able to answer, because he¡¯s trapped beneath the ocean.

    ¡°When did it start?¡± I ask.

    ¡°A few days ago,¡± Zyneth reluctantly answers.

    ¡°Is there any way you can stop it? Cancel the request?¡±

    Zyneth shakes his head. ¡°Only the dealer can stop it. And they might, in another week or so, once they realize I¡¯m not coming. I can tolerate it for now.¡±

    ¡°What happens if you don¡¯t answer? I ask.

    Zyneth gestures to the tattoo: it¡¯s a stylized snake eating its own tail, with its body broken up into ten different segments. He taps one of them. ¡°It will grow another link in the chain. Interest, you can call it. In the meantime, the mark will continue to burn more incessantly in an attempt to get my attention. It¡¯s usually not this bad,¡± he adds. ¡°It must be the distance. Or perhaps the spell knows I¡¯m making no effort to fulfill the request.¡±

    Something about that sounds eerily familiar. Back when I was first summoned to be a servant to Trenevalt, the Role Requirement had forced me into actions I had no interest in doing. If I tried to refuse, my sanity metric would plummet. But if I was at least trying to fulfill a command, my sanity stayed level. Is there some connection between the magic that has given me a Role I¡¯m compelled to fulfill, and the magic that compels Zyneth to pay off his debts?

    Not a question I can find an answer to now, but a question that maybe deserves some attention when we have more resources at our disposal.

    ¡°Trying to get back to land might help lessen the effects, then,¡± I say. ¡°We should go try it now. I can head out into the water and start nudging the submarine toward the surface, and you can steer and give me directions from inside.¡±

    The predator drifts to the forefront of my mind, catching a whiff of my excitement and determination, if not completely understanding where it¡¯s coming from. It can tell I¡¯m intending to use a lot of void, which makes it eager to join in.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go grab all the new glass I¡¯ve Attuned,¡± I add. ¡°It will be good to practice with some of the rougher pieces. See how they fare once put to use. And now I¡¯ll have a better glass-to-void ratio to work with, so I might be more effective.¡±

    Zyneth shakes his head at me with a smile.

    ¡°What?¡± I ask. ¡°I¡¯m serious!¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± he says. ¡°And I appreciate it. Not all of your impulsive decisions are bad ones.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s because I¡¯m talking about it, first,¡± I tease.

    He rolls his sleeve back down, looking at me with that ever faint, ever present amusement. ¡°Well, what are we waiting for? No sense in burning daylight.¡±

 Chapter 100 - Thinking Glass

    It takes over a week to push the submarine up to the surface. Even with all my glass and void, we¡¯re still just a fraction of the size of the Prismatic, so it¡¯s a lot like a dog trying to push a semi truck. But little by little, inch by inch, we make progress. And finally, the water begins to grow brighter. And then there¡¯s sun.

    No more trips to the seafloor to gather sand and make more fulgurite. But I don¡¯t mind, given Zyneth¡¯s condition. As I¡¯d hoped, our progress slowed the advancement in Zyneth¡¯s cursed tattoo¡ªslowed, but not stopped. I catch him grimacing when he doesn¡¯t think I¡¯m watching, and he¡¯s slower and more careful with his arm than usual. But we¡¯re getting closer. We¡¯re making progress.

    We stand in the cargo hold, looking up at the twin eye-shaped windows leading outside. A waterline cuts them in half, and on the top half is daylight.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it,¡± Zyneth says, looking up at the sunlight cascading through the window. ¡°We actually made it.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t believe it?¡± I repeat. ¡°I told you I¡¯d get us out of here. No faith at all!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s one thing to believe, and another to see,¡± Zyneth says, not rising to the bait of my teasing. He stares out the window, his face smoothed with relief. I wonder how much worry he¡¯s been keeping knotted up behind that mask.

    ¡°Want to head up?¡± I ask.

    He tears his gaze away from the sky. ¡°We probably shouldn¡¯t. It would be unwise to leave the submarine uncrewed while we both left.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll stay in, then,¡± I offer. ¡°Or, part of me. I can leave my core and some glass behind, just to keep an eye on things in here. And then I can send my body up to take a look around.¡±

    Zyenth gives me a curious and amused look. ¡°You¡¯ll be in two places at once.¡±

    ¡°Oh, yeah. I guess so.¡± It is kind of weird when he puts it like that. But I¡¯ve already adapted (mostly) to seeing from multiple sources, so in practice it should be simple. Existentially, though, it does kinda feel inhuman.

    Not that I am a human anymore. I guess Echo¡¯s been saying it from the start, hasn¡¯t she? [Species: N/A]. Just thinking glass and shadows.

    ¡°Let¡¯s stop dallying,¡± I say. ¡°I can help lift you up if you need it.¡± Since the lower half of the windows are still underwater, he¡¯ll basically have to jump up to the ceiling, grab the lip of the roof, and swing himself up and through the air-side of the window to land on top of the submarine, if he wants to do it by himself.

    Zyneth gives me a skeptical look. ¡°Just because I¡¯m a little injured doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m helpless, you know.¡± Without even using his right arm, he runs up the curve of the wall, kicks off a strut, catches the lip of the roof with his left hand, and then swings himself up and through the air-side of the window to land on top of the submarine.

    ¡°Oh, well excuse me for forgetting you¡¯re a literal ninja!¡± I call after him. If he heard, he doesn¡¯t reply.

    Removing my core and leaving it behind with all my loose glass¡ªboth the new stuff I¡¯ve Attuned, and the recently created glass from the fulgurite¡ªI try to lift my body from the ground and through the window. The void is doing most of the work, though I¡¯m still mentally trying to levitate the glass. Maybe it¡¯s all the practice I¡¯ve gotten from swimming around in the water, but it¡¯s not as hard as I¡¯d expected, given the glass that makes up my body weighs several hundred pounds. In theory, I should be able to levitate my body without the void¡¯s help, in the same way I levitate all my small bits of signing glass. But the body has so many more parts, and is so much more complicated, that it¡¯s hard to hold everything in my mind at once.

    I¡¯d done it before, once. In the Athenaeum, when fleeing from the fire mage, Raz, for the briefest moment I¡¯d seen everything as one unified shape, one complete body, and I¡¯d been able to pull myself from freefall onto the safety of a nearby floor. There¡¯s no reason why I can¡¯t do that again. It just takes more focus. Split attention. Maybe, with the predator¡¯s help¡­

    The predator perks up as it catches my thought. It surges to the forefront of my mind. What can it do? It¡¯s ready to fight.

    We¡¯re not fighting anything, I tell it. I was just thinking about moving all the glass¡­ Nevermind, it doesn¡¯t matter.

    But the predator can read my mind: it understands what I¡¯d intended even without me having to explain. Oh, yes, that should be very easy. It reaches into our void.

    Hey, wait¡ª

    The void stiffens throughout my body, abruptly locking every joint into place. And just like that, in my mind, the glass body snaps into focus as one solid object. I raise it toward the ceiling, and it levitates exactly as I intend.

    I pass through the window and hover over the submarine. Huh. Actually that was pretty help¡ª

    The predator lets go of the void and I crash to the top of the submarine.

    ¡°Kanin!¡± Zyneth leaps to my side. ¡°Are you alright?¡±

    ¡°Fine,¡± I grumble, picking myself up. ¡°Just having some technical difficulties.¡± Nothing¡¯s broken at least. Maybe because I hit boots-first, and the Feather Foot spell it¡¯s artificed with absorbed the damage. I shoot a mental glare at the predator, but it¡¯s oblivious to my irritation. Now that it¡¯s job is done, it¡¯s stretching out and curling up, like a cat basking in the sun.

    And there is sun. After so long underwater, it seems impossibly bright. I can feel its warmth on my glass. It¡¯s distant. It doesn¡¯t prickle my skin and sink into my bones. But I can feel it, and that¡¯s something.

    I turn my glass in a slow circle, taking in the sight. ¡°Wow,¡± I say. ¡°Would you look at that.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Zyneth whips his head around. ¡°Do you see land?¡±

    ¡°Oh, no. ¡®Wow,¡¯ as in, ¡®That¡¯s just a whole lot of ocean!¡¯¡± In every direction. The horizon seems impossibly far.

    ¡°Too bad.¡± Zyneth takes in a deep breath, and sighs it out, long and content. ¡°But at least it¡¯s nice to get some fresh air. I hadn¡¯t realized how much I¡¯d needed it.¡±

    Without the ability to smell, I¡¯d forgotten about that. ¡°And running out of air should no longer be a danger,¡± I add.

    Zyneth nods. ¡°Food and fresh water is the limiting factor now.¡±

    ¡°I could probably hunt something if it comes to it,¡± I offer. Well, the predator can. I¡¯ll just have to convince it to not tear all the meat to tiny little shreds after it kills whatever it catches. ¡°You could cook it with your fire.¡±A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    ¡°Eating unknown meat might be dangerous,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°There¡¯s the potential for it to be toxic.¡±

    ¡°I could get Echo to identify it first,¡± I say. ¡°If you know what it is, would you know if it¡¯s safe to eat?¡±

    ¡°Probably, depending on the sea creature,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°Then that just leaves fresh water. I can tell the Prismatic has some function that should allow for the sea water to be filtered into drinking water, I just can¡¯t quite figure it out. It might require water arcana to activate, in which case we¡¯ll be out of luck. I¡¯ll keep trying, though.¡±

    ¡°Maybe I can help with that,¡± I say. Now that I¡¯m not making more glass out of sand and lightning and then Attuning it, I have both more free time and more mana on my hands. ¡°I¡¯ll see what I can work out with the Inspect spell I have.¡± I¡¯d tried to use it on the navigation system before, but my spell wasn¡¯t high enough level, and the spell network in the Prismatic was way more complicated than I was able to parse. But finding one water filter spell might be easier.

    ¡°Look at us,¡± Zyneth says with a chuckle. ¡°We¡¯re practically self-sufficient now. We could live out here for years.¡±

    ¡°Oh please, god, no,¡± I say. ¡°Becoming a lonely pirate crew is the last resort, remember. But if we keep heading in the same direction, we¡¯re bound to hit land eventuuuuaaaalllllll¡­¡±

    My voice pitches lower, the word dragging out until it¡¯s just one long, insensible note. Then, it goes out. I shake the amulet bound to my wrist. What the heck?

    [Check,] Echo says. [Artificed translator. Its internal spell network is out of mana.]

    Oh, great.

    ¡°Your translator,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°It must have run out of mana.¡±

    ¡°You think?¡± I sign. I unclasp the chain and hand the pendant over to Zyneth. ¡°Can you fix it?¡±

    He watches my signs intently, his eyes slightly narrowed in concentration. ¡°You¡¯re asking if I can charge it back up?¡±

    I forgot he¡¯s only learned a handful of signs. ¡°Yes,¡± I sign, keeping it simple.

    ¡°I¡¯ll have to spend some time figuring out its spell circuit, first,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°Like the glass spell circle I¡¯m making for you, it¡¯s designed with a specific type of arcana in mind when it¡¯s built, and most artificers build them to be compatible with their own arcana type. In this case, Red¡¯s. Let¡¯s see¡­ I think he might have a lightning affinity, like me. That might mean I can charge it back up without any tinkering.¡± He hesitates. ¡°But if I¡¯m wrong, I might just fry it.¡±

    My instinct is to tell him to just go for it, but I suppose there¡¯s no rush. Might as well have him take his time with it; after all, time is something we have an abundance of.

    ¡°Not now,¡± I sign, again trying to simplify my language. ¡°We can wait.¡±

    Zyneth¡¯s eyes dance in amusement. ¡°What¡¯s this, you exercising restraint?¡±

    I show him a rude gesture Rezira taught me, and he laughs.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take a look,¡± he promises, pocketing my translator. ¡°In the meantime we still have that backup. The first one Red gave you.¡±

    He still has that? I thought I got rid of it back in Miasmere. Sneaky rogue. But using that knock-off translator is the last thing I want.

    ¡°No,¡± I sign. ¡°Absolutely not.¡±

    ¡°I know you don¡¯t like it,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°We can use signs for most things instead. But there might be times where I¡¯ll need to communicate with you while I¡¯m working the ship¡¯s controls and I can¡¯t spare the attention. Would you at least carry it around just in case?¡±

    I fold my arms to emphasize my displeasure, and instead use some of my extra glass to sign, ¡°Fine.¡±

    ¡°Well, as delightful as it is to feel the sun and breathe fresh air, we should be getting back inside,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°I was really hoping we¡¯d see some sign of land while we were up here. Ah, well. Keep heading west, and we should hit the coast eventually.¡±

    I¡¯d offer words of encouragement, but Zyneth probably would only get bits and pieces. I need to lend him my sign language book.

    The two of us head back inside, and I nudge the predator for an assist as I lower myself back through the window. It obliges, radiating boredom, and once more the void locks my body up, allowing me more precise control over the glass. I glide slowly down, this time managing to make it to the ground before the predator drops me to the deck in a glass heap.

    Zyneth is watching me with eyebrows raised as I touch down. ¡°Are you levitating?¡±

    I shrug, then spin some of my signing glass around my hand, gesturing to it.

    ¡°Well, yes, I suppose it shouldn¡¯t be that much of a surprise,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°You levitate the small pieces all the time. I just didn¡¯t realize you could do the same with your body.¡±

    ¡°Me neither,¡± I sign, which isn¡¯t strictly true, but getting into the nuances of ¡°I technically did it once before and I can do it again now with the predator¡¯s help¡± is a bit much for his signing vocabulary.

    ¡°Could be useful,¡± he says as I go to retrieve my core. I guess I didn¡¯t need to leave it behind to guard the ship afterall. ¡°You keep surprising me. The ability to separate your mind from your body to be in two places at once, the way the predator can act independently from the rest of you, the spell that allows you to teleport things through your void, and now flying.¡± He shakes his head with a chuckle. ¡°That¡¯s a terrifying combination in the wrong hands.¡±

    I¡¯d actually forgotten about Displace. The predator had learned the teleportation spell from the tempo squid, but I¡¯d only had a handful of opportunities to use it before now. It costs so much mana to move things through my void that, on my own, I had only been able to use the spell on my core; I¡¯d needed collected mana from the waters of Emrox or gifted mana from Zyneth to achieve anything on a larger scale. But with this evolved class, I have more mana at my disposal. I wonder how much I can manage now.

    Zyneth retrieves the backup translator for me, and I inwardly grimace as I clasp it around my wrist.

    ¡°I hope you get the other one fixed fast,¡± I say, the voice echoing out of the translator much more stilted and robotic than the other.

    ¡°Oh come on,¡± he says. ¡°It¡¯s not so bad!¡±

    ¡°It is Expletive terrible.¡± I spread my hands. ¡°See?¡±

    Zyneth only appears highly amused. ¡°If you didn¡¯t swear so much, you wouldn¡¯t even notice.¡±

    ¡°I absolutely would notice,¡± I say. ¡°It can not do contractions, for one! Noli was right, these are pieces of Expletive.¡±

    ¡°And those are the exact words she used?¡± Zyneth asks, grinning.

    ¡°Expletive off.¡±

    Zyneth laughs. A full, unrestrained laugh. And dammit, I can¡¯t totally hate the translator when it¡¯s the cause of his smile. Everything was so tense, so serious, for so long. We¡¯ve needed this time on the Prismatic to just be.

    I glance at his arm, and my good spirits fade.

    ¡°Back to work, then,¡± I say. ¡°It cannot be much farther now.¡± The predator surfaces at my words like a Pavlovian dog. I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s starting to learn the language, or if it¡¯s just reading the concepts directly from my mind; either way, it knows when I intend to go for a swim, because it knows I¡¯ll need its help.

    ¡°Back to work,¡± Zyneth agrees. He hesitates, and I linger. It seems like he wants to say something. Do I want to say something? He flashes me his usual roguish smile, then turns and heads to the control room. I drift back over to the cargo bay windows.

    What was that? Was it just my imagination? Ugh. We really need to talk about¡­ us. A thought I¡¯ve had on repeat in the back of my head for the last couple of weeks. But it never feels like the right time. I¡¯m not even sure what I¡¯d say.

    Nerves prickle at the back of my mind as I try to focus on the task at hand: getting the submarine back to land. Maybe I¡¯ll bring it up tomorrow.

    But when tomorrow comes, I don¡¯t. Or the next day. Or the next. We practice signs, discuss Zyneth¡¯s blueprints for the glass spell circle, steadily inch the submarine along its trajectory. I investigate the water purification system, while Zyneth investigates my translator. Zyneth steers the Prismatic, while the predator and I expend our restlessness in the waters outside the ship. We do just about everything except talk about us, as if drawing attention to it would shatter the tenuous warmth that¡¯s grown between us. But there¡¯s always tomorrow, I tell myself.

    Until one day, there¡¯s not.

    ¡°Land!¡± Zyneth calls, his excited voice echoing through the ship.

    I pause the Sculpt I was doing on my fulgurite.

    ¡°Land in sight!¡±

 Chapter 101 - Dont Curse it

    I hurry onto the main deck, where Zyneth is at the controls. ¡°Land? Where? What do you see?¡±

    The main window looking out into the sea has shifted over the last couple of weeks. What was once black nothingness, speckled with the occasional bubble or fish that flitted through the Prismatic¡¯s headlights, has gradually evolved into a living ocean once more. The water has lightened into a deep blue, and all sorts of creatures dart out of the submarine¡¯s path. No longer chased by giant sea beasts and creatures infused with null magic, the Prismatic now passes over a seafloor that¡¯s covered in colorful plant and animal life, often bioluminescent, like the night sky has been spread beneath us.

    ¡°The Prismatic just detected it,¡± Zyneth says to me, hitting another switch on the panel. A blue pulse rushes away from the front of the ship, vanishing into the ocean. A moment later, lights appear etched over the glass: an outline of some sort of plateau in front of us.

    ¡°What is that?¡± I ask.

    ¡°The continental shelf,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°It will push us up into shallow waters. Land won¡¯t be far beyond that. If we surface now, we can probably see it with the naked eye.¡±

    ¡°Well, what are we waiting for?¡± I ask. ¡°Let us get out of here!¡±

    Zyneth grins, pulling back on a lever, and I feel the floor tip beneath my feet as the Prismatic points for the surface. ¡°I was thinking the exact same thing.¡±

    The water in the window brightens as we rise, until finally we breach the surface and water streams down the window in a shimmering scatter of light. The sky seems impossibly bright, the sun reflecting off the waves like a sparkling jewel. The sun! It feels so good to have the sun again. And with its help, we can see for miles and miles. There, smudging the horizon, is a thin band of green.

    ¡°We did it!¡± I squeeze Zyneth¡¯s shoulder. ¡°We made it back!¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it,¡± Zyneth breathes, slumping back into his chair.

    ¡°Hey,¡± I object. ¡°I told you I would get us back, did I not?¡±

    ¡°You did,¡± he says. ¡°I¡¯m not doubting your abilities, just¡­ relieved.¡±

    I am too, truth be told. It¡¯s been two months since we first departed Miasmere. Over a month since the situation at Emrox. I¡¯m so ready to be out of this damn submarine and back on solid ground.

    But is the predator?

    The thought sends a nervous flutter through me. I¡¯ve spent more time working with it on this trip than all the time before. And it¡¯s cooperating. But is that only because I let it hunt each night? Will it listen to me when we encounter our first group of people? Will I be able to stop it if it doesn¡¯t?

    Maybe we should stay out of cities, for now. Take our reintroduction to society gradually so we can build up boundaries and expectations. Perhaps I can let it hunt animals in a forest to satisfy its instincts. That should be a good alternative.

    God, I hope it is.

    ¡°Hmm.¡± Zyneth leans forward, adjusting some of the controls.

    ¡°What is it?¡± I ask.

    ¡°There, on the horizon¡­¡± Zyneth gestures not toward the land, but off to the north. A tiny black speck interrupts the line where sky meets sea.

    ¡°What is that?¡± I ask. ¡°A structure? A lighthouse?¡±

    ¡°I think it¡¯s a ship,¡± Zyneth says. The window ripples, and abruptly everything outside appears closer. The black dot grows to the size of an ant, and while it¡¯s still too far to make out details, the toothpick masts and sails are apparent enough.

    ¡°Looks like a ship to me. We should probably give them a wide berth,¡± I add, thinking of the predator.

    ¡°I am in agreement,¡± Zynth says. ¡°Let me just search for some¡­ ah.¡± The view out the window shifts, returning back to its normal display, but artificial lights highlight a few more dots scattered over the waters. Some of them were so small, I wouldn¡¯t have noticed them without the display drawing attention to it. There¡¯s three other ships within sight, though all still distant.

    Zyneth rubs his chin thoughtfully. ¡°We must be near a port.¡±

    ¡°Miasmere, do you think?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s possible,¡± he allows. ¡°Though our aim would have to be miraculously accurate to end up right where we started. More likely we¡¯ve drifted north to some other port city.¡±

    ¡°Probably for the best,¡± I say. I sort of left Yedzaquib¡¯s library in shambles, and I doubt he¡¯ll be excited to see my face again anytime soon.

    Glass? Prism? I need to figure out a better head for this body.

    ¡°So what is the play?¡± I ask. ¡°We do not want to show up in the middle of a city with a stolen submarine registered to a criminal. Can we figure out which way the port is, and avoid it?¡±

    ¡°Not sure,¡± Zyneth admits. ¡°I think if we continue to head toward land, it will eventually become apparent where the city is. I¡¯ll keep an eye on the other ships, too, and try to chart a path around them. Then we can beach the sub in shallow waters and wade to land from there.¡±

    ¡°Sounds pretty straight forward,¡± I say.

    Zyneth smiles wryly. ¡°Don¡¯t go cursing us in the last leg, now.¡±

    ¡°At least we do not have to worry about sea monsters anymore.¡±

    ¡°I just said not to curse us!¡± Despite his objection, he¡¯s smiling.

    ¡°Oh, come on,¡± I say. ¡°I am allowed to be a little optimistic just this once, am I not? We have not encountered any large creatures in over a week, and no null arcana-infused animals in at least two. And if anything does show up, we know by now how to deal with them. We did it. We are here. We made it back.¡±This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

    Zyneth¡¯s smile softens. ¡°We did.¡±

    We stare out the window for several minutes in silence, allowing the moment of relief to linger. Zyneth stirs first.

    ¡°I suppose that¡¯s enough sightseeing. We should get back to work. I expect at this rate we¡¯ll make land before nightfall.¡±

    ¡°So soon,¡± I say. It¡¯s an abrupt shift from not knowing where we are or how far we are from land, to suddenly getting ready to disembark. ¡°I will go gather our things.¡± After all these weeks, our belongings have gradually migrated from the bunks to wherever it was most convenient to leave them. Our extra parchment and charcoal is in the cargo bay, where we¡¯d been experimenting with all sorts of sand, glass, fire, and lightning magic, while my chalk is in the control room, where I¡¯d set up my spell circle for my core bond renewal. Then there¡¯s my books, which I left in the bunk room, and Zyneth¡¯s pair of spare clothes, which was being washed in the galley. We¡¯ve really made the submarine our own. I¡¯m sure Gillow would have hated it.

    I¡¯ve also left piles of sand everywhere. Not that that¡¯s really a problem, since we¡¯re ditching the ship anyway, but it does make searching for all our bits and bobs a little more difficult.

    I gather all of the fulgurite I¡¯ve Attuned that I haven¡¯t already used to patch up my body into one large pile. Some pieces are smoothed into opaque rods and marbles, often tan or gray, while others are left in their spikey, organic form. Stacked together like this, it¡¯s not a bad haul. A couple hundred pounds at least. It will serve me well as extra signing glass¡ªor for general mayhem, I guess. The only drawback is that it¡¯s way too many pieces for me to keep in my mind at once. The only reason I¡¯m able to keep my body functional in the first place is because the void that¡¯s stuck in all my joints helps to provide stability. I suppose I could add some of the void to this pile of glass, too. But to what end? I¡¯d never paused to actually think about what I¡¯d do with it all.

    It¡¯s too much to hide beneath my long coat, like I do with the Attuned void. Which means I¡¯ll need to carry it around somehow¡ªor leave it behind. But after all the work I went to in order to make it, that¡¯s not an option I¡¯m very keen on.

    Experimentally, I draw an orb of void out from under my coat. The predator watches as I manipulate its element, but it doesn¡¯t stop me. It does emit amusement at my clumsy control.

    Oh, shut up, I think. You¡¯ve only had an infinitely longer amount of time to practice with it.

    I sink the void into the pile of glass. Then, similar to how the predator had frozen the void in the joints of my body, I also attempt to mentally solidify the void, trying to lock everything in place.

    I can feel the void stiffen. It contracts, squeezing around the glass. But it doesn¡¯t quite lock up. Still, I use the opportunity to try to levitate the clump of glass.

    The pile lifts from the ground, the pieces of glass in the void tinkling against each other and sagging like quills of a porcupine. I strengthen my mental grip to keep from dropping anything. It¡¯s working! I can take all this glass with me, and better yet, I can control every bit of Attuned glass I have at once. It¡¯s a bit cumbersome, though, and it takes an incredible amount of concentration to keep from dropping it. What to do?

    The predator moves forward, offering to help. If I gave it more control, even while our minds stayed separate, it could do more with the void than I can. Much more.

    There¡¯s something almost comforting about the predator¡¯s transparency: it¡¯s not offering to be nice, it¡¯s offering because having more control more of the time is exactly what it wants.

    ¡°Maybe,¡± I tell it. ¡°If I cannot figure it out on my own. But I have got one last thing I want to try.¡±

    I activate Void Whip, and a tendril of void shoots out from my cloak, connecting to my target. Magic crackles down the whip and into the clump of fulgurite. Instantly, I feel the void become more solid, more real.

    ¡°Hah!¡± I cry, swinging the glass around like a mace on a chain. Keeping it all locked up in one form while being tethered to my void isn¡¯t elegant, but it works. And I don¡¯t need the predator¡¯s help to do it.

    The predator is a little disappointed by this. It doesn¡¯t intentionally tell me this, but I can feel it anyway.

    I set the glass back down and end the Void Whip.

    [Spell Expired,] Echo reports. [Mana: 287/300]

    Ah. I guess there is a small drawback to doing it on my own.

    The predator is rather smug about this, and this time it does let me know.

    But, I mentally emphasize, pointedly ignoring the gloat, now that I have a much larger mana pool to pull from, the cost of a Void Whip shouldn¡¯t be too much of an issue.

    Buoyed by my good mood, the rest of the Prismatic¡¯s cleanup goes quickly. I pack all of Zyneth¡¯s belongings in his bag¡ªslightly soggy shirt included¡ªand store my books and notes into my satchel as well. I pause as I clasp it shut, tracing the stylized ink bottle design burned into its surface. It seems a small miracle that the bag Noli made for me survived everything we¡¯ve been through. I hope she¡¯s doing alright.

    And then it hits me for the first time: I¡¯ll get to see her again. Maybe I hadn¡¯t let myself think about it before now, because we were still lost, because we could have ended up anywhere. But now, land is in sight. Now, we¡¯re going¡­

    I guess home isn¡¯t the right word. Where even is home for me? Maybe that¡¯s something I still have to figure out. But in the meantime, I¡¯ll get to see my friends. My soul warms at the thought.

    ¡°Everything is ready,¡± I cheerily announce as I stroll back into the control room. ¡°Bags are packed. Glass is¡­ voided. We are ready to be marooned!¡±

    But Zyneth doesn¡¯t reply. He¡¯s focused on something out the main window. My high spirits begin to sink.

    ¡°What is it now?¡± I ask.

    ¡°It¡¯s those ships from earlier,¡± Zyneth says, distracted. ¡°They¡¯re getting closer.¡±

    ¡°Is that a problem?¡± I ask. ¡°We can just go around, right?¡±

    ¡°Hopefully.¡± Zyneth hesitates. ¡°But I have a suspicion about this.¡±

    ¡°A good suspicion?¡±

    He looks at me flatly.

    ¡°Well, it cannot hurt to hope. They are heading toward us, I expect?¡±

    ¡°It certainly looks that way,¡± Zyneth says.

    ¡°And it is unlikely to be a coincidence?¡±

    ¡°Based on their movement, no.¡±

    ¡°All of them?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡± I look out the window, wondering who they are. Thugs who work for Gillow, maybe? They probably want their submarine back. But could they afford to send so many ships after us?

    Maybe money isn¡¯t an issue when the motive is revenge.

    ¡°Will they converge on us before we make it to land?¡± I ask.

    ¡°Not if I have anything to say about it.¡± Zyneth spins a few dials and flips several complicated looking switches. But then he turns to me with a grimace. ¡°Even so, we should be prepared for a conflict.¡±

    The predator swirls around my mind like a shark eagerly circling a tank. It doesn¡¯t understand Zyneth¡¯s words, but it understands how I feel about them. It knows I¡¯m mentally preparing for a fight.

    But the thing is, weirdly, I¡¯m not afraid¡ªnot for myself, at least. I cast a mental glance toward the predator, and I know that in the midst of a battle, I¡¯ll be too distracted to keep it on a tight leash.

    If anything, I¡¯m afraid for anyone who makes the mistake of attacking us.

 Chapter 102 - He Cursed It

    We submerge when the ships continue on an intercept course, hoping to lose them beneath the waves. But we¡¯re above the coastal shelf now, and the waters are shallow. The most we can stay beneath the surface is fifty feet. It will have to be enough.

    The ship is tense and quiet. Neither of us speak as we continue toward land, watching the display in the Prismatic¡¯s bubble-shaped window as it tracks each of the ships converging on our location. Two have shifted course, now angling behind us, though it¡¯s uncertain if that¡¯s because we¡¯ve managed to shake them, or if they intend to prevent us from retreating.

    ¡°How much longer?¡± I can¡¯t help but ask, breaking the silence.

    ¡°At most an hour until we reach the shore,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°Probably less, as the waters will grow too shallow for the ship to continue.¡±

    ¡°We will have to bail at that point, or we will be sitting ducks,¡± I say. ¡°Though maybe we should bail sooner. We have one escape pod left. Do you think we might be able to slip away in that while they continue to track the Prismatic?¡±

    Zyneth turns to me with a look of astonishment.

    ¡°What?¡± I ask. ¡°Was that a terrible idea?¡±

    ¡°Not at all,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°That was actually an incredibly good idea.¡±

    ¡°Thanks!¡± Then it sinks in. ¡°Wait, why are you so surprised?¡±

    Zyneth scratches at his chin as he thinks. He shaves every few days, but a goatee is still threatening to grow in. ¡°The question is, when would be the best time to jettison? The escape pod is small and lacks the weapons system of the Prismatic. We wouldn¡¯t be able to fight back in there if they found us. And I¡¯m not sure we¡¯ll have the same displays as here, where we¡¯re able to track the other ship¡¯s movements, meaning we might be blind to their pursuit. It could be risky.¡±

    ¡°More risky than trying to fight them all head-on?¡± I ask. We both know the answer to that.

    ¡°It¡¯s a tough choice,¡± Zyneth admits. ¡°Maintain firepower but engage in a sure fight, or a chance to avoid the fight entirely that will leave us more vulnerable.¡±

    ¡°A choice.¡± A lightbulb flips on in my mind. ¡°Ah! But we do not have to choose.¡±

    ¡°What are you¡­¡± Recognition flickers in Zyneth¡¯s eyes, too. ¡°That¡¯s too risky. And your range can¡¯t be far enough to be worth it.¡±

    ¡°But I can be in two places at once,¡± I say. ¡°Even if the range is not very big. What if we escaped in the pod, but I left enough glass and void here to use the weapons systems on the Prismatic?¡±

    ¡°Would that work?¡± Zyneth asks. ¡°You¡¯d need your core to be here in order to operate the weapons, right?¡±

    ¡°Minor detail,¡± I say. ¡°If it is just my core I have to worry about, and as long as I leave void in the escape pod, too, I should have plenty of mana to use a Displace spell and teleport out when things get hairy.¡±

    ¡°Assuming the escape pod is still within range,¡± Zyneth repeats. ¡°What if we¡¯re too far away? Would you lose access to the void and glass you put in the escape pod? What if you aren¡¯t close enough to teleport back?¡±

    So, he¡¯s right; if my Attuned void is outside my manipulation radius, then I won¡¯t be able to use a Displace to pop out the other side. And even if the plan does work, I¡¯ll be abandoning whatever void I leave behind in the Prismatic, which the predator would certainly not be thrilled about.

    But if the predator is working with me, then I have more options. Its range is double that of mine.

    ¡°We should be able to buy us some time,¡± I say. ¡°And a little bit of time might make all the difference.¡±

    ¡°It could,¡± Zyneth hesitantly agrees in his ¡®I¡¯m still thinking¡¯ voice. ¡°But that¡¯s all the more reason to leave now, isn¡¯t it? We shouldn¡¯t waste any time letting them get closer: that only increases the likelihood that they¡¯ll notice the escape pod.¡±

    Now that he¡¯s made up his mind, Zyneth spins back around in his seat, his hands flying over the ship¡¯s controls. The markers on the window¡¯s display shift.

    ¡°You are turning us around?¡± I ask.

    ¡°Just altering the course,¡± he says. He pulls one final lever, then stands. ¡°Might draw them away from us. Buys us a bit more time, as you said.¡± He begins to head to the cargo bay, and I follow fast at his heels.

    ¡°Are you sure you do not want me to leave some glass and void behind?¡± I say. After so much time spent in this submarine getting used to wielding its six giant mechanical tentacles, the idea of cramming ourselves into a defenseless escape pod barely the size of a Volkswagen beetle isn¡¯t very appealing.

    ¡°I¡¯m quite sure,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°We will be out of its range soon enough, and then you¡¯ll only have handicapped yourself. And we might need all the firepower at your disposal.¡±

    An unnerving thought, but he¡¯s right. And this is what I signed up for. So long as Zyneth¡¯s outside his element, I need to be there to do what he can¡¯t.

    He snatches up his bag, and I grab my satchel and stored glass. We hit the spell circle above the hatch that leads into the last escape pod, and the aperture spirals open.

    The first thing I notice is that the escape pod only has one seat. That¡¯s quite an interesting choice on Gillow¡¯s part, considering the Prismatic is designed to house up to six people.

    Zyneth looks back at me, worried. ¡°What¡ª¡±

    ¡°You take the seat,¡± I tell him. ¡°I will find a way to fit.¡± Piece by piece, if I have to. It¡¯s kind of uncomfortable to acknowledge that my body is only a facsimile of the real thing, and that there¡¯s no reason for it to even be human shaped at all¡ªor in this case, in one piece. I might have to leave some of my glass and fulgurite behind, but that¡¯s a small price to pay for escaping with our lives.

    There isn¡¯t much in the rest of the capsule to take in. A simple controls display before the single seat, some leg room, and a small storage space behind the headrest. The entire front half of the pod is a window, providing a perfectly clear image of the surrounding waters. Even now, lines of magic shift over the window just like Prismatic¡¯s display, tracking moving shapes that would otherwise be too distant, obscured by the ocean.

    ¡°Are you certain?¡± Zyneth asks, glancing over my body. I bet he¡¯s mentally dissecting me, too. ¡°Maybe if I keep to the far side¡­¡±

    The magic symbols on the pod¡¯s display shift in a strange way. One dot becomes a ring, which rapidly expands. Then a shadow appears inside of it. When I finally understand what I¡¯m seeing, it¡¯s nearly too late.

    I throw myself at Zyneth, tackling him away from the pod. The Prismatic explodes behind us. Oceanwater begins to gush in even before we hit the ground.

    [7 Bludgeoning damage sustained.]

    Something¡¯s cracked in an arm, and only my arm, which is a small miracle. Or maybe it¡¯s due to the fact that Zyneth broke my fall, as I¡¯m now on top of him. No time to acknowledge our compromising position, Zyneth rolls me to the side, springing to his feet and pulling me up as behind him all in one deft move. Man, if he¡¯d been the one doing the tackling, I bet I wouldn¡¯t have broken anything.

    The predator jumps to the forefront of my mind, angry and alarmed as it searches for our assailant. It doesn¡¯t have to look far. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

    Where the pod had been a moment before, a giant coral spearhead has pierced the Prismatic. Even as we recover, the spear opens up like a flower blossom, hundreds of coral feelers curling apart and pressing themselves into every surface they touch, anchoring itself in place. This slows the torrent of water somewhat, but the floor is still rapidly flooding.

    Never in the two months we¡¯ve lived here has something managed to break through the Prismatic¡¯s hull. Gillow had often boasted about the spells that ran through the Prismatic¡¯s skin, enhancing its strength and keeping the crushing pressures of the ocean at bay. Then again, the spear didn¡¯t actually break through the hull; we opened the hole for it.

    The ship lurches to the side, and we both stumble in the direction of the coral. Now that the predator is alert, it grabs a nearby strut with its void, steadying us.

    ¡°We¡¯re hooked,¡± Zyneth says, drawing his blade. Lightning crackles down the knife. ¡°They¡¯re towing us in.¡± Splashing across the deck, Zyneth uses both hands to plunge the blade into the center of the coral¡¯s mass. It only makes it an inch deep. Unrelenting, Zyneth¡¯s magic flares, and electricity bursts from the impact point like a nest of angry snakes. They lick back toward Zyneth, singing his sleeves, and crackle over the surface of the coral. But the anchor doesn¡¯t give any indication of damage, and a moment later Zyneth withdraws, shutting off his lightning magic to reassess.

    The predator, having witnessed this display, decides to take matters into its own hands. It lashes out with a whip of void, slashing at the coral. But while the substance can be made sharp enough to cut flesh, it¡¯s not nearly solid enough to cut through the stone-like substance, and the void skips ineffectively over the surface.

    [0 points of Slashing damage dealt.]

    This only irritates the predator more, because it can feel the coral is full of living things, and it desperately wants to eat them. I offer it some of my glass, just on the off chance it would make a difference, and the predator hungrily accepts. But even with my help to give structure and solidness to the void, the most it¡¯s capable of is a few shallow scratches, like Zyneth¡¯s knife.

    ¡°Get to the arms,¡± Zyneth says, switching his magic over to fire instead of lightning. As flames wisp down his knife, the blade begins to turn a dull red. ¡°I¡¯ll keep trying here, but neither of us may be of much use. We¡¯ll likely have to stop it from the outside.¡±

    I¡¯d already come to the same conclusion. ¡°On it.¡±

    As I race for the nearest spell circle that accesses the Prismatic¡¯s limbs, the predator reluctantly pulls away from the coral, annoyed to be bested by a mere handful of tiny unmoving creatures. Very hard tiny unmoving creatures. It turns its irritation into savage eagerness when I slap a hand on a spell circle, excited to exact its revenge in a different form.

    That¡¯s what we humans call ¡®being petty,¡¯ I tell the predator. It¡¯s too excited to pay me any mind.

    As I tap into the spell circles, Echo abruptly speaks up. [Arcane Guardian activated. While spells are used for the benefit of anyone other than the user, all arcana use increases in effectiveness by 100%]

    I¡¯d forgotten about that. Perfect! As the ability activates, I feel stronger, too. I guess that¡¯s because basically all of me is made of magic and Attuned elements. But will it make the spells powering the Prismatic¡¯s limbs stronger, too, or only magic that I directly cast? One way to find out.

    I grab two of the Prismatic¡¯s limbs, and the predator takes the last four. Through my omni-vision, I watch Zyneth attack the coral with his glowing knife. This seems to have more effect than the lightning, but he still has to put everything he has into it just to cut a scorching mark. It¡¯s slow going, but there¡¯s little else he can do: there¡¯s no point in him taking control of one of the Prismatic¡¯s limbs, because the predator and I are far better at it.

    I shift my sight through the weapons system¡¯s spell, looking out into the surrounding waters. A clunking groan comes from beneath our feet as we unfurl the Prismatic¡¯s six squid-like mechanical limbs.

    Finally I¡¯ve got a good look at what¡¯s hooked us. Bits of metal swirl around the wound in the Prismatic¡¯s side¡ªall that remains of the demolished escape pod. Thank god we hadn¡¯t already been in there. The cable that now protrudes from where the Prismatic¡¯s pod had been makes it look like the squid-shaped ship was speared through its side. The cable appears to be made of the same coral as the spearhead, and vanishes into the ocean¡¯s dim. I reach a mechanical limb around and grab the line.

    I tug, and the wire bends¡ªbut the Prismatic also tips. I stumble, and only the void keeps me from crashing into the wall.

    ¡°Sorry,¡± I tell Zyneth, but he doesn¡¯t reply, focusing on cutting through the grapple, bit by bit: we¡¯re both in survival mode.

    The predator is annoyed that our giant mechanical limbs are so blunt and dull. We need something with teeth and claws! It could go outside the ship and attack the line.

    No, I think. You couldn¡¯t cut through it in here, and it won¡¯t be any different out there.

    The predator glowers, frustrated at our helplessness. I¡¯m frustrated, too. It seems like there¡¯s nothing we can do but wait until they reel us in. Once they¡¯re within the Prismatic¡¯s range¡ªthen we¡¯ll be able to put up quite a fight. But until then, we¡¯re just a fish on a line.

    Zyneth must have realized this too. ¡°This progress is too slow, and soon the ship will be flooded.¡± He flicks the fire out on his knife, then sheaths it. ¡°I¡¯m going to head up to the main deck and see if I can¡¯t turn us around. The Prismatic is not built for speed, but she¡¯s sturdy; it might be enough for us to counter them.¡±

    I let go of the spell circle in the wall, and the predator pulls away a moment later, like a sticky bandaid reluctantly peeling away from skin. ¡°I am coming, too.¡±

    Besides, I thought of something in the control room that might help us. At this thought, the predator perks up, which maybe should be an indication that it¡¯s not the best idea.

    We both relocate to the main deck, water lapping at our heels, and I tap back into the Prismatic¡¯s arms as Zyneth works the main controls. Outside, I can see a distant shadow resolving in the water: the underside of a boat, hundreds of feet away. I raise my limbs, waiting for the shadow to enter their range.

    Zyneth throws the ship into motion, and it lurches, metal groans shuddering through the ship, as the Prismatic fights the pull of the grapple.

    ¡°Is it working?¡± I ask. If we¡¯re making progress, it¡¯s too slow for me to tell.

    ¡°Maybe,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°Wait¡­ Yes! Yes, I think we¡¯re starting to make some headway. Hah! We might even be able to tow them under.¡±

    ¡°Would that work?¡± I glance at the water spilling onto the deck.

    His brow wrinkles in worry. ¡°We have enough power to do so in time, though it would be quite difficult. There definitely would be a back-and-forth¡­ and if they realized they couldn¡¯t fight us, they¡¯d cut the line. That might provide an avenue of escape.¡±

    The water is getting deeper. It¡¯s already up to our ankles. ¡°And how long would that take?¡±

    Zyneth pauses to assess our rapidly devolving situation. He grimaces. ¡°Too long, I suspect.¡±

    ¡°Then we need to get to the surface,¡± I say. ¡°Even if they do cut us loose, if we sink and drown, it will not matter.¡±

    ¡°If we surface and abandon the Prismatic for air, it will be a surrender,¡± Zyneth points out. ¡°We would be helpless and exposed.¡±

    ¡°But they intend to capture us, not kill us,¡± I say. ¡°They would not be reeling us in if they did not want us alive, right?¡±

    Zyneth hesitates. ¡°Not necessarily¡­ but you¡¯re right that they¡¯ve had ample opportunity to launch an attack since hooking us, and they haven¡¯t yet done that. Yes, it¡¯s likely they want us alive.¡±

    ¡°Then we surface,¡± I repeat. ¡°We need to get you out of here before you drown.¡±

    Zyneth notices my particular wording. ¡°What about you?¡±

    ¡°I do not need to breathe.¡± And now that we¡¯re in shallow waters, my vial doesn¡¯t stand to be crushed by the pressure. I pull my mind back from the Prismatic¡¯s limbs, leaving them in the predator¡¯s hands, as I pause to pull some shards of glass and fulgurite from my store. I activate a Sculpt, rapidly smashing them into a baseball-sized orb with four spikey limbs.

    ¡°Here.¡± I hold it out for Zyneth.

    He blinks as he gingerly takes the bizarre (and, frankly, poor) replica of me. ¡°What is this?¡±

    ¡°A decoy.¡± Better than a decoy, actually: I can see and hear through that glass if I need to. Granted, given its asymmetric shape, sight will be extremely wonky, but it¡¯ll do in a pinch.

    Zyneth looks up at me, utterly baffled. ¡°Why would I need a decoy?¡±

    I tell him my plan.

    ¡°I dislike this plan,¡± Zyneth says.

    ¡°I dislike it too.¡±

    ¡°But I don¡¯t have a better one.¡±

    ¡°Me neither.¡±

    The seawater continues to gush into the room. It won¡¯t be much longer until walking will become more like swimming.

    ¡°I will not let them hurt you,¡± I tell him.

    He smiles out of the corner of his mouth. ¡°Don¡¯t make promises you can¡¯t keep.¡±

    ¡°I am not.¡±

    Zyneth turns back to the Prismatic¡¯s controls and pulls a lever back. ¡°Let¡¯s go fight some pirates.¡±

 Chapter 103 - Battle

    Having double vision is kind of trippy, but given the last few months, I¡¯ve sort of gotten used to it. Double hearing and double touch, meanwhile¡ªstill super trippy.

    Zyneth stands on top of the Prismatic, looking up at the ship that¡¯s slowing beside us. It¡¯s a lot like Earth sailing ships of old, except in place of sails are transparent films of glowing magic, and runes are lit all along its hull.

    Zyneth doesn¡¯t even flinch as the underbelly of the ship bumps into the Prismatic below water, causing the submarine to rock. He shifts me over to one arm as he raises a hand to shield his eyes from the sun. Well, not me: mini-me. It¡¯s how I¡¯m able to see, hear, and feel everything that¡¯s happening.

    ¡°How kind of you to come out to meet us,¡± someone from the ship calls down to Zyneth.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t given much of a choice, what with my ship flooding,¡± he replies. His tone is casual, as if he were chatting with a family member and not someone who might decide to kill him. Then again, he seems pretty at home with life-or-death scenarios.

    ¡°Pitty, that.¡± The voice is masculine, but I can¡¯t make out the shape of their silhouette from this vantage point. I call on Echo for a Check.

    [Access denied,] she replies. [Subject is not within direct line of sight.]

    Ah well, it had been worth a shot. Guess we¡¯ll have to do this the old fashioned way.

    ¡°Given the craftsmanship of your vessel, I expect you have plenty of excess supplies on board,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you¡¯d like to help patch us up?¡±

    The man laughs. ¡°It¡¯s refreshing for a target to have such manners¡ªand humor. If you can maintain this disposition, I expect we can see this job through without any bloodshed.¡±

    ¡°Your employer is Gillow, I take it?¡± Zyneth asks.

    ¡°They opted to remain anonymous,¡± the man replies. ¡°But I expect you¡¯ll be meeting them soon enough.¡±

    At least we have confirmation they want us alive. Probably so Gillow can gut us themself. I bet they won¡¯t be pleased about the state of their sub, though. That thought brings me some satisfaction.

    It¡¯s the little things.

    ¡°We¡¯re going to throw a ladder down to you,¡± the man says, and a rope ladder is cast over the side as he speaks. ¡°I suggest you take it.¡±

    Zyneth eyes the ladder, but doesn¡¯t move toward it. ¡°And walk straight into my captor¡¯s hands? I think I¡¯d rather not.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s that or we leave you here with your ship to sink,¡± the man says. ¡°But I¡¯d prefer to get paid and I¡¯m sure you¡¯d prefer to keep living.¡±

    Zyneth hesitates, putting on a good show. He needs to get up there to scope things out, but agreeing too quickly would seem suspicious. ¡°While I trust you not to kill me, seeing as you¡¯ve had ample opportunity to do so if that were your aim, I am still reluctant to accept your offer; you¡¯ve guaranteed our lives, but not our wellbeing.¡±

    ¡°If it¡¯s injury you¡¯re concerned about, I can personally guarantee you¡¯ll remain unharmed while aboard my ship.¡± No guarantees once we get to land, I note.

    ¡°And my companion, too?¡± Zyneth asks.

    The man, who I¡¯ve decided is likely the captain, given how he refers to the ship as his, tips his head. ¡°Where is this companion of yours? We were told there would be a cambion and a homunculus.¡±

    Zyneth gestures to mini-me. ¡°The homunculus¡¯s core. Its body was damaged during your attack.¡±

    ¡°Fine. Your homunculus core, too.¡± He waves a dismissive hand. ¡°There¡¯s not much left to safeguard anyway. Now will you come aboard willingly, or do we need to escalate this engagement?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not necessary,¡± Zyneth says, glancing down as water laps at his boots. ¡°I¡¯m on my way.¡±

    This has got to be the most civil abduction that¡¯s ever taken place.

    Zyneth shifts me to one arm as he climbs the ladder. I¡¯m given a bird¡¯s-eye-view of the Prismatic as we rise. I can see the shadow of the submarine beneath the waves. Despite our intention to let it float, it¡¯s almost entirely submerged now. It won¡¯t be long before it sinks.

    We¡¯ll need to speed things up. I wiggle the glass in Zyneth¡¯s hands, and he taps one of his fingers in response.

    Zyneth swings himself up over the rails, and immediately the crew is upon him, weapons drawn. He raises his hands, mini-me included.

    ¡°I assure you I have no intention of trying to fight through all of you at once.¡±

    Even so, a nereid moves in to seize Zyneth¡¯s knife. He grimaces. ¡°Do be careful with that. I¡¯d rather not lose both halves of the pair.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid we won¡¯t be returning your weapons at any point,¡± the captain says. ¡°Though it¡¯s such a nice blade, I believe I¡¯ll be keeping it myself.¡±

    The man is a dracid, his skin covered in green scales, and his dragon-like head decorated with a row of horns. He stands a foot taller than Zyneth, and is twice as broad. It¡¯s really annoying to not know the captain¡¯s name, level, or class. I hadn¡¯t realized how much I¡¯d come to rely on Echo to help me size people up before now. Well, it won¡¯t be for much longer.

    The crew is mostly made of dracid and nereids, though there¡¯s a scattering of other species present as well. The main deck looks rather like what any Earth deck would look like in the 1800s. I mean, I assume this is what they looked like. Masts and barrels and all that jazz. Earth ships probably had significantly less runes carved into the wood, I would imagine. As Zyneth begins to drop his hands, I also catch sight of what I¡¯m looking for: lifeboats. Jackpot!

    I try to orient myself relative to the ship¡¯s layout. It¡¯s a bit ambiguous, but I think I¡¯ve got the jist of it. Your call, Zyneth.

    The predator is swimming circles around my mind, eager for the impending action. I shift my focus to rein it in; I can¡¯t let it act preemptively.

    We¡¯ll get to the ¡®break shit¡¯ part of the plan soon enough, I tell it. Just wait.

    ¡°...other ship.¡±

    I realize I¡¯ve missed some of the conversation taking place near Zyneth. One of the crewmates is speaking with their captain.

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter,¡± he says. ¡°We got here first. No one would be stupid enough to fight us for them.¡±

    The crewmate still looks nervous. ¡°They¡¯re not turning away. They might not know we¡¯ve captured them already.¡±

    The other ships were admittedly not part of my plan. I was hoping Zyneth and I would be able to slip away before anyone else got too close. If they get here before we escape, we might have a much more complicated battle on our hands.

    The captain gives an irritated sigh. ¡°Then fire some warning shots to let them know the hunt is over.¡± He raises his voice. ¡°Stoke the sails! Starboard ten. Make for Miasmere!¡±

    ¡°Aye, Captain!¡± A chorus of replies meet his commands. Above me, I can feel the ship begin to shift.

    Now? I wobble in Zyneth¡¯s hands, prompting him. We can¡¯t let the ship pull away. I¡¯ve gotten a good look at where the lifeboats are. What are we waiting for?

    Zyneth taps back once: wait.

    ¡°Are they tracking us, or the ship?¡± Zyneth asks, his voice the tone of mild curiosity. ¡°Could be trouble for you guys if it¡¯s the former.¡±

    Zyneth, now is not the time for intel! We¡¯re going to lose our opportunity.

    ¡°If you¡¯re hoping for them to intercept us, you¡¯ll be left wanting,¡± the captain says. ¡°A large arcana-powered vessel like that sub isn¡¯t particularly subtle when you know what to look for.¡± He waves a hand at one of his crewmates. ¡°Take him below.¡±

    Zyneth rapidly taps my glass three times.

    The predator grins.

    Here we go.

    Just as two of the crewmates are reaching for Zyneth, the Prismatic¡¯s six limbs burst from the water like the tentacles of a kraken. The ship rocks, and the crew goes stumbling. Zyneth stumbles with them¡ªexaggerated¡ªand falls against the quarterdeck, where he throws a hand out to catch himself. He slams mini-me against the raised portion of the deck, whereupon I activate a Sculpt, shifting the legs so it latches onto the ship¡¯s frame. Zyneth lets go, and my glass stays: now I have a raised, stationary view of the deck.

    This really helps my aim when I smash one of the Prismatic¡¯s limbs across the ship.

    Wood splinters through the air, and the crew screams. The predator gleefully follows my direction, crashing two more of the limbs into the ship. This is fun! It¡¯s not like eating a living creature, but it enjoys the crunching sensation of the wood cratering beneath its blows.

    Lovely. We¡¯ve made so much progress.

    I sweep a limb across the deck, aiming for as many of the crew as possible, and fling several out into the ocean.

    It¡¯s only been a handful of seconds, but the crew is already recovering from the initial shock. Weapons are drawn; magic appears in empty hands. The captain rounds on Zyneth. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    ¡°You¡ª!¡±

    ¡°How could I have possibly done this?¡± Zyneth cries, backing away. ¡°I¡¯m right here.¡±

    The captain¡¯s eyes narrow, and he draws his sword.

    Alarmed, I send one of my limbs his way. The dracid sees it coming, however, and jumps, vaulting over the mechanical limb. That¡¯s the main drawback with these things: they trade speed for power.

    The predator gleefully spears one of the tentacles straight through the deck, shattering a lifeboat while it¡¯s at it.

    Hey, I snap. Watch out for the lifeboats! That¡¯s the only way we¡¯re getting out of here if we don¡¯t sink the main ship. Which is starting to seem increasingly likely as the predator punches more holes through it.

    By the time my attention shifts back to Zyneth, he¡¯s managed to retrieve his dagger, and a new sword to boot. That didn¡¯t take long; I pity the crewmate who had been holding onto Zyneth¡¯s knife. The captain charges after him, and the two clash.

    The captain takes several swipes at Zyneth, all of which cut only air; the captain is clearly more powerful, but Zyneth has agility on his side. Another crewmate comes for Zyneth, and he notices just in time, darting away with a returned slash of his own, but it puts him within the captain¡¯s range. The dracid crashes his blade down on Zyneth, who parries with the sword. The weapon flies from his grasp as Zyneth winces, grabbing his arm. But there¡¯s no blood¡ªit¡¯s the tattoos. Zyneth retreats, his single small knife in his good hand as the captain stalks after him.

    I attempt to swing another limb the captain¡¯s way, but my movement is being hindered by something. A line of water has reached out to snag the arm; then another, and another, until my movement of that limb is ground to a halt. Damn! Of course pirates would all have water Affinities. But they can¡¯t stop all six of the limbs at once. I take out one of the water users with my other limb, while the predator uses the four its controlling to smash haphazardly into people and critical ship parts alike. One limb cracks against the main mast, which begins to tear from its mount. It sways indecisively, then groans as it crashes back toward the aft end of the ship, obliterates the helm, and snaps in two as it vanishes over the stern.

    Well now we really need to make sure we save the lifeboats, I say.

    The predator acknowledges its mistake, but is entirely unapologetic, to no one¡¯s surprise.

    We aim for the water users next, trying to free up the limbs, and succeed in smacking a handful overboard. This wasn¡¯t the great idea it initially seemed, however, as they use twisters of water to leap back onto the ship, turning the columns into extra ammunition to use against us.

    New plan, I think, keeping a nervous eye on Zyneth as he continues to fend off the captain¡¯s blows. They¡¯re locked in some kind of cinematic conflict, leaping from stairs and swinging from ropes as they duel all across the ship. I don¡¯t know what else I expected from him, really.

    Get that lifeboat out of the way, first, I tell the predator. Without destroying it! Then I let go of the controls, turning the last two limbs over to the predator.

    In the Prismatic, the water is already up to my chest. The ship is bound to sink any minute, so we need to make use of its limbs before it¡¯s at the ocean floor. But Zyneth needs my help, and for the predator to use its weapons unhindered, we need more hands on deck.

    I keep an eye on the ongoing battle that¡¯s happening above me as I struggle to wade to the cargo bay. Walking is too difficult¡ªI switch to swimming.

    Well, the only kind of swimming I can really do in this body. Grabbing all the glass I can mentally hold, I launch myself through the water.

    The last month the predator and I have spent patrolling the waters around the Prismatic come in handy now. It¡¯s more clunky without the predator in control, and without so much of its void to help stabilize my glass, but I¡¯ve got the gist of it all the same. I propel myself to the cargo bay, hovering before one of the windows. The ship¡¯s underbelly is about ten feet overhead. I activate a Void Whip, latching it to my beach ball-sized clump of spare glass and fulgurite.

    Back on the ship, the predator has managed to bat a couple of the lifeboats into the surrounding waters with minimal damage, and has returned to wreaking general havoc. Two of the limbs are pinned down with water and ice, but the other four are flailing wildly and causing so much mayhem that soon the water Attuners are diving out of the way and abandoning their attempts to keep the tentacles pinned. I search frantically for Zyneth, but I don¡¯t see him or the Captain. They must either be below deck, or on top of the quarterdeck.

    I take a gamble.

    Hand up? I ask the predator.

    It shifts a portion of its attention over to me. The void in my joints tense, locking my glass in place. Together, with the predator working the void and me concentrating on glass, we rocket my body toward the surface.

    A little too quickly, I might add. I burst from the water and shoot dozens of feet into the air. If I had a stomach, it would have dropped back into the ocean by now. I rapidly shift the direction I¡¯m pushing my body, directing it over the quarterdeck. After that, it¡¯s less about levitating me down and more about keeping my body from falling and shattering to pieces.

    I land hard, dropping to one knee from the force of the impact. My knee smacks into the deck and, to my bewilderment, doesn¡¯t crack.

    [0 points of Bludgeoning damage sustained.]

    All those tempering experiments are finally coming in handy.

    I push myself to my feet, relieved to find the captain and Zyneth up here as well. I knew he¡¯d opt for the high ground.

    There¡¯s a handful of crewmates, too; they immediately run toward me, weapons raised. Come on, not even a little shocked to see a glass man flying out of the ocean? I guess the giant mechanical squid tentacles must have filled their ¡®surprise¡¯ quotas for the day.

    As I push myself to my feet, I spin in a circle, pulling the Void Whip taut. The glass at the other end scrapes across the deck, and then with my help lifts into the air. The crewmates skid to a stop, so I extend the length of the void, and abruptly they¡¯re within range. The glass flail crashes into them, scattering the crew and launching several out to sea.

    [14 points of Bludgeoning damage dealt.]

    [10 points of Bludgeoning damage dealt.]

    [21 points of Bludgeoning damage dealt.]

    The notifications stream by. I levitate my head above the rest of my body as I spin, increasing my vantage point and picking which are the next closest crew to target. I suppose one benefit of lacking an organic body is the inability to become dizzy; like a top, I spin into a deadly blur. I shorten and lengthen the void whip as I attack, bowling through everyone in the area. Eventually, it¡¯s just Zyneth and the Captain, who have paused their duel to stare at me.

    ¡°Wow!¡± I come to a wobbling stop, and the glass mace crashes into the deck. ¡°Did you see that? That was pretty cool, right?¡±

    ¡°Calling attention to it somewhat diminishes the ¡®cool¡¯ factor,¡± Zyneth says.

    The captain takes a step back. ¡°The glass homunculus. This is not the description we were given in the brief.¡±

    ¡°Sorry to disappoint.¡± I reel the void whip back in, dragging the glass across the deck and up into my hand. ¡°I have leveled up a bit in the last few months.¡±

    Then I aim the glass orb at the captain, and blast it forward. The blow catches him in his chest, flinging him over the railing and off into the ocean.

    That would have been a great moment to pause dramatically and allow Zyneth to bask in my badassery, but the Void Whip goes taut a moment later as the glass hits the edge of its range, and I¡¯m yanked off my feet, crashing chest-first into the deck.

    [17 points of Bludgeoning damage self inflicted.]

    ¡°Ow.¡± I start to recall my glass as I roll onto my side, checking my vial. It¡¯s deep enough inside my chest that it¡¯s unscathed. Maybe I should add a few more glass layers of protection, just in case.

    ¡°Are you harmed?¡± Zyneth helps me back to my feet.

    ¡°Mostly my ego. How is your arm?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll survive.¡±

    We both jump as the ship emits a great crack. Zyneth turns to look, and I watch through my glass eye on the main deck, as the Prismatic¡¯s tentacles bury themselves in the ship, and then slowly begin to pry it in half.

    ¡°I think it¡¯s time we get going,¡± Zyneth says. A spray of water geysers out of the center of the deck. ¡°Is all of that the predator?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± I mentally nudge it, letting it know it¡¯s time to leave. I can feel our bond stretching; the Prismatic is starting to sink.

    The predator scowls. It was having so much fun, too. It liked using the limbs of this dead metal creature. It gave us so much more power!

    You won¡¯t have any power at all if you sink with the ship, I point out.

    ¡°The lifeboats are on the far side,¡± I tell Zyneth. At least, that was the last I saw of them when they went overboard. ¡°We will need to get through the last of the crew to reach them.¡±

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t be a problem,¡± Zyneth says. Most of the crew are overboard anyway, still attempting to make it back to the ship. ¡°However, that will be.¡± He nods out to sea.

    Having omnivision, I really have no excuse to have missed them before now. I guess you could blame it on my attention being focused on Zyneth and the captain, or the fact that the water still dripping down my glass gives me a bubbly and blurred view of my surroundings. But there¡¯s certainly no missing them now: the other three ships are rapidly approaching us, each from different directions.

    ¡°I thought the captain was going to fire warning shots,¡± I say.

    ¡°He was¡ªuntil we attacked. That might even have worked, though it¡¯s clear now that the ship is in disarray.¡± Zyneth sheaths his knife, resting a hand on his tattooed arm. ¡°I suspect they¡¯re not expecting much of a fight. Here to clean up the scraps.¡±

    ¡°Expletive.¡± The censorship only makes me more irritated. ¡°The lifeboats will not be fast enough, you think? The predator and I could try pushing it from behind.¡±

    ¡°A good idea, but I doubt we¡¯d be able to outpace those vessels,¡± Zyneth says.

    ¡°Then we are in for another fight?¡±

    The ship groans, and the surface we¡¯re on develops a noticeable slant.

    ¡°It does seem that way,¡± Zyneth admits. ¡°Though with the state of this ship, we currently face a significant disadvantage.¡±

    I can feel the strain of the predator¡¯s distance growing, so I poke at it again. Leave, unless you want both of us to be in a world of pain. I pause, struck by an idea. But before you go, I¡¯ve got one last thing for you to do. You wanted power, right?

    The predator listens, excitement ballooning inside it. Oh, yes, yes, it has been waiting for this!

    Still clinging to the pirate ship, the limbs of the Prismatic abruptly go still, as if the beast has been slain. A few of the crew cheer, but not for very long; water bubbles up from the holes in the deck. Their ship is getting pulled under with the Prismatic.

    A moment later, the power hits me, jolting from the predator¡¯s essence back into my soul. I stumble, catching myself against a railing, then hold perfectly still, overwhelmed by the deluge of magic.

    The predator finishes prying the arcana crystal from the Prismatic¡¯s interface, and the last dregs of magic vanish from the ship. Instead, the predator is siphoning energy from the crystal back into us.

    ¡°Kanin?¡± Zyneth asks.

    Stop, I tell the predator. Not so much. We¡¯ll need that for the fight.

    The predator lessens its pull on the magic just a hair, but it¡¯s too excited to let go of it completely. Carrying the crystal with it, like a bone in its teeth, the predator lopes down the hall, dives out into the water, and then claws its way up the side of the ship. Zyneth startles as the creatures spills out over the deck, a mix of water and shadows. I hold out my hand, and the predator relinquishes the arcana crystal to me¡ªonly because it knows we¡¯ll both be using it soon. The shadows ooze back inside my long coat. Now that I have the arcana crystal, I tamper the energy draw back down. I slump with relief as the electrifying sensation becomes more manageable.

    ¡°Not a complete disadvantage,¡± I say to Zyneth, holding up the crystal. The drops of water on its surface glimmer like beads of blood. ¡°Ready for round two?¡±

 Chapter 104 - Round Two

    The ship to the north reaches us first. It pulls up alongside us, clearly getting ready for boarding. Not that there¡¯s much of the ship left to board: its main mast is down, the captain is overboard along with half the crew, and the ship¡¯s listed to the side, flooding the main deck, as the Prismatic threatens to drag it under. The handful of crew who¡¯s left are giving Zyneth and I a wide berth. They¡¯ve got bigger problems to worry about now, anyway.

    I squeeze the arcana crystal in my grasp: glass for strength, and void to keep it from slipping from my fingers. I can feel it buzzing through both elements. The predator urges for me to tap into it.

    Not yet, I think. Not until we have to.

    ¡°Got any ideas?¡± I ask Zyneth.

    ¡°Not particularly,¡± he admits, eyeing the ship. ¡°You?¡±

    ¡°Oh, you know.¡± I shrug. ¡°Do what I do best. Improvise. Break some things. Do you suppose we can throw everyone overboard and take their ship before that other one reaches us?¡±

    Zyneth glances back; the ship to the south is at least ten minutes out. ¡°Unlikely.¡±

    ¡°Well,¡± I say. ¡°It was a nice idea.¡±

    Zyneth glances at the arcana crystal. ¡°What do you anticipate doing with that?¡±

    ¡°Nothing specific,¡± I admit. ¡°Power up my attacks and keep my mana tank full. Figured there was no sense in letting it sink with the Prismatic if it might give us an edge in this fight.¡± I offer it to him. ¡°Do you think you could use it, too?¡±

    Zyneth reaches out a hand.

    The predator leaps to the forefront of my mind. No! That is ours. We cannot give it up so easily. It reaches for control, pressing against my mind¡ªand my hand jerks back, shadowy claws forming protectively over the crystal. Angrily, I fight it off, pushing the predator away.

    Back off, I snap, yanking away its control. He¡¯s not taking it from us. Just looking. It¡¯s Zyneth! He¡¯s my¡­ he¡¯s our ally. A friend! He wouldn¡¯t do anything to wrong us. You should understand that by now.

    The predator lurches itself from my grasp, angrily retreating from my mind. But of course, it doesn¡¯t understand. It¡¯s only begun to learn restraint, only starting to conceive that everything is not eat or be eaten. I¡¯ve worked with it on compromise; it¡¯s beginning to get a feel for ¡®sharing,¡¯ what with us splitting our time. But the concept of ¡®trust¡¯ is still very much alien to it.

    At the sight of the shadowy claws, Zyneth draws his hand back.

    ¡°Sorry,¡± I force out, trying to get my frustration under control. It doesn¡¯t help that the predator is still mad at me, resulting in a sort of irritated feedback loop between us. ¡°It thought you were going to take it from us.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps you best hold onto it,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°I do think with my Artificing abilities I would be able to draw on it as a source, but I¡¯d rather not become a target of the predator¡¯s ire in the process.¡±

    ¡°I understand,¡± I say, the last of my frustration fizzling out. ¡°Sorry,¡± I say again.

    We¡¯re not given long to dwell on the predator¡¯s behavior. Lines are thrown from the approaching ship to our own, and the few pirates still aboard jump at them in an attempt to hack the lines away. I tense. Zyneth rests a hand on the hilt of his knife.

    [Mana expired. Void Whip ended.]

    The line of void that connected to the glass wrecking ball fizzles out.

    Uh oh. I left that spell active for too long. Well, at least I have the arcana crystal to make up the deficit. In fact, with it I¡¯ll have enough mana for dozens of Void Whips if I wanted to. Not that I¡¯d have the headspace to control a dozen whips independently, but the predator does. Something to consider.

    The first pirates jump down from the new ship, clashing with the remaining pirates on ours.

    ¡°What if they are not here for us?¡± I say. ¡°Do you think they might just have had a bone to pick with the captain of this ship instead?¡± It¡¯s wishful thinking, I know, but wouldn¡¯t it be nice if we didn¡¯t have to fight them?

    One of the pirates catches sight of Zyneth and I, then points and shouts. A group split off, heading in our direction.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to guess it¡¯s us,¡± Zyneth says.

    He draws his blade. I tap into the arcana crystal.

    The magic zaps straight to my soul before the predator starts siphoning it away, filtering the magic through its void and preventing my soul from becoming overcharged. Its shadows condense around the arcana crystal, and I both mentally and literally hand over control of the arcana crystal to the predator. This is one thing I trust it with; it has vested interest in keeping me alive.

    I reactivate the Void Whip as the first of them reach the top of the stairs. The excess magic is making me jittery. Twitchy. Ready to fight.

    Zyneth raises his knife, but I step forward first. He was barely able to fight off that captain, and I¡¯ve seen him handle far worse. He¡¯s in pain, and that might make him slip up. I can¡¯t risk him getting hurt. Besides. This is the whole point of my class, right?

    [Arcane Guardian ability activated.]

    I swing my glass flail, and the pirates scatter. I keep a careful eye on Zyneth as well, making sure he¡¯s nowhere near my range. As long as he stays back there, he¡¯ll be safe. I press toward the pirates, and the rest of the combat becomes a blur.

    The glass flail keeps everyone at bay for about a minute; then someone catches it in a blast of ice, anchoring it to the deck. I activate a Sculpt, breaking the flail in two and shattering the ice. Activating another Void Whip, I grab the second piece as well. Two flails makes it harder to spin them around without crashing into each other, so instead I stop my spinning top approach and use them like the spell name implies: as a whip.

    Given the smaller sizes, they¡¯re not powerful enough to blast people off the side of the ship, like my last one, but they¡¯re still pretty effective at knocking weapons from hands, and punching people in the gut. Pirates go stumbling away, covered in bruises.

    This works for a little while until my flails are again caught in ice; they¡¯re figuring out how to combat my attack, which is annoying, because it¡¯s one of the few attacks I have. I split them again, breaking the¡ª

    Void bursts from my coat, arcing over my back right as a sword crashes into it. The predator swirls down the blade, slicing through the hand that¡¯s holding it and sending the attacker stumbling back with a scream. The void drops the sword, but doesn¡¯t retreat back into my coat. It swings warily around, waiting for another attack.

    If I had a heart, it would be hammering out of my chest. That was way too close. If the predator hadn¡¯t been watching my back, I would have been toast. Despite my earlier frustration with it, I can¡¯t afford to handicap myself by ignoring it right now.

    Like the Prismatic, I tell it, yanking my glass back. If this strategy worked back on the ship, then it should work here, too.

    I break the Chained clump of glass into all its constituent parts, then activate four more Void Whips. Instead of securing the glass to the end, like I¡¯d previously been doing, the glass becomes the bones within each of the whips. I pull more mana from the arcana crystal, and it crackles down each of the six limbs, making the shadows darker, more solid, more real. The predator understands what I¡¯m getting at, and is more than happy to oblige. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

    I take two, and it takes four. Raising my seeing glass into the air, out of the range of the fight, I get a top-down view to keep a better eye on all possible angles of attack. The pirates hesitate as these six new limbs of glass and shadow appear. We don¡¯t.

    The limbs become an extension of us. Instead of smacking our assailants away, we can grab them with the shade and glass limbs, just like we¡¯d done with the Prismatic¡¯s mechanical arms. In fact, we¡¯ve had so much practice these last two months that this approach is far easier.

    We grab weapons, and throw them into the sea. If people get too close, they receive the same treatment. Blasts of water and ice come our way, and we use the limbs to push ourself out of the way, crashing through the magic with counter attacks of our own. With the arcana crystal to pull from, our void is as solid as steel. We spin and strike, a whirl of limbs, as satisfaction and triumph ripple through us. We like it when we¡¯re winning.

    With a jolt, we realize our minds had merged without us even noticing. But we don¡¯t pull back¡ªwe can¡¯t risk disrupting our joint control over the glass and shadow. Trying to separate at the wrong moment could leave ourself exposed to attack.

    We¡¯re stronger like this anyway. More precise control over all our Attuned elements. In fact, why only wield six limbs? With the arcana crystal, we could power so many more.

    ¡°Kanin!¡± It¡¯s Zyneth. He¡¯s still on the upper deck, but he¡¯s pointing toward the other ship. ¡°Watch¡ª¡±

    We throw ourself to the side as a hole blasts through the deck, showering us with splinters of wood that ping harmlessly off our glass. But that shot wasn¡¯t harmless. If it had struck our core, we would have been dead in an instant.

    We shift our focus to the ship, where a weapon of some kind has been rolled out onto the deck. A crewmate is loading another round into its barrel. A woman slaps a hand to the weapon, and green runes light up all over its surface. It swivels to point at us.

    We leap to the side, and the cannonball blasts through the deck, along with one of our limbs. The Void Whip evaporates beneath the blow; glass disintegrated into nothing, shadows evaporating into the air. A distant voice crackles through our mind.

    [....ing damage sustained.]

    Phantom pains sting at our essence where the limb had been, and anger roils within us. How dare they! The crewmate loads another shot into the cannon, and we inwardly laugh. They think they have a weapon? We will show them.

    Glass pulls itself from our limbs, swirling into the air above our head. The pieces fractal like a snowflake, then come together, snapping into a tight shape. We pull mana from the arcana crystal and thrust it into the glass.

    [...ight Beam activa¡­]

    Light blasts into the enemy ship, engulfing the cannon and the people who had been standing there. Our attack only lasts a few seconds, but cuts off in time for us to witness the scorched deck collapse in on itself. Everything and everyone that had been standing there vanishes with it.

    Now, the pirates are running from us instead of toward us. The group scatters, and we instinctively give chase, egged on by the thrill of the hunt. Some dive into the water, while others race back to their ship, throwing themselves at ropes and ladders. Not all of them are fast enough to escape, however. We pounce on the nearest one, sending them crashing into the deck.

    [...ane Guardian expir¡­]

    A strength leaves our magic, but it¡¯s not enough to stop us. The nereid screams as we slam one of our limbs on each of theirs, pinning them to the ground. For a moment, we see them as a different nereid¡ªGillow. That sneer of theirs. The knife they threw at Zyneth¡¯s back. Hatred courses through us as we lean over our prey. And there, in its chest, we feel a familiar warm glow.

    ¡°Kanin, stop!¡±

    Its soul, lingering just beneath the surface. We bring our fifth limb around, hovering over their sternum. It¡¯s mere inches away. All we have to do is reach down and take it.

    Yet, we hesitate. We¡¯re¡­ not supposed to do this. Why? There was some reason. It was important¡­

    The nereid is wailing, shouting words¡ªsounds¡ªwe don¡¯t comprehend. We plant a claw on its head, muffling the irritating noise.

    We¡¯ve been surviving off of scraps for so long now, and we¡¯re desperate for a full meal. Our mouth waters, and void drips from our maw onto our prey¡¯s chest. We have been so patient. We have done everything we¡¯ve been asked. Yet, the hooks of Between still burn in our essence, waiting to tug us back into nothingness when we have no more energy to fight its pull. We should not be starving, we should be growing! We need this meal. We¡¯ve earned it. We press the tip of our glass against the prey¡¯s shell and begin to cut toward its core. The prey begins screaming again, flailing against our grasp, but we¡¯re much stronger. We can practically taste its soul.

    ¡°Kanin!¡±

    Something grabs us from behind, yanking us back. We wheel around, furious that our meal was interrupted. The person steps back, worry and fear flickering over their face. We raise a claw at¡ª

    ¡ªAt Zyneth.

    It¡¯s Zyneth.

    Oh, god.

    We draw back, horrified. We were moments away from striking him down. And the other¡ªOh, no. We didn¡¯t. We can¡¯t have.

    We look down at our hand¡ªa claw of shadows so deep, we can¡¯t see the glass beneath it. But we force our hand open anyway, and the arcana crystal falls to the deck.

    [...ana depleted.]

    The Void Whips evaporate. The glass that had been in the limbs remains suspended in the air for a moment, then rains down onto the deck, pinging against each other in a musical display.

    Zyneth lets out a breath. ¡°Thank the gods.¡± He takes a step in our direction, but we flinch away.

    ¡°Wait.¡± The sound comes through the translator garbled and broken.

    Let go. Let go of us!

    But the fight isn¡¯t over. We have more enemies to defeat.

    No! No more. We try to pull away, like clawing back a wall of tar. Where¡¯s the seam? There¡¯s always a seam. Panic swells within us.

    Fine, we don¡¯t have to fight anymore. But we don¡¯t have to separate, either. We can work together¡ª

    No. No no no no no¡ª

    In a desperate cry, I rip away from the predator, and my mind and soul burn with an ethereal pain. I shove the predator as far away as our mental tether will allow. Without it controlling all the void in my limbs, my legs give out, and I crumple to the deck.

    Zyneth¡¯s at my side in an instant. ¡°It¡¯s over. It¡¯s okay. You¡¯re alright.¡±

    ¡°Did I¡ª¡± I look for the nereid, but the place where he had been is now empty.

    ¡°No,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°No, he¡¯s fled back to his ship.¡±

    ¡°I was going to.¡± My soul aches. How did I let that happen? Why? I¡¯m stronger than this. I should be stronger than this. ¡°I cannot go back to land, Zyneth. It is too dangerous.¡±

    Zyneth puts an arm around my shoulder, helping me upright. ¡°We¡¯ll figure it out.¡±

    I eye the ocean, lapping at the broken deck only a few feet away. It¡¯s not deep enough here for the pressure to break my core. I don¡¯t need to breathe. I could shove Zyneth away and roll into the open waters, where I¡¯d sink, and then¡­

    And then what? Spend the rest of my life alone at the bottom of the ocean? Spending half my time possessed by the predator to kill fish and sea creatures just for the sport of it? What kind of life would that be? Not one I¡¯d want to live. Not one where I would want to keep living.

    Frustration and despair and helplessness overwhelm me. It feels like my soul is breaking apart. ¡°I cannot keep doing this, Zyneth.¡±

    He presses his mouth into a line. ¡°We¡¯ll figure it out,¡± he repeats shortly.

    Oh. He doesn¡¯t know what to do, either.

    A shadow falls over us; the ship from the south has finally caught up to the battle, too. But I don¡¯t have any fight left in me. I can¡¯t.

    ¡°We need to move,¡± Zyneth says, pulling at me.

    The ship that I¡¯d attacked has produced another mana cannon, which they¡¯re aiming at me and Zyneth. We¡¯re the only living creatures down here, I realize. Everything that remains of the first ship¡¯s wreckage has been abandoned. Did they swim away? Take lifeboats?

    Die?

    I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t think I want to know.

    ¡°Kanin, now!¡± Zyneth snaps.

    It¡¯s not that I want to take the hit, but I honestly don¡¯t know if I could dodge another attack. Without the predator helping with the void, I¡¯ve basically no agility. And I¡¯m tired. I¡¯m so damn tired of all this.

    ¡°You two should probably get down.¡±

    I tilt my head at the voice. It¡¯s coming from the new ship. And it sounds familiar.

    Zyneth looks up, his eyes going wide. Then he grabs me, flinging us both back to the deck and behind the stump of a mast. Even so, I catch the moment when an arrow flies into the barrel of the mana cannon, and the entire thing explodes.

    Bits of hot metal ping by us, hissing as they crash into the water. Luckily, none of them strike me or Zyneth. But I¡¯m hardly aware, as my mind is still digesting that voice I heard. I levitate some of my glass, trying to get a better look.

    Rezira puts a foot on the ship¡¯s railing, craning over to look at us. ¡°You guys okay down there?¡±

    A figure appears at her side. ¡°Oh no!¡± she signs. ¡°I should have checked that they were behind cover first!¡±

    Now my core feels like it¡¯s cracking apart for an entirely different reason. Warmth and relief spill from my soul. I raise a tired hand.

    ¡°Hi, Noli.¡±

 Chapter 105 - Hey Itâ€™s That One Elf

    ¡°Are you guys going to lay down there all day, or would you like the get the fuck out of here?¡± Rezira calls down.

    At the same time, Noli waves. ¡°Kanin! It¡¯s so good to see you! Oh I like that coat, is it new?¡±

    ¡°Er, yes,¡± I sign. ¡°Zyneth got it for me.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± Noli wiggles her eyebrows.

    Zyneth grabs my arm and gently pushes me to the side so I am no longer half laying on top of him. I¡¯d have been flustered by that if Noli¡¯s words hadn¡¯t already achieved that.

    ¡°Getting out of here sounds like a great idea,¡± Zyneth says, glancing back at the other ship. Smoke is vomiting from the hole in the deck where the cannon had previously been. Fire flickers behind the shroud of black.

    ¡°Right,¡± I say, sitting up. ¡°Sorry for falling on you.¡±

    ¡°Sorry for grabbing you and throwing you at the ground.¡± There¡¯s a hint of a smile on his face, which makes me feel lighter. I still feel so tired. So shaken by what I nearly did. But Zyneth¡¯s easy confidence¡ªNoli¡¯s presence¡ªfills me with relief in a way I¡¯m not sure anything else could. Zyneth offers me a hand, and when I take it he pulls me to my feet. Well, I¡¯m doing most of the standing. Glass is heavy. But it¡¯s the thought that counts. We stand there, facing each other, and for a moment, I¡¯m overcome with an impulsive urge to pull him into a hug.

    ¡°You two seem close,¡± Noli observes, grinning mischievously. ¡°Anything happen under the waves I should know about?¡±

    And, moment gone.

    Zyneth narrows his eyes in concentration at Noli¡¯s signs, but doesn¡¯t catch what she¡¯s saying, or I¡¯m pretty sure he¡¯d be blushing.

    Rezira puts a hand on her shoulder. ¡°Honey, maybe the small talk can wait until their lives are not in immediate mortal peril. We¡¯ll have a lot of time to chat while heading back to shore.¡±

    ¡°Oh! Sorry! You¡¯re completely right. Let¡¯s finish up here.¡± She unslings the bow from around her shoulder and draws an arrow in one smooth motion. Her brows knit together, suddenly serious. The tip of the arrow glows green, and she looses the shot. The arrow strikes the ship opposite, exploding into a net of green vines. They wrap around the mast and snag on the sail. Whoever¡¯s still alive on that ship will have a lot to contend with before they¡¯re ready to come after us.

    ¡°I¡¯ll throw a rope down,¡± Rezira calls, disappearing from the rail.

    Zyneth looks at me. ¡°Can you climb one?¡±

    ¡°Probably not,¡± I admit. The rope would slip right through my glass fingers. ¡°But I can get up there with my own magic.¡± A rope flings over the edge of the ship, dangling a few feet away. I gesture for Zyneth to go ahead. ¡°Meet you at the top.¡±

    Still, he hesitates. Should have known he would wait for me. Alright then.

    Pointedly ignoring the predator, I grab the void within my control. It feels clumsy when it¡¯s just me controlling the substance. Like trying to play an instrument through a thick layer of gloves. But I manage to wrangle it in order anyway. I focus on my joints, willing the void to lock them up. And it works¡ªkinda. I try to levitate my glass just a few inches off the ground; it¡¯s wobbly, but I can do it.

    I nod to Zyneth. ¡°Ready.¡±

    He takes the rope and swings himself up as I push myself off the ground. My soul lurches with a nervous flutter of vertigo: I feel like my grasp of the void could slip, and I could drop my body at any moment. Those thoughts are probably not helping my concentration. I push my reservations out of mind and just focus on the job that needs to be done. I float slowly up toward the railing.

    I¡¯m halfway when something explodes behind me on the enemy ship. I jump¡ªmy focus falters, just for a fraction of a second.

    I haven¡¯t even started to fall before the predator jumps in, seizing our void. It tightens up all the joints and whips out a limb to wrap around the ship¡¯s handrail for good measure. At the same time, it shoots a whip of void behind us, down toward the sinking ship. It grabs the arcana crystal still sitting on the broken deck, then snaps the gem back toward us. I mentally scowl, flinging my body the rest of the way up and over the rail in a final push. The second my feet touch down, the predator recedes, turning the void back over to me. I snatch the arcana crystal from the limb of void and angrily stuff it into my pocket. Greedy bastard.

    I¡¯m not going to thank you for that, I snap.

    The predator doesn¡¯t reply. It¡¯s unusually quiet.

    I turn, looking for Zyneth. ¡°Did he¡ª¡±

    Noli throws her arms around me, wrapping me in a hug.

    I tense, momentarily panicked. Her chest is pressed against mine¡ªher soul inches away. It wouldn¡¯t take the predator but a fraction of a second, a moment of lapsed concentration, for it to pierce her.

    But the predator doesn¡¯t make a move. It retreats further into my mind, grumpily turned away from my focus. It¡¯s¡­ sulking? That¡¯s not it, exactly, but I can make out one portion of its mind; it doesn¡¯t intend to injure Noli. It knows her, through me. Like Zyneth, it understands that this person is different: they are meaningful to me. Useful. Allies.

    Friends, I think. But I¡¯m relieved to know she, at least, is safe. The tension goes out of me, and then the relief and warmth of the movement washes in. I slump into Noli¡¯s embrace, wrapping my arms around her as well.

    It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve hugged someone in this body.

    Technically, it¡¯s the second time Noli has hugged me. But I¡¯d been more of a receiver than a participant last time, and Noli had been so frail, her body still recovering from the coma it had been in for a month.

    But now her grasp is strong, and my soul aches in the best way as I¡¯m able to squeeze her back. We stay like that for a time, wordless; no words are needed.

    Finally, she draws back. ¡°Look at you! You¡¯re so much more¡­ substantial! And are you taller?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Rezira says, signing as she speaks. ¡°Huh. You¡¯re right, he is taller. An inch above Zyneth I¡¯d say.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Zyneth repeats, his head whipping in my direction. His eyes narrow. ¡°Was that intentional?¡±

    I throw my hands up defensively. ¡°No!¡±

    Okay, yes.

    The ship shifts beneath our feet, and I stumble one step; no one else does. I glance around for the captain, and find a human with brown skin and black locks at the helm. At least, they looked like a human at first glance. In place of legs, however, they have the lower body of a snake, green and brown diamonds patterned over their tail. They glance at me with gold, viper-slit eyes, then return their attention to their ship.

    Check, I think out of curiosity.

    [Captain Marrok,] Echo reports. [Level 41 lamia aural duelist.]

    A lamia, huh? That¡¯s a new one.

    ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡± I ask. I¡¯m signing for Noli¡¯s benefit, but my translator also speaks the words aloud for Zyneth¡ªcharmingly without contractions. And by charming I mean aggravating.

    ¡°That¡¯s Captain Marrok,¡± Rezira says, telling me nothing I don¡¯t already know. ¡°I¡¯ll introduce you to them when we¡¯re not still fleeing enemy ships.¡±

    Looking back out to sea, I find she¡¯s right: although we sank one and set a second on fire, there¡¯s still one final ship in pursuit. It hasn¡¯t caught up with us yet, but it can¡¯t be more than half a mile away.

    ¡°Is there anything we can do?¡± Zyneth asks, leaning out over the rails beside me.

    ¡°Not unless you can make a ship sail faster,¡± Rezira says. ¡°For now, we¡¯re just passengers. Take the opportunity to recover. Do you need any healing?¡±

    Zyneth hesitates. ¡°Perhaps. Some old wounds you could look at later. I¡¯m fine for now, however.¡±

    Rezira gives him a skeptical look before turning to me, raising an eyebrow. ¡°So you can speak now, huh?¡±

    ¡°What? Oh. My translator?¡± I touch the stone. I¡¯d forgotten Zyneth had gotten it for me in Miasmere after we¡¯d already left Noli and Rezira. That was only three months ago, but it feels like a lot longer.

    ¡°That¡¯s so weird,¡± Rezira says. ¡°I always imagined your voice to be higher pitched.¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± I cry. ¡°No. Why would you think that? This is already a far cry from my standard manly, sultry timbre. Did I mention manly?¡±

    ¡°Hard to picture such a little bottle with a deep voice.¡± She breaks into a grin.

    Oh, so she¡¯s just teasing me. Nice to see nothing has changed.

    Noli wrinkles her nose. ¡°Translators are so unreliable. But your signs are getting a lot better! Mostly.¡±

    ¡°Mostly?¡± I repeat. ¡°What do you mean, mostly?¡±

    ¡°Well, I can tell you¡¯ve been learning some new words!¡± she signs, but her smile is hesitant and guilty: the whitest lie I¡¯ve ever seen.

    ¡°What are you holding back?¡± I ask.

    ¡°Your accent,¡± Rezira answers when Noli doesn¡¯t. ¡°It¡¯s like you¡¯re some country bumpkin.¡±

    ¡°Country bumpkin!¡± I splutter. ¡°What¡ªbut¡ªyou two live in the country! And what do you mean, accent?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just little things,¡± Noli signs. ¡°Your hand doesn¡¯t twist with the word ¡®cry,¡¯ see? And your elbows are too stiff.¡±This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

    I watch carefully and try to see what she means. ¡°My book didn¡¯t mention that.¡±

    Rezira grunts. ¡°That explains it. Got it in Miasmere, did you? The best ones will be found in Valenia South.¡±

    ¡°Next time I¡¯m in an eastern city, I¡¯ll make sure to look for books specifically from the south,¡± I say dryly. But I¡¯m making mental notes on what Noli and Rezira do, even as they speak. They¡¯re right. Some of the signs I learned are a little clunky. I¡¯ll work at.

    I guess now, I¡¯ll have a lot of time to work at it.

    A strange, whirring sound grows in intensity. I tip my head. ¡°What¡¯s¡ª¡±

    The water beside our ship explodes in a fountain of water. Everyone ducks.

    ¡°Incoming!¡± Rezira cries.

    Captain Marrok bares their teeth¡ªfangs, I note¡ªwhipping around to look behind them.

    ¡°Get down!¡± they sign at Noli. ¡°Canonfire.¡±

    Crap. ¡°We¡¯re still in their range?¡± I mean, I guess the answer to that is obvious. I just thought they were too far away!

    ¡°On the bright side, at this distance, the likelihood of hitting us is very low!¡± Noli signs, even as she crouches on the deck.

    ¡°Assuming they don¡¯t have spells to assist with the aim,¡± Rezira adds.

    Another whizzing sound cuts through the air, and another eruption of water explodes nearby¡ªonly a few feet from the ship.

    ¡°I think it¡¯s safe to say they have homing spells,¡± Zyneth says.

    The captain releases the helm, vanishing behind the quarterdeck as they race toward the back of their ship. A moment later, a yellow wall of light begins to climb into the air from the back of the ship.

    ¡°What are they doing?¡± I ask.

    ¡°Creating an illusion,¡± Rezira says. ¡°That should help us slip away from the enemy ship.¡±

    The light slowly creeps into the air, beginning to form the impression of a dome. At the same time, another shot whizzes by, shattering a portion of the spell as it narrowly misses our ship and crashes into the water in front of us.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll have time to wait for it to complete,¡± Zyneth says.

    He¡¯s right. Each shot has been closer than the last; the next one could sink us. We can¡¯t just wait for whatever illusion the snake-person is weaving to finish: especially if each shot crumbles a portion of the spell and sets us back. We need to stop the attacks and buy them some time. I race up the quarterdeck, sprinting to the back of the ship.

    Captain Marrok is there, eyes narrowed in concentration, hands sketching out runes and lines of a giant spell circle as light flows into the air above them. I try to gauge the distance between us and the enemy ship.

    They¡¯re closer than they were even a few minutes ago. They must be moving at top speed, while we¡¯d been at a standstill and are only now regaining momentum.

    I could slow them down. After what I just did with the other two ships, I know that with the predator¡¯s help, I could do some damage.

    The worry is, I might do too much damage. If our minds merge again, I¡¯m not sure I can keep the predator from killing someone¡ªespecially if Zyneth isn¡¯t there to reel me back in.

    But what other options do I have? My Attuned elements can¡¯t even close half the distance.

    Zyneth and Noli appear at my side.

    ¡°What are you thinking?¡± Zyneth asks. ¡°Any ideas?¡±

    ¡°Can your lightning shoot that far?¡± I wonder. Though he largely just uses it on his knives, I saw him release a condensed shot once before. At me, specifically, when the predator had me in Emrox.

    ¡°Theoretically,¡± he says. ¡°But practically, no. I can create it, but not guide it: once it leaves my hands, it does what it pleases. At this distance, the lightning would likely fork off into the water before reaching them.¡±

    I look to Noli. ¡°What¡¯s your range with your bow?¡±

    ¡°With magic to double the range of each arrow, I would still only reach halfway,¡± she admits.

    ¡°Does this ship have cannons of its own?¡± I ask, looking around. It¡¯s much smaller than the pirate ships, though, and the answer is apparent from the empty decks.

    ¡°We don¡¯t need to fire back,¡± Zyneth says, rubbing his chin as he thinks. ¡°We just need to deflect¡ªor as the captain is doing, disguise.¡±

    Noli shrugs helplessly. ¡°I don¡¯t have anything that could stop a cannonball.¡±

    ¡°Me neither,¡± I say, mentally scrolling through my list of spells. Void Whip, Elemental Dowsing, Elemental Radar, Refraction, Location, Glow, Displace¡­

    ¡°Wait!¡± I realize. ¡°I do have something!¡±

    I grab onto the railing for stability, and will all of my void out from under my coat. The shadowy blobs swirl into the air before me.

    Rezira blinks. ¡°That¡¯s new.¡±

    I divide the void in half, mentally stretching each portion as wide as I can possibly make them. I feel the predator watching over my shoulder, curious, but it doesn¡¯t interfere. Great, because I really don¡¯t want to deal with it right now.

    Each volume of void becomes a giant black pancake in the air behind the ship, nearly completely obscuring our view.

    I activate Displace.

    [Displace Activated,] Echo says.

    I wait, hoping they¡¯re big enough. Hoping they cover enough of the back of the ship.

    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Noli asks. Not unnerved by the sight of so much void, but merely curious. ¡°Is it a barrier?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± I say. ¡°Like Zyneth said, we don¡¯t have to stop the shots if¡ª¡±

    Another whizzing sound thunders toward us. I tense, hoping it won¡¯t just tear through the void like tissue paper. One shot erupts in the water next to us. The other¡ª

    A pane of void crumples as it¡¯s struck by the cannonball, wrapping around the projectile like fabric. Instead of breaking out the other side, however, the cannonball vanishes, bursting out the second one the same instant. The second pane of void crumples in reverse, momentarily stretching out behind the shot like a tail of a comment as the cannonball rockets back toward the enemy ship. Then both portions of void slowly unwind themselves and ripple back into flat sheets once more.

    [41 points of Mana extinguished,] Echo reports.

    The shot strikes the ocean a hundred feet away, sending up a spray of water behind us.

    I sag with relief. ¡°...if we can redirect them.¡±

    Noli throws her arms in the air. ¡°That¡¯s amazing!¡±

    ¡°Very clever,¡± Zyneth says, though he appears as relieved as me. ¡°Can you tip that second one up? Try a forty-five degree angle. The returned shots will carry farther.¡±

    I do this as Rezira plants her hands on her hips. ¡°Not half bad.¡±

    ¡°Takes a bit of mana, though,¡± I admit. Looks like each shot is about 40 mana, based on their size. That means I can do another seven or so before I¡¯m out of mana. Unless I use the arcana crystal, that is.

    Another shot fires our way, again absorbed and redirected by the Displace spell. This time, the return shot goes a lot further; it doesn¡¯t get anywhere near striking the enemy ship, but it¡¯s closer to them than it is to us.

    After that, the firing stops.

    ¡°They must be wary of having their own weapons turned against them,¡± Zyneth observes.

    ¡°Oh, thank the gods,¡± I say. I won¡¯t have to worry about using the arcana crystal afterall.

    ¡°Will that be enough to slip away?¡± Rezira asks, looking up at the shell of magic that¡¯s slowly weaving over the ship.

    Noli looks to Captain Murrok, who¡¯s still concentrating on their spell. ¡°It might take a few minutes more,¡± she signs.

    ¡°It better be a good spell,¡± I say. ¡°They¡¯ll catch up to us before too long.¡±

    Zyneth leans forward, eyes narrowed. ¡°Something¡¯s happening.¡±

    We all look. The water around the ship¡¯s prow has turned white and churning. There¡¯s movement along the sides of the ship, too, objects surfacing and dipping beneath the waves.

    ¡°Oars?¡± I ask.

    Noli squints. ¡°No. They¡¯re fins.¡±

    I look to Zyneth and Rezira; both of them appear grim. They¡¯re expecting another fight.

    I don¡¯t think we can handle another fight right now. Zyneth¡¯s worn out, Rezira is a healer, we¡¯ll need the captain to keep sailing the ship¡ªthat leaves just me and Noli in prime condition to fight, and I¡¯m not sure I¡¯d even call my condition prime.

    With the arcana crystal, I could destroy them. But that would require leaning on the predator, and neither of these things are something I want. I need time to digest everything. I need time to hash everything out with the predator and make sure I don¡¯t put anyone else¡¯s lives in danger. Mostly, I just want time to spend with my friends without having to worry about anything life threatening.

    Wanting all that is nice, but we still need a solution. I slip my hand in my pocket, hesitantly tapping a finger against the arcana crystal. Is this the only option we¡¯ve got?

    ¡°It¡¯s gaining,¡± Rezira notes.

    ¡°Could you use your Light Beam?¡± Zyneth asks me. ¡°It was rather effective on the last ship.¡±

    That¡¯s an understatement. ¡°That was with the arcana crystal powering it,¡± I say. But I¡¯d need the predator to channel the energy for me so it all doesn¡¯t go straight to my soul. ¡°I don¡¯t know if¡­ I don¡¯t want to use it.¡±

    Zyneth grimaces. ¡°I see.¡±

    But I can¡¯t let my reservations endanger the lives of everyone else here. What if this is the only solution? Though I¡¯m not sure I would even be able to aim it precisely enough, given the distance.

    Aim.

    Aim.

    I spin to Noli. ¡°Can you hit a moving target?¡±

    ¡°Of course!¡± she signs. ¡°I learned to hunt in the forest, and let me tell you, animals do not like to stay still when you¡¯re shooting arrows at them.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the furthest range you can manage?¡± I ask. ¡°With magic to help.¡±

    She looks out to sea, closing one eye and holding a thumb up before her. ¡°A quarter mile would be my limit.¡±

    ¡°Their ship is still a little more than that away,¡± Zyneth notes.

    Rezira grunts. ¡°Not for long.¡±

    ¡°What about hitting one arrow with a second arrow?¡± I ask. ¡°Could you guarantee you hit it?¡±

    ¡°Guarantee? No.¡± Noli considers. ¡°But I¡¯d give it a ten to one chance.¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re hitting a target we already have access to, I could improve that chance,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°I could carve a homing spell circle on the target arrow that would draw the other arrow in.¡± He tips his head at me. ¡°What do you have in mind?¡±

    I hold up the arcana crystal. ¡°One shot to end the fight.¡±

    He raises his eyebrows, though Rezira and Noli seem confused.

    ¡°We¡¯ll need to move quickly,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°Noli, your arrows, if you would.¡±

    Perplexed, she hands two over. ¡°What will that little stone do?¡±

    ¡°Cripple their ship, ideally.¡± Trying very hard not to think about my plan, so as not to clue the predator in, I take Noli¡¯s hands and put the arcana crystal in them. I intentionally angle my glass so the predator doesn¡¯t see this happen. ¡°It¡¯s up to you.¡±

    It takes a few more minutes for Zyneth to finish his spells, and for Noli to prepare her arrows. As they do, the enemy ship draws ever closer. I know we need to wait until they¡¯re within Noli¡¯s range, but it¡¯s still unnerving to watch the vessel creep steadily closer¡ªtoo close, it feels like.

    When everything¡¯s ready, Noli tests her arrows¡¯ weight. ¡°Everyone ready?¡±

    We all nod. I pull my void back into my coat, providing Noil a clear view.

    ¡°Alright then.¡± She grins. ¡°Let¡¯s see what teamwork is capable of.¡±

    She holds the first arrow up to her bow and draws back. She points the shot high, so it will have a long arc to fall through. She waits. Adjusts. Then fires.

    She whips the second arrow up to her bow the moment the first one vanishes into the sky. She aims lower this time, and waits. In the sky, I can see the small fleck of black reach its apex and begin to descend. She looses her second shot.

    We all watch in tense silence.

    The two arrows collide mid-air, right above the enemy ship.

    The arcana crystal strapped to the first arrow explodes. Red light erupts from the fractured crystal, enveloping the ship. The shockwave hits us seconds later. The enemy ship¡¯s mast crumples, and wood splinters across the deck. Fire breaks out. The vessel lists to the side, where a hole has been carved out of its hull.

    The predator startles as it realizes what I¡¯ve done. No! The crystal. Our power! How could I throw that away?

    Because you wanted it, I think. And you¡¯d use it to hurt people.

    The predator¡¯s shock becomes anger. That was ours! Ours! I can¡¯t destroy our things!

    I can and will as long as you pose a threat.

    The predator scowls, prowling around the edges of my mind. It doesn¡¯t understand why I would do this.

    No, I think. You wouldn¡¯t.

    Rezira, Noli, and Zyneth watch in silence as the burning ship begins to sink. That¡¯s three ships sunk from the power of that crystal. No one should have the ability to wield such control over the fate of so many lives. I¡¯m glad it¡¯s gone.

    Rezira is the first to stir, letting out a breath. ¡°The power of teamwork is terrifying.¡±

 Chapter 106 - Time Apart

    The red glow of the burning ship disappears on the horizon as we sail south. Captain Murrok finishes their illusion spell several minutes later, and a shell of orange light forms around the ship. I can¡¯t see any difference from the inside, but Noli assures us that from the outside, we¡¯re now practically invisible.

    We¡¯re free. No one is chasing us. We all have a moment to breathe.

    Well, most of us, anyway.

    I turn to Noli. ¡°How did you find us?¡±

    She smiles fondly. ¡°It¡¯s a bit of a story. Perhaps we should find somewhere more comfortable first. I¡¯m sure you could all use some rest.¡±

    Zyneth especially. He tries not to show it, but I¡¯m starting to recognize the fatigue in subtle hints of his body language. Of course, I don¡¯t actually need rest¡ªphysically, speaking¡ªbut mentally, emotionally¡­ just talking with Noli again is healing.

    As we leave the quarterdeck, the Captain nods at Noli as she passes, and she puts a hand on their shoulder, giving it a squeeze. They must know each other, then. It wouldn¡¯t surprise me if Noli¡¯s made friends in every corner of the world.

    Noli takes us below deck to a galley not unlike the one on the Prismatic. There¡¯s no table, save the small plank used to prepare meals, so Rezira points Zyneth over to a crate; after he sits down, she sets about checking him over, her hands glowing with the faint green light of her healing magic. I also take a seat on a nearby crate, but Noli sets about preparing a meal. It will be the first fresh food Zyneth has had in two months.

    ¡°We got your letter,¡± Noli pauses to sign after she sets things out on the counter. ¡°It was rather alarming. Rezira and I decided we had to investigate at once.¡±

    ¡°Mostly Noli,¡± Rezira adds.

    ¡°We started in Miasmere,¡± she continues. ¡°You said you were heading to Emrox, so we started at the docks. There was no sign of this Gillow fellow you mentioned¡ª¡± Zyneth frowns, and as my thoughts return to Gillow, the predator mentally growls. ¡°¡ªbut we did some digging anyway. This led us to some rather unscrupulous groups of people.¡±

    ¡°Gods be good,¡± Zyneth says after Rezira translates. ¡°You didn¡¯t get involved with any of them, did you?¡± He glances toward the ceiling, and I imagine he¡¯s wondering if our Captain Murrok is part of that same underworld.

    ¡°Oh they were rather too rude for my liking,¡± Noli signs, surely making the understatement of the century. ¡°But ultimately, none of them were of any help. So we decided to take a more proactive approach.¡±

    Noli pauses to start cutting up some fruit, cheese, and slices of crusty bread, so Rezira takes over.

    ¡°We visited some friends in the south,¡± she says, nodding to Noli. ¡°She spent most of her childhood in Citron City.¡±

    ¡°Ah,¡± Zyneth says with a nod, as if this explains everything.

    ¡°Why there?¡± I ask. What does this have to do with anything?

    ¡°It¡¯s a predominantly lamia capital.¡± Rezira pauses, probably remembering I¡¯m not from around here. ¡°Oh, right. Lamia don¡¯t have vocal chords. Signs are their primary form of communication, and every known sign language across Lusio originated with them, in one form or another. Noli¡¯s parents sent her there to live with a host family when she was young. I¡¯m sure they wanted to give her the best education available.¡±

    Noli¡¯s parents. Now that¡¯s something I¡¯ve never stopped to wonder about. What must they be like? She¡¯s never mentioned them.

    ¡°Anyway,¡± Rezira says, ¡°Murrok was part of Noli¡¯s host family. They¡¯re almost like her sibling. They also own a ship. When Noli showed up asking for help, they couldn¡¯t say no.¡± She smiles. ¡°Most people can¡¯t.¡±

    Rezira pats Zyneth¡¯s back, then heads over to help with the food. ¡°That¡¯s as good as I can get it for now,¡± she tells him. ¡°Those wounds were mostly healed anyway. I¡¯m sure there¡¯s a good story behind them,¡± she teasingly adds.

    Zyneth¡¯s gaze flickers over to me, and my soul sinks. Those wounds were ones the predator gave him in Emrox.

    ¡°So what happened after that?¡± Zyneth hurriedly asks, returning his attention to Noli and Rezira. ¡°You just sailed around aimlessly looking for us?¡±

    Noli passes off the meal prep to Rezira after she translates, and turns back to us with a giggle. ¡°Not quite. By the time we sailed back to Miasmere, over a month had passed since we got your message. And something had changed since we last left.

    ¡°The same people we¡¯d spoken to about Gillow before were now missing. We weren¡¯t sure why, until we found an interesting job post in a less-than-charming establishment. Someone was looking for a submarine called the Prismatic, and offering quite a hefty bounty for its inhabitants; a cambion and glass homunculus. Half the undercity had formed crews and were scouring the sea.¡±

    Zyneth looks aghast. ¡°Please tell me you also didn¡¯t accept such a job!¡±

    Noli waves him off with a laugh. ¡°No, no. Don¡¯t be silly! We¡¯ve just been following them around; generally at a great distance and with Murrok¡¯s illusions in place.¡±

    ¡°Randomly?¡± I ask, skeptical. ¡°It¡¯s a miracle anyone found us.¡±

    ¡°Not random,¡± Noli says. ¡°Rezira and I were able to figure out that each crew who accepted the job was given a piece of metal to use to track the missing submarine. She thinks it¡¯s some kind of tracing magic.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps a replaced part of the Prismatic itself,¡± Zyneth says, scratching his chin. ¡°Yes, that could explain it.¡±

    Like my Locate spell. I¡¯d used my soul as a focus to try to find my body. If someone had pieces of the Prismatic to use as foci, it wouldn¡¯t be hard to get them to point toward the submarine. They might have known we were somewhere out at sea for the last month, but they wouldn¡¯t have had any way to get to us¡ªnot until we made for land and shallower waters.

    It also all but confirms the hit was put on us by Gillow. Who else would have pieces of their submarine on hand?

    ¡°Once all the ships started to converge and change patterns, we knew you must be close,¡± Noli signs. ¡°And I guess the rest is history!¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± I say. ¡°I don¡¯t know what we would have done if you hadn¡¯t shown up.¡±

    ¡°Oh, it seemed like you two had things pretty well handled without us,¡± Noli jokes. Neither Zyneth or I laugh.

    Rezira turns back to us with a platter of food, which she sets on a crate between all of us. She gestures for us to help ourselves, and I wonder if she remembers that I can¡¯t eat. Zyneth hesitantly takes a piece of bread, but doesn¡¯t eat any yet. Despite how hungry he must be, he¡¯s still the type to wait for everyone to have something first. I eye the fruit, wondering what it might taste like. A whole world full of new flavors, and I¡¯ll never know it.

    ¡°So that¡¯s our story,¡± Rezira says, taking a seat beside Noli. She gestures to me. ¡°What about yours? From your letter, I wasn¡¯t sure if we¡¯d be rescuing you both, or just Zyneth.¡±Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    Because I¡¯d told them I¡¯d be leaving this world and returning to my own. What a fool¡¯s errand that turned out to be. But there¡¯s so much that happened. Where do I even begin?

    Zyneth pauses as he notices my hesitation, bread halfway to his mouth. ¡°I can tell them,¡± he offers.

    ¡°No, no.¡± I wave him off. ¡°Enjoy your meal. I can do all the talking for once.¡±

    He raises an amused eyebrow. ¡°For once?¡±

    ¡°Do you want a minute to eat or not?¡±

    He chuckles, and begins to dig in.

    Noli and Rezira look at me expectantly, and I experience a flutter of stage fright. They¡¯re not going to like the story I have to tell them. Noli will be disappointed in me. But they¡¯ve already done so much for Zyneth and I. Explaining what all led to where we are now is the least I can do.

    ¡°It started with the Library in Miasmere,¡± I sign. ¡°When I was doing research on my magic, I found an old picture of a spell circle in Emrox¡­¡±

    Rezira sits there unmoving the whole time, arms crossed, at most reacting with a frown or raised eyebrow. Noli, meanwhile, stares at me wide-eyed as I detail our misadventures, popping pieces of fruit into her mouth like popcorn. She¡¯s riveted when I get to the encounter with Yedzaquib, and gasps when I describe all the deep sea beasts we fought through the Prismatic. She tears up when I tell her about finding my gravestone, and bites her nails when I describe the predator¡¯s fight with Zyneth. Even Zyneth pauses at this point, listening intently. I guess he never heard it from my point of view.

    Finally, I lower my hands and lean back, emotionally drained.

    ¡°Holy shit,¡± Rezira mumbles, probably so her wife won¡¯t notice.

    ¡°Oh, Kanin.¡± Noli leans over to squeeze my knee. ¡°That¡¯s all so much!¡±

    ¡°So what does this mean?¡± Rezira asks. ¡°That shadow monster that tried to kill Noli is free now?¡±

    ¡°Sort of,¡± I admit. ¡°We¡¯re kind of in an armistice.¡±

    Rezira frowns. ¡°What does that mean?¡±

    ¡°It means we¡¯re trying to find a way to coexist,¡± I say. Though I¡¯m not sure that¡¯s going too well, given what just happened on the other ship. ¡°We¡¯re effectively two minds in one body, each equally powerful as the other. Meaning I have the potential to squash it into submission just as much as it has the power to do the same to me. Or we can both fight for control and get nowhere. So we¡¯re¡­ trying to find a way to get along. Right now that means we do what I want during the day and what it wants¡ªwithin reason¡ªat night.¡± I look to Zyneth. ¡°I¡¯m worried that arrangement isn¡¯t going to work anymore.¡±

    ¡°Because other people are around?¡± he asks.

    I nod. ¡°I tried to impress morals upon it. I tried to get it to understand that it can¡¯t kill people¡ªthat it doesn¡¯t need to, now that it has the magic from my soul to feed off of. But I¡­ I just don¡¯t know. I can¡¯t trust it.¡±

    ¡°Where is it now?¡± Noli asks, glancing around the room as if it might be hiding in the shadows. Well, she¡¯s not entirely wrong there.

    I unbutton my coat and open it for Noli and Rezira. Zyneth leans over to look, too.

    There¡¯s not much to see, really. At first glance it would seem like nothing more than my glass form. But the shadows within my coat are darker than they should be, and shift even when there¡¯s no change in light.

    ¡°That¡¯s the monster?¡± Noli asks. ¡°Why, it doesn¡¯t look so big and bad now!¡±

    ¡°But still plenty dangerous,¡± Zyneth says.

    ¡°It becomes more substantial after absorbing mana,¡± I add. ¡°But as Zyneth said, it¡¯s still a serious threat.¡±

    ¡°How come it isn¡¯t attacking us?¡± Rezira asks. ¡°Are you controlling it?¡±

    The question gives me pause. I¡¯m not controlling it, because the predator is still largely sulking and avoiding me. But even though it¡¯s indicated it knows Noli and Zyneth are off limits, it¡¯s still odd it hasn¡¯t made a move or even shown interest in attacking Rezira or Captain Murrok. Given the time I¡¯ve spent on this boat and all the distractions I¡¯ve been subjected to, it¡¯s had ample opportunity.

    ¡°I think I¡¯ll need to have a talk with it about all this later,¡± I say.

    Rezira looks skeptical. ¡°You talk with it?¡±

    I shrug. ¡°In a manner of speaking.¡±

    ¡°Does it have a name?¡± Noli asks.

    The question catches me off guard. ¡°Er. No,¡± I say. ¡°It¡¯s a monster.¡±

    ¡°Monsters can have names,¡± Noli insists. ¡°Like that dragon in the Tale of the Water Weaver. What was it called again?¡±

    ¡°Frostbreath, Bane of the Wyrm Hunter,¡± Rezira recites.

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s it!¡± Noli exclaims.

    ¡°That¡¯s a bit of a mouthful,¡± I remark.

    ¡°We¡¯ve just been calling it ¡®the predator,¡¯¡± Zyneth says. ¡°It¡¯s proved a fairly accurate descriptor.¡±

    Noli wrinkles her nose. ¡°But it¡¯s a bit vague, isn¡¯t it? Talking about it could get confusing. We should give it a name!¡±

    It¡¯s a good thing I¡¯m already sitting down. I don¡¯t even know how to reply to this suggestion. It¡¯s too absurd to wrap my head around.

    ¡°What about Spot,¡± Noli suggests, leaning forward excitedly. ¡°Like a spot of ink.¡±

    ¡°We are not naming the predator Spot,¡± I say firmly.

    ¡°Ink,¡± Noli signs. ¡°Inky.¡±

    ¡°You remember this thing tried to kill both of us, right?¡±

    ¡°Shadow!¡±

    The predator can tell that I¡¯m thinking about it, but doesn¡¯t understand what we¡¯re talking about. Names are too abstract for it, probably. Even with Noli and Zyneth, when it thinks about them they¡¯re more concepts than names.

    ¡°It feels rather odd to give it a name now,¡± Zyneth admits. ¡°It almost feels a bit too¡­ familiar.¡±

    I know what he means. Giving it a name gives it an identity. It makes it seem more concrete¡ªno longer just a temporary affliction or abstract concept. A name gives it permanence.

    And I guess it is permanent, isn¡¯t it? Yedzaquib had indicated that separating it from my soul would kill me. Not that I¡¯m going to give up on trying to find a way to get rid of it¡ªor at least contain it¡ªbased on Yedzaquib¡¯s opinion, but it¡¯s time I admit to myself that the predator is going to be around for quite a bit longer than I would like.

    ¡°Noli¡¯s right that it would help talking about it if we had some specific name for it,¡± Rezira says. ¡°However,¡± she adds, before Noli can make any more suggestions, ¡°perhaps we can workshop names at a later date. I¡¯m sure Zyneth and Kanin would like to get some rest.¡±

    I don¡¯t, actually, but I¡¯m relieved by Rezira running interference. ¡°Rest would be appreciated,¡± I say. ¡°It will be nice to have a break for a bit before we get Zyneth to land.¡±

    ¡°Zyneth?¡± Noli asks. Why?¡±

    She and Rezira look at him, and now it¡¯s his turn to squirm beneath their expectant looks.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I have a rather pressing job call I must answer.¡± Zyneth hesitates for a moment, and I wonder if I should have said anything at all. It¡¯s not my secret to tell. Then he sighs and rolls up his sleeve, revealing the glowing ouroboros. Reluctantly, he explains his debts and the significance of the tattoo¡¯s glow.

    ¡°Luckily, this debt¡¯s owner isn¡¯t from Miasmere,¡± Zyneth says, truly choosing to focus on the silver lining. ¡°So at least we¡¯ll be able to avoid Gillow, Yedzaquib, and all this bounty hunting nonsense. To fulfill this debt, I¡¯ll be needing to head back to Harrowood.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± I say, surprised. The city where I first tried to find a wizard to resolve my and Noli¡¯s spells. It¡¯s located just outside of the Valenia North mountain range. I have a lot of memories from those mountains, and most of them aren¡¯t good. ¡°Oh.¡±

    Zyneth smiles through a grimace. ¡°You really don¡¯t have to come. Being in a big city right now might not be a good idea.¡±

    He¡¯s right about that. But there¡¯s also a lot of rural areas around there; mountain peaks where no one would be around for miles and miles. Maybe the safest place for me to stay, if not at sea.

    Besides. There¡¯s a certain cabin I¡¯d like to visit.

    ¡°Harrowood?¡± Noli looks at me, and I wonder if she¡¯s thinking the same thing. ¡°We should go.¡±

    ¡°We should,¡± I agree.

    Rezira seems as equally hesitant as Zyneth. ¡°You sure about that?¡± she asks. ¡°It might open old wounds.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s rather perfect, actually,¡± Noli signs. ¡°I¡¯ve been wanting to go back.¡±

    ¡°Me too.¡± Well, want is a strong word. But I¡¯ve felt I should, someday. I just didn¡¯t think it would be so soon.

    I turn to Zyneth before he can object. ¡°We¡¯ll be heading there anyway, for your job if nothing else. No sense in trying to argue against it.¡±

    He closes his mouth against what was undoubtedly an argument against it.

    ¡°Then it¡¯s settled,¡± Noli signs, a bit too chipper for the present subject matter. ¡°I¡¯ll let Murrok know. Tomorrow we sail for Harrowood!¡±

    ¡°Actually, it¡¯s landlocked,¡± Rezira says. ¡°We¡¯ll need to take a telepad.¡±

    ¡°Tomorrow we sail for a telepad to Harrowood!¡± Noli amends.

    Zyneth chuckles, and Rezira smiles fondly at her wife. I¡¯m even starting to think this course of action might not be the worst option available.

    It¡¯s hard to be dour with Noli around.

 Chapter 107 - Imaginary Friend

    Noli and Rezira show us below deck, where there¡¯s a shared room and several cots where we¡¯ll be sleeping. Well, where Zyneth will be sleeping. I deposit my meager belongings (and all the extra glass I¡¯ve accumulated) in the trunk by one of the beds. As the women show Zyneth where he can get washed up, I make my way back to the main deck.

    I wave to Murrok, who¡¯s still at the helm, and they reply with a stoic nod, seemingly unfazed by my appearance. I wonder what Noli¡¯s said about me. What will other people say about me? Will I have to go back to playing the part of a silent servant? Now that I have a voice box, I can at least speak up for myself. But how will people react? Explaining my sentience every time I interact with someone new sounds exhausting.

    It¡¯s dusk now, and the sun is scraping the horizon: the first sunset I¡¯ve seen in months. Land cuts a dark shadow beneath the orange sky, and I stand at the bow, taking it all in. It seems so serene. Nothing to indicate the battle that took place just a few hours ago. The people who died.

    Surely, people had to have died. We sank three ships. And yes, they attacked us first, and the nereids of the groups were probably fine, but trying to conceive of the lives lost still summons a sickly twist in my soul. It might have been indirect, and it might have been self defense, but I still killed people. How is that any different from what I¡¯ve been trying to stop the predator from doing? I¡¯m a hypocrite.

    Feeling my thoughts turn toward it, the predator stirs. Is it time to switch?

    Right; it¡¯s almost night. This is usually when I let the predator take control. But can I risk that now? I suppose even if I wanted to suppress it, we both know I can¡¯t hold it at bay all night.

    We need to talk first, I think. Reluctantly, I allow myself to think about the nereid whose soul we¡¯d nearly consumed. The predator follows my thoughts to that memory as well.

    I can feel its mood sour like a shriveling grape. But its ire isn¡¯t directed at the memory; it¡¯s pointed at me.

    What did I do? I ask, baffled. You¡¯re the one who tried to kill that man!

    But I stopped it from following through. I stopped it from taking revenge! That puts us at risk. What if the prey had attacked us again, like it had before? We have to protect our soul.

    Revenge? I repeat. You understand that wasn¡¯t Gillow, right? It was just someone who looked like them.

    The predator wavers, confused. It doesn¡¯t understand. Something is or something isn¡¯t.

    That wasn¡¯t Gillow, I clarify. It¡¯s beginning to dawn on me what¡¯s actually going on here. I had been the one to recognize that nereid bore resemblance to Gillow. And while in our fused state, the predator mistook resemblance for recognition, a difference too nuanced for it to grasp. It truly thought that man was Gillow. It saw the nereid as a threat; it was protecting us.

    No wonder it¡¯s pissed at me for trying to stop it. It must think I was putting our lives in jeopardy.

    Look, I say. You can¡¯t react impulsively to every thought or emotion I have. Sometimes, the first thought I have is wrong.

    Yes, I¡¯m well aware of the irony.

    The predator is uncertain about this explanation. How can it tell if the things I think are right or wrong? How can it know which way to respond?

    Er, you can¡¯t really, I admit. Not in the moment. Sometimes you have to take time to think about things, to make sure they are what they seem. I think about a color-changing fish we came across a week ago that would camouflage itself to be a rock. The predator had attacked several rocks after that, breaking many of our glass teeth before I stopped it to point out the fish couldn¡¯t camouflage its eyes. After that we¡¯d paid closer attention to the rock¡¯s patterns and could distinguish the real rocks from the fish.

    The predator counters this by thinking about the sea snake that had darted out of a crevasse and tried to eat us; the predator¡¯s quick reflexes had saved a good portion of our glass and void from getting swallowed and carried away.

    Fair point, I admit. Sometimes you have to react without thinking, while other times you have to stop and think.

    The predator doesn¡¯t like this. I am telling it two different things at once. Conflicting.

    Inconsistent, I agree. Yeah, welcome to the human condition. I don¡¯t have an answer for you. Life¡¯s complicated that way.

    The predator finds this entirely unsatisfying.

    But I¡¯m kind of reassured by the conversation. I understand why it was so frustrated now. It hadn¡¯t tried to kill that man out of bloodlust¡ªwell, not just bloodlust. Maybe it is learning.

    You won¡¯t attack Noli and Zyneth. It¡¯s not a question: that¡¯s one thing I¡¯m pretty confident about, or as confident as one can be where it concerns an alien oil-spill with a capacity for empathy that could fit into a thimble.

    Yes. It knows they are useful to us.

    Important to us, I correct.

    The predator does not see the difference. Is this more of my complicated and inconsistent ideas?

    Eh. I¡¯ll fight this battle some other day.

    What about the other people on this ship? I ask. I instinctively fish for the answer in its mind, which annoys it.

    If they present as a threat, it will protect our soul. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    They¡¯re not a threat, I promise.

    They do not appear as a threat now. The predator retrieves the rock fish example I¡¯d just used. But if they become a threat, it will devour them.

    Okay, I admit, that one¡¯s on me. The predator¡¯s suspicion isn¡¯t even unfounded; we¡¯d spent weeks working with Gillow, only for them to attack us. But I think this is a suspicion I can live with. If it¡¯s willing to be reactive instead of proactive, that¡¯s the best I can hope for. It should keep those around me safe.

    Well, safe-ish. So long as no one picks a fight, or does anything else the predator might interpret as a threat¡ªa long list, I¡¯m sure¡ªwe¡¯ll be fine. I¡¯m not saying this is a great long term solution, but it¡¯s enough for now. It¡¯s enough that I¡¯m willing to risk setting foot back on land.

    I guess that means it¡¯s time to hold up my end of the bargain.

    About our¡­ nightly endeavors, I think. I receive the mental equivalent of a blank stare. We were leaving my core behind in the submarine while you went out hunting, because the water pressure would crush it. It was safe on the Prismatic. But while we¡¯re on land, it might be more dangerous to leave it behind.

    This much the predator does understand. In fact, it finds it preferable. If it takes the core with us, then it will not be tethered to one location and may roam as far as it pleases.

    Oh. Yeah, that¡¯s one consequence I hadn¡¯t considered. I guess it¡¯s too late to take it back now. That would be more ¡®inconsistencies¡¯ for the predator to get annoyed with.

    The predator wonders if we can take our bones with us, too.

    Bones?

    It sends me an image of our glass.

    You mean my body? They aren¡¯t bones! Well, that¡¯s semantics, really, since I guess they serve the purpose of bones. Yes, fine, we can take those, too. Might as well keep my core safely tucked in my chest, anyway.

    The predator grows excited, surging to the forefront of my mind. Now?

    ¡°Wait, hold on,¡± I say. I guess its previous sour mood is gone and forgotten. ¡°I need to speak with the others about this, first.¡±

    The predator doesn¡¯t understand why¡ªthere is nothing to talk about. Yet it recedes, just a fraction.

    Whew. It¡¯s scary how fast it can flip between hot and cold, but it¡¯s all rational, in a way. Its motives are basic and direct. Somehow, I¡¯m starting to think I can make this work. I can reason with it.

    But I won¡¯t let that make me complacent; I might be able to tempt this wolf from the woods with the warmth of fire and the smell of meat, but it¡¯s still feral. Even if I can train it to hunt for me instead of against me, it will never truly be tame.

    At least I can try to keep it sated, and for that, I need to let it do its nightly patrols. Noli and Rezira will understand.

    Well, Noli will understand.

    I turn and make for the crew quarters just as everyone steps out. ¡°Oh,¡± I sign. ¡°I was about to come find you.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± Noli asks. Then her gaze drifts over my shoulders. ¡°Oh! Isn¡¯t that sunset stunning?¡±

    I sign amusement. Leave it to her to find the beauty in every moment. ¡°Yes. But I need to talk to you guys about the agreement with the predator I mentioned before.¡±

    Zyneth is wearing a new shirt, now, which makes me realize how tattered and dirty his previous ones had become. He¡¯s shaved, too, and has run a comb through his hair. With his face scrubbed, the yellow light from his eyes reflects off the gold freckles on his cheeks like a sprinkling of stardust.

    At the mention of the predator, Zyneth¡¯s expression darkens. ¡°Is everything alright?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± I say, tearing my gaze away. I sign and speak for the benefit of all parties present. ¡°It¡¯s fine. In fact, I wanted to assure you all that it doesn¡¯t pose a threat to anyone on this ship.¡±

    Zyneth gives me a skeptical look.

    ¡°So long as no one does anything threatening,¡± I add.

    ¡°What does that mean?¡± Rezira demands.

    The predator eyes her harsh tone and tense stance warily.

    ¡°It means, I need you to not do that,¡± I say.

    ¡°Do what?¡± she asks.

    I gesture to all of her. ¡°You know. That.¡±

    Her eyes narrow.

    ¡°Perhaps we should hear him out,¡± Zyneth quickly interrupts. ¡°Kanin, what specifically do you mean by threatening?¡±

    ¡°Um¡­ Things like moving quickly, grabbing me unexpectedly, waving weapons around,¡± I suggest. ¡°Anything that could startle it, really.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll be careful,¡± Noli assures me.

    Rezira seems less placated. ¡°It sounds like you¡¯re asking us to walk on eggshells around you.¡±

    ¡°No, just¡­ act normal, is all I¡¯m saying.¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Rezira says, voice laced with sarcasm. ¡°Real easy to do with a murderous shadow monster around.¡±

    I helplessly hold up my hands. ¡°As long as we don¡¯t get into any more fights, it should all be fine.¡±

    No one looks reassured by this. We do tend to get in a lot of fights.

    ¡°What about your hunting sessions?¡± Zyneth asks.

    ¡°That was the other thing I wanted to talk to you all about.¡± I fidget with a piece of glass, floating it between my fingers. ¡°The agreement still stands. So I¡¯ll be leaving most nights.¡±

    Noli laughs. ¡°Leaving? Where in the world would you go? We¡¯re on a ship!¡±

    Zyneth glances over the railing.

    ¡°Really?¡± Rezira asks, incredulous.

    ¡°While it¡¯s holding the reins, I¡¯d much rather us not be anywhere near any of you,¡± I say.

    ¡°I thought you said we¡¯re safe,¡± Rezira says.

    ¡°I did! You are.¡± I hesitate. ¡°But I¡¯d feel better if there was some distance.¡±

    ¡°Will this plan still work once we get to land?¡± Zyneth asks.

    ¡°It should,¡± I say. ¡°As long as I stay out of the cities. Or leave at night. Look, I haven¡¯t worked out all the details, but this is the best I can come up with for now.¡±

    But is it enough? Their fears are all founded. How can I guarantee their safety?

    Zyneth squeezes my arm, offering me a small, reassuring smile. ¡°I know. This is a lot, and you¡¯re doing admirably.¡±

    The anxiety that had been building within me deflates. ¡°Thank you.¡±

    Noli unsuccessfully hides a giddy grin behind splayed fingers. Rezira eyes Zyneth¡¯s hand with a smirk.

    ¡°Okay I can¡¯t take it!¡± Noli cries. ¡°Are you two an item?¡±

    If it weren¡¯t for my glass, I would have puddled to the floor and sunk beneath the floorboards. Zyneth¡¯s face turns an even darker shade of red. He quickly pulls his hand away.

    ¡°Um,¡± I sign intelligently.

    Zyneth is equally flustered. ¡°We, ah, have not put a precise label on our relationship¡ªwhich it may or may not be.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Rezira says. ¡°Because it seems like¡­¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve had a lot going on,¡± I blurt. ¡°I was going home, then then I wasn¡¯t, and then there was all the focus on just trying to survive¡ª¡±

    ¡°All that time stuck together!¡± Noli exclaims. ¡°Surely you must have talked about it at some point?¡±

    ¡°We have,¡± Zyneth says, looking pointedly at some very interesting patch of wood directly to Noli and Rezira¡¯s left. ¡°In Miasmere we spoke about¡­ potential interests.¡±

    ¡°Miasmere?¡± Rezira scoffs.

    Noli appears horrified. ¡°You mean the last time you spoke about your feelings was over two months ago?¡±

    Rezira shakes her head. ¡°By that point Noli had already proposed to me.¡±

    ¡°Okay!¡± I spin around and make straight for the railing. I shrug off my coat and kick off my boots as I walk, not even bothering to take them below deck. ¡°Good talk. See you in the morning!¡±

    Thanks to my omni vision, I can still make out Zyneth¡¯s mortified expression as I hand control over to the predator and jump off the ship.

 Chapter 108 - Familiar Spark

    Without needing to leave our core on the ship, we can range as far as we like. It¡¯s odd, having all of our body out in the ocean with us. Well, technically not all of it; we left much of our loose glass made of fulgurite back on the ship. But the bones of our body are here, which gives a comforting structure to our void that we didn¡¯t previously have. We are more solid, our form more stable.

    Though a bipedal form isn¡¯t ideal for swimming. With some amount of encouragement, and some amount of reluctance, we allow the Chain spells which connect all our pieces of glass to one another to be rearranged into a more convenient form for swimming. Not the most convenient form; part of us is very adamant that we are not to deviate from only having four limbs. Even though eight or ten would be much more useful!

    No.

    What about just six?

    Still no.

    Compromise thoroughly shot down, we content ourself to explore these far more shallow waters. There¡¯s a lot more life here. Smaller life, though. No giant sea creatures or anything filled with magic. The fish are hardly worth the effort to hunt down. It doesn¡¯t feel very satisfying when it¡¯s so easy.

    After an hour or two, we grow bored. We suggest collecting some sand and heading back to the ship to Attune more glass or create more fulgurite, but this suggestion is also shot down: so boring! We¡¯ve been doing that for weeks now. This is the first time we¡¯ve been close to land since¡­ Well, the predator has memories of time spent on land, but it was not exactly the same predator then. At one point, there was more of it, then there was less of it. The parts of it that were in the Between while the rest experienced the library heist is very curious to experience firsthand what it¡¯s only absorbed through secondhand memories.

    It¡¯s strange that we can think of ourself this way. A collective will, yet different portions shaped by different experiences, summed together to be¡­ something different from all our parts.

    Is that strange? We¡¯ve never thought about it before.

    Yes, it¡¯s very strange!

    Oh. Well, we¡¯re bored with this, too. We drift to the surface, where swells rock us up and down the waves. We can¡¯t see the land from here, except by the absence of moonlight: a black gash on the horizon. We could go there.

    Part of us hesitates. We shouldn¡¯t get too far from the ship. What if we can¡¯t find our way back?

    We are sure that we can. Plus, our Elemental Radar can help us find it, if we need to. We¡¯ll be able to detect our glass when it comes within range as well.

    But what if¡­

    We know why we really don¡¯t want to go. We are afraid we will kill something. We will not. We just want to see land again.

    That¡¯s something all of us wants, and the momentary lockstep is enough to let us squash any further protests as we eagerly start toward the beach.

    The surf becomes more rough the closer we get. The roar of waves crashing against the beach grows louder, and the tide pushes and pulls us almost more than we can control. It¡¯s only when we¡¯re close, and we send our void swirling into the surrounding waters to feel out our surroundings, that we realize this shoreline is made of boulders rather than sand. Doubt infects our excitement. This is getting dangerous. If the surf throws us on the rocks, we¡¯ll have to rely entirely on our void to protect our glass form. And if our core takes a direct hit, there may be nothing left to protect. It¡¯s not worth this level of risk. We¡¯ll make landfall in the next week, anyway.

    Reluctantly, we see the sense in this. We can always go find an easier beach to access. Disappointed, we turn away.

    Something¡¯s watching.

    Instantly, we¡¯re on high alert. We whirl our void and glass defensively around us, waiting for an attack.

    But there¡¯s nothing but the ocean. What was that? What did we feel?

    It plucks at our mind again. This time, we can sense which way it came from: land. We keep still, focusing, trying to understand what it is we can sense.

    There¡¯s¡­ something out there. We can feel it tugging at our soul. Wait¡­ no, not our soul. It¡¯s tugging at our¡­ void? Yes. It¡¯s the predator half that feels the pull. We feel drawn to it, but for good or ill we aren¡¯t sure. This makes us nervous. Agitated.

    We should investigate.

    We are absolutely going to do the opposite of that. Especially since we don¡¯t know what it is. Is it something that would help us? Hurt us?

    We don¡¯t know. But it attracts us all the same.

    The waves roar as we¡¯re carried onto a crest, crashing down just short of the rocks. Alarmed, we realize the surf has driven us closer to the boulders while we were distracted. We try to swim back, but the current is too strong. We¡¯re carried up with another wave, and as we crash down, we can see stone beneath us.

    We pull our glass in tight, forming a thick layer of void to cushion the blow. When we strike the rock, our shadows absorb most of it. The weight of the wave drums against us, the pressure on one of our limbs overcoming the void and cracking against the stone beneath. Then the water spills away, and we¡¯re left splayed on the rock. Distant numbers crackle like static through our mind.

    We scramble for purchase as the surf pulls away, our glass slipping over the wet stone without any purchase. Void claws form over our hands, digging into crevices of the stone to hold us in place. We focus most of the void toward our limbs so we can maintain our grip, but it won¡¯t be enough to anchor us when the next wave hits. We¡¯ll be shattered against the rock. As the surf returns, we jump for a nearby rock, and the wave crashes behind us. Another swell is about to hit this one¡ªwe jump away once more, scrambling for safety. The rock after that is taller; the waves break against its face, only sending a spray over its peak. We throw ourself at the side of the taller rock, catch it, and desperately pull ourself up. At the top we hunch, displeased, like some kind of stranded, bedraggled cat. If we had skin I¡¯m sure we¡¯d be shivering, and if we had vocal chords, we¡¯d certainly hiss. Neither of us like this predicament at all.

    As we survey the surrounding sea and weigh our options, our attention again wanders toward land. It¡¯s much closer now. We could leapfrog our way across the remaining rocks until we reached shore. But that presence we¡¯d noticed earlier is gone. We cast our mind out, searching for it, but find nothing. We¡¯re not sure if this is comforting. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!

    Wary, we agree to return to the ship. There will be other nights we can explore these waters. Other beaches that won¡¯t be nearly so treacherous.

    But will they harbor that strange, distant allure that¡¯s now escaped us?

    We suppose we¡¯ll find out tomorrow.

    Tensing the void around our glass, we lock up our limbs and work together to float us off the rock. It¡¯s a little wobbly, but every time we do it, we¡¯re getting better. In this instance we use it to throw us back into safer waters. In the future, though, maybe we¡¯ll get good enough it will allow us to fly.

    Now there¡¯s a terrifying thought.

    <hr>

    An hour or so before dawn I manage to sneak back on the ship without anyone seeing me all predator-y. I quickly fix my anatomy¡ªthe predator believes this is not a fix at all¡ªthen spend the rest of the night up on the main deck so as not to wake anyone. Someone folded my coat and left it by the stairs, so I shrug it on and wait for the sun to rise. Gradually shifting colors light the water and clouds alike, painting the world as if all of this were just some god¡¯s canvas.

    Captain Murrok is the first to rise. They give me a respective nod as they emerge from below deck, and I sign a greeting back. That makes them pause.

    ¡°You know Common Sign?¡± they ask, weaving casually over. Their hand movements are smoother in a subtle way I can¡¯t quite pinpoint, each sign flowing seamlessly into the next. It mirrors the motion of the rest of their body, and it¡¯s a little unnerving to watch their snake half sliding over the deck. At least they¡¯ll never know I was staring.

    ¡°Yes,¡± I sign. ¡°Noli taught me.¡±

    They watch my hands with a faintly amused expression. ¡°Still learning, I see.¡±

    Sheesh, no need to rub it in. ¡°It¡¯s been four months.¡±

    Murrok raises an eyebrow. ¡°And now I¡¯m impressed. Do you naturally pick up languages?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Now that they mention it, I guess that is pretty fast to become conversational in a foreign language. ¡°But I¡¯m good at memorization. And I am¡ªwas¡ªvery in tune with my body.¡±

    They regard me. ¡°Not this one.¡± It¡¯s not a question.

    ¡°No,¡± I agree. Clearly Noli has filled them in on at least some of my backstory.

    ¡°A face would help,¡± they note. ¡°It can be hard to read some of your signs without accompanying expressions.¡±

    Wouldn¡¯t that be nice. ¡°I¡¯m not sure that¡¯s an option for me.¡±

    Murrok thoughtfully narrows their eyes, their gaze traveling up and down my body. ¡°I could cast an illusion spell to give you a more organic form. It would be temporary. Though I would have to consider how to weave your internal feelings with your external expressions. Most spells are designed to replicate the expressions of the real face beneath the illusion, so significant alterations would be required.¡±

    The offer is made so casually, yet I¡¯m stunned. I¡¯d never even considered illusions as a means to regaining my humanity. It wouldn¡¯t be real. Just a mask. I¡¯d still never be able to sleep or eat or speak with my own voice. But to see my face again¡­

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what to say,¡± I admit, faltering. ¡°That is a kind offer. Thank you. I¡­ I think I need a moment to process.¡±

    They offer an understanding smile, and I¡¯m abruptly met with an uncanny resemblance to Noli. Did she pick up that smile from Murrok, or them from her? ¡°Of course. I did not mean to catch you off guard. And this is not something I would be able to prepare immediately. But it should be possible. Other illusionists might have a better idea.¡±

    ¡°Right,¡± I faintly reply. I feel dizzy. I¡¯m not even sure what to think. It¡¯s so sudden, I¡¯m a mix of confused feelings. I want to feel human again, so badly it hurts. Yet it seems like every step I take just moves me further from that path. But would this help? Or would it only make me feel like I¡¯m just pretending, more than I already do?

    They give me a comforting pat on the shoulder, then retreat to the quarterdeck. I¡¯m still sorting through my feelings as the others wake and join us above deck. Zyneth appears relieved to see I¡¯m actually here, while Noli and Rezira pass around some fruit and sweet breads for breakfast.

    ¡°Troubled?¡± Zyneth asks as we sit around and chat.

    ¡°How do you even know that?¡± I ask.

    He chuckles. ¡°You were quiet, which is unusual.¡±

    Well, he¡¯s got me there.

    I¡¯m not sure I¡¯m ready to talk about the illusion offer, however. That feels strangely private. A decision I need time to puzzle out on my own.

    But it¡¯s not the only thing on my mind. ¡°What do you know about void creatures?¡± I ask, speaking and signing to address the whole group.

    Everyone seems caught off guard.

    ¡°Void creatures?¡± Zyneth repeats. ¡°Such as the predator?¡±

    ¡°Maybe Shade,¡± Noli signs. ¡°Or Blot?¡±

    I ignore her name suggestions. ¡°Are there other monsters out there that might be like it?¡± I wonder. ¡°I couldn¡¯t find anything about it in the Athenaeum, but I might have been looking for the wrong thing.¡±

    Zyneth peels something that looks like a red lemon while he thinks. ¡°There are the animals near Emrox that have incorporated null arcana into their bodies and abilities.¡±

    ¡°Would anything like those creatures be on land?¡± I ask.

    ¡°I would guess not,¡± he says. ¡°It would need a null arcana source to gain such abilities, and the only one I know of is in Emrox.¡± He looks questioning at Noli.

    She holds up her hands. ¡°I¡¯ve not seen anything like Pitch in all the places I¡¯ve traveled.¡±

    ¡°No, Honey.¡± Rezira pats her leg before looking back to me with a shrug. ¡°I¡¯d never seen anything like it before that fight at our house.¡±

    Zyneth squints at me. ¡°Where is this line of questioning coming from anyway?¡±

    I hesitate. ¡°Last night we¡­ felt something.¡±

    ¡°How illuminating,¡± Rezira says after I don¡¯t speak again for a few seconds.

    ¡°Sorry,¡± I sign. ¡°I¡¯m still trying to understand it. It¡¯s hard to describe. It was the predator who noticed it, actually, which is why I thought it might have something to do with void or null arcana. Though I don¡¯t even know what it is. A creature like the predator? A source of magic? It was more of a feeling than anything. A¡­ pull.¡±

    ¡°Physically?¡± Noli asks.

    I shake my head. ¡°Maybe more like an attraction. The predator wanted to investigate, but I don¡¯t think it even knew what it would do if it found it. Whatever ¡®it¡¯ is. And then the feeling just went away.¡±

    Zyneth grimaces. ¡°You mentioned before that the predator which travels with you now is only a fraction of its full strength. A portion of it vanished after the Emrox battle, and it¡¯s never come back.¡±

    I can see where he¡¯s headed. ¡°I don¡¯t think this is the missing part of the predator. It was relying on my soul¡ªor the soul of others¡ªto keep from being pulled Between. After all this time, it certainly would have ended up there again.¡±

    I Check my Void stat, just to be sure: 100%, as usual, and no creatures attempting to tear holes in reality to get out.

    ¡°According to Echo, what¡¯s currently present is all of it,¡± I add. ¡°The thing we felt last night was something else.¡±

    ¡°Odd,¡± Zyneth says.

    ¡°Concerning,¡± Rezira agrees.

    Noli smiles reassuringly. ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s nothing, and it won¡¯t come back? If it is a creature, it would need to move quite fast to keep pace with this ship.¡±

    ¡°I suppose,¡± I agree. But the predator can travel faster than this ship, easily. It helps that neither of us can get tired.

    ¡°Let us know if you sense it again,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°Otherwise, I¡¯m unsure what else can be done.¡±

    ¡°I will,¡± I promise.

    And with that, conversation gradually turns to the mundane once more. We talk about the sunrise. Zyneth and Rezira get in a conversation about the red fruit. Noli teaches me some more obscure signs.

    It feels good to not be on the run. It feels good to be surrounded by friends. As eager as I am to get to land, I think I¡¯ll cherish these last few days at sea.

    Even so, I keep a pulse on the predator, and it in turn keeps a pulse on our surroundings, watching and waiting for the return of that strange, distant spark of familiarity.

 Chapter 109 - Durable

    Zyneth holds my vial in his left hand, craned over me with a concentrated frown. In his right he holds an ink-tipped paint brush, which he brings down to paint over my surface in giant strokes.

    Okay, giant is relative. But when I¡¯m not tucked into my body like this, I feel smaller and more fragile than ever.

    Hopefully not for long, though. Noli and Rezira sit quietly nearby, watching the procedure take place. Noli completely committing her enthusiasm to every new thing she encounters isn¡¯t anything new, but even Rezira looks pretty interested. I guess that makes sense; there¡¯s really not a lot to do on the ship most days.

    It takes a few minutes for Zyneth to finish painting the spell circle, and another few minutes to fuss over all its details.

    ¡°Okay,¡± he says, hesitantly. ¡°That should do it.¡±

    He sets me on a crate and leans back. I climb to my feet, turning this way and that to get used to the black lines painted over my vision. It¡¯s extremely annoying, actually, but once I cover my core and put it back in my chest, I¡¯ll switch vision over to my head so it shouldn¡¯t bother me anymore.

    ¡°Alright,¡± I say. ¡°Let me try to activate it.¡±

    I focus on the spell circle painted over my circle, and push mana into it. The lines light up, and Echo¡¯s voice crackles to life.

    [Durability spell activated,] she says. [Resistance to piercing, crushing, and bludgeoning damage applied.]

    I cut off my mana stream, and a timer appears next to the Durability stat: sixty-two minutes. If I want this in effect all the time, I¡¯ll have to funnel a lot more mana into the spell circle. But given I¡¯d only spent a handful of points just now, and Zyneth could even give me more, I¡¯ll take it as a win.

    ¡°It worked!¡± I announce. I sign for Noli¡¯s benefit, too, using clusters of glass to form disembodied hands. ¡°My core should be a lot less fragile now.¡±

    Zyneth lets out a relieved breath, and Noli claps.

    ¡°How do you know?¡± Rezira asks. ¡°You haven¡¯t tried it yet.¡±

    I¡¯d mentioned Echo around her once or twice before, but I can¡¯t blame her for not remembering after a couple months away. But she¡¯s right: I won¡¯t know how durable I am until I test it.

    ¡°Zyneth, throw something at me!¡± I say.

    He looks horrified. ¡°I am not going to throw something at you.¡±

    ¡°I will,¡± Rezira volunteers.

    ¡°No you won¡¯t!¡± Noli cries.

    ¡°Perhaps we should start small so as to be safe,¡± Zyneth suggests.

    ¡°The predator would protect me if it was dangerous,¡± I say. But okay, maybe my excitement is getting the best of me. ¡°What do you have in mind?¡±

    ¡°We could tap your glass with another hard object,¡± Zyneth says, though it¡¯s clear he doesn¡¯t like the idea. ¡°And work the force up from there, as long as you sustain no damage.¡±

    Rezira cranes her head toward the stairs that lead below deck. ¡°There¡¯s a hammer in the storeroom.¡±

    Noli looks horrified.

    ¡°We¡¯d start with little taps!¡± she objects. ¡°I¡¯m not going to smash him.¡±

    No one seems to like the idea of using a hammer, I guess because even if they¡¯re careful, the imagery is distressing enough. Instead I form some tempered fulgurite into a simple tool; blunt on one end, pointed on the other.

    ¡°I¡¯m curious to see which will break first,¡± I say as Zyneth holds the glass nervously. This was apparently not the right thing to say.

    ¡°I can¡¯t do it.¡± He holds it out for Noli or Rezira. ¡°One of you. Please.¡±

    Noli also hesitates, so Rezira rolls her eyes and snaps up the tool. ¡°Bunch of pansies.¡± She sits down heavily beside me, shaking the crate.

    Now I¡¯m a little nervous.

    But she deftly spins the glass around in her hand, getting a feel for it. ¡°I¡¯m good with small tools,¡± she tells me, her voice surprisingly soft. ¡°I learned a lot of non-magical techniques when studying healing. Don¡¯t let the big hands fool you. I¡¯m good with precision work.¡±

    Weirdly, her little pep talk is rather comforting. I guess it¡¯s different when she sees me as a patient. ¡°Okay,¡± I say. ¡°I trust you.¡±

    She smirks a little at that, shaking her head. ¡°Now get off those legs. Put your vial flat on the surface, so you don¡¯t move around so much or alter the effects from one hit to the next.¡±

    Huh, she is pretty methodical. I lay down as instructed, clustering my legs around the base of my vial to keep it from rolling around.

    ¡°Ready?¡± she asks.

    The predator stirs uneasily. It knows that I don¡¯t think I¡¯m in any danger. But it is highly suspicious of the sharp tool being leveled at us.

    Calm down, I tell it. That tool is some of my Attuned glass. I can stop it if I want to. And we¡¯re doing this so my core will be stronger. Safer. That¡¯s something you want too, right?

    The predator feels very uncertain about this. It doesn¡¯t understand how hurting something could make it stronger.

    Well, it¡¯s like the tempered glass, right? I try. Only confusion emanates from it. Or, um, like muscles. You have to work out to get stronger, and when you work out you¡­ you don¡¯t understand biology. This concept is too complex for it, anyway. Just trust me on this. We¡¯ll be fine.

    The predator does not trust me, nor does it believe we¡¯ll be fine, but it recedes anyway, watching and alert.

    ¡°Okay,¡± I tell Rezira. ¡°Ready.¡±

    She starts with the lightest tap. It¡¯s so gentle, Echo doesn¡¯t even bother telling me it¡¯s zero bludgeoning damage.

    ¡°Good?¡± she asks.

    ¡°Fine. Again.¡±

    She taps a little harder.

    [0 points of Bludgeoning damage sustained,] Echo says.

    Ah, there we go. ¡°Again.¡±

    On my signal, Rezira taps us again, and again, each time a little harder than the last. After about a minute of this, something changes with Echo¡¯s notice.

    [1 points of Bludgeoning damage sustained: 1 point of Bludgeoning damage negated by Durability. Net Bludgeoning damage: 0.]

    Aha! So it is working. But how much can it absorb? I tell Rezira to keep going.

    By now she¡¯s giving me a pretty good whack. Zyneth and Noli cringe with every hit. Without the durability spell, I¡¯m pretty sure I would have gotten a crack by now. The spell absorbs three points of damage before the notification changes.

    [4 points of Bludgeoning damage sustained: 3 points of Bludgeoning damage deflected by Durability. Net Bludgeoning damage: 1.]

    That one stung a little, and the predator flinches, circling closer. I push it back. ¡°Hold on,¡± I say, checking my glass over. I think there¡¯s a little scratch where she hit me, but no crack. But will my glass act like normal glass, meaning it¡¯s weaker now? Or would the same force do the same damage?

    ¡°Do the same thing again,¡± I ask.

    She does, and I get the same result. So it didn¡¯t weaken me. More like a videogame mechanic than real physics. I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll ever figure this System out. Stolen story; please report.

    I¡¯m down to 8/10 HP now. I heal one point per hour, so I¡¯ll be fine at the end of this, but I don¡¯t want to push things too far. Even so, I give Rezira permission for a couple more hits.

    I stop when my HP reaches 5/10, much to everyone¡¯s relief. The last hit dealt 9 points of bludgeoning damage, and the spell absorbed 7 of them. That¡¯s a huge improvement! What would have nearly killed me before only does 20% of my health now. I haven¡¯t done the math, but it seems like I could take a lot more and come out the other side.

    Assuming the Durability spell is in effect when I get hit.

    But this is progress. And the next step is trying to increase my max HP.

    ¡°Let¡¯s never do that again,¡± Zyneth says when Rezira returns my glass to me and heads back over to sit with Noli.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t even do anything,¡± I say.

    He scowls. ¡°Watching was enough.¡± Then his face softens, and he taps a gentle finger on my glass. ¡°You¡¯re cracked.¡±

    ¡°It will fix itself in a few hours,¡± I say. ¡°I wonder if we can make the spell circle more permanent, too. Maybe you can etch it into my glass? Or would the System heal that?¡±

    Zyneth grimaces. ¡°I am not etching your glass. This is plenty.¡±

    Well, it was worth a shot. ¡°What about my base HP?¡± I ask. ¡°Do you think there¡¯s a spell you could make that could increase it?¡±

    ¡°Hm.¡± He sits back down where Rezira had been, scratching thoughtfully at his cheek. ¡°I¡¯m not sure I even understand what your HP is. If making your glass more durable doesn¡¯t increase the HP, then what would?¡±

    That¡¯s a good question. ¡°Maybe because the spell is temporary?¡± I guess. ¡°If it¡¯s permanent, maybe it would increase my max HP.¡± But that doesn¡¯t seem right. I get bonus HP with all my Attuned glass, like it¡¯s an extension of me. Which means¡­

    ¡°More glass,¡± I realize. ¡°If I could meld more glass into my vial¡ªor meld my vial to my glass body¡­ would that permanently increase my base HP?¡±

    Everyone is silent as they chew on this. The predator doesn¡¯t really understand what I¡¯m suggesting, but it¡¯s eager to try to make us stronger.

    ¡°It sounds risky,¡± Zyneth finally says. ¡°But perhaps it could be attempted with some of the tempering experiments we¡¯d tried.¡±

    ¡°Tempering?¡± Rezira asks.

    I explain the experiments we¡¯ve been doing with Zyneth¡¯s fire to try to change the strength of some of my glass.

    She grunts. ¡°It¡¯s a good idea. But you guys are on the wrong track. If you want to strengthen your glass, your focus should be on glass magic.¡±

    ¡°I thought about that,¡± I say. ¡°But I don¡¯t think any of my spells would work for this. I can¡¯t change the shape of my vial with any of the spells I know.¡±

    She shrugs. ¡°So learn new ones. Find an artificer who specializes in glass and get their input. Or better yet, become an understudy for a glass mage. There¡¯s always plenty of glasswork to be done in a city. There should be a few experts in Harrowood, even.¡±

    It seems obvious now that she¡¯s said it. ¡°Understudy?¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± Noli jumps in. ¡°Most mages take on apprentices. Well, it¡¯s the same for most jobs, actually. I worked under the guidance of expert hunters for a few years. Rezira studied healing magic at an institution for a time. I bet Zyneth worked at an artificing shop for a while, too, right?¡±

    Zyneth shifts uncomfortably. ¡°I was given formal instruction.¡±

    Why does that sound like he¡¯s intentionally leaving out context?

    ¡°I admit, having someone who¡¯s an expert in all this does sound appealing.¡± I prop up my body from where I¡¯d left it crumbled and inert at the base of the crate. It stands on its own, like a mannequin, and towers over me. I reach down to pick myself up; that sight will never not be unsettling. But when I place my core back into my chest and Chain it in place, my perspective flips, and now it seems like I¡¯m the whole body again.

    I gesture to myself. ¡°But what sort of person would want to work with me? I¡¯m a homunculus. They won¡¯t even believe I¡¯m intelligent.¡±

    ¡°They will when you speak,¡± Zyneth insists.

    ¡°Maybe,¡± Rezira says, less certain. ¡°Or would they just be unnerved? Because, I mean, what you just did was very unnerving.¡±

    ¡°Would it be safe?¡± I ask them. ¡°Or would they think I¡¯m some kind of¡­¡±

    Monster.

    They wouldn¡¯t even be wrong, with the predator hiding in my shadows. And okay, yes, I might not be the monster; but I¡¯m carrying one around, and how many people would distinguish between the two?

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Zyneth sighs. ¡°You¡¯re an anomaly. We can only guess at how others would react.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll figure something out,¡± Noli signs. ¡°We¡¯ve got time.¡±

    ¡°Agreed,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°We¡¯ll be docking tomorrow and should be able to make it to Harrowood before sundown, if the telepad schedules are in our favor. Then there¡¯s my job to worry about.¡± He hesitates. ¡°Not to imply you should come with, but if this is an avenue you will be exploring, I¡¯d prefer to accompany you.¡±

    ¡°Zyneth, of course we¡¯re coming with,¡± I say, exasperated. ¡°And don¡¯t even try to convince us otherwise.¡±

    Zyneth appears to want to do just that, but stops himself with a chuckle. ¡°No, I know; you¡¯ve already made that abundantly clear. Then it¡¯s settled. We¡¯ll complete my job, and figure out how to approach a glass mage after.¡±

    It feels good to have a plan. But there¡¯s another goal I have that¡¯s still not been addressed.

    ¡°The lost souls,¡± I say. ¡°The ones from my world. I still need to find them. It¡¯s been so long already that I haven''t been able to do anything. But now that we¡¯re about to be back on land, I need to start searching.¡±

    ¡°Do you know where to start?¡± Noli asks.

    ¡°No,¡± I reluctantly admit. ¡°I was hoping any of you might have ideas.¡±

    They all glance around at each other.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if there is any magic that will let us find them,¡± Zyneth finally replies. ¡°Even a locate spell requires something tied to the individual to track them, and if these people arrived on this world with nothing, that would be impossible.¡±

    I¡¯d thought about that, too. In fact, while on the submarine, I¡¯d even tried a Locate spell: but it had failed without anything to use as a focus. Even using my soul didn¡¯t help.

    ¡°Well, they¡¯ll all probably be like you, right?¡± Rezira ventures. ¡°A soul stuck in some inanimate object.¡±

    ¡°Echo said they were going to bind to a ¡®compatible vessel,¡¯ so probably,¡± I agree. But in the amount of time that¡¯s passed, without a renewal, my Core Bond spell would have expired. Does that mean that they¡­

    I don¡¯t let myself think about it.

    ¡°I think all we can really do is keep an ear out for anything strange,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°Cities would be our best bet. Follow the leads of anything that seems out of the ordinary.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± Noli and Rezira look at each other.

    ¡°What?¡± I ask.

    ¡°The God Tournaments.¡± Rezira frowns. ¡°You don¡¯t think¡­¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Zyneth says. ¡°There¡¯s been a God Tournament?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s been many,¡± Noli signs. ¡°Almost a dozen, just in the last two months.¡±

    ¡°Gods be good,¡± Zyneth breathes, shocked.

    ¡°What?¡± I ask. ¡°What¡¯s a God Tournament?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s when a god is seeking a new Champion,¡± Rezira says. ¡°They¡¯ll hold some sort of competition that appeals to their area of interest. The winner has the opportunity to ascend and become the god¡¯s Champion. It comes with incredible abilities, including immortality. In exchange, the Champion serves as the god¡¯s avatar, enacting their will in the mortal realm.¡±

    ¡°Huh.¡± That¡¯s interesting, but I don¡¯t see what it would have to do with the Earth souls. ¡°So what makes this strange?¡±

    ¡°The number of them,¡± Noli signs. ¡°At most, a God Tournament comes around once every fifty or a hundred years. But ten in a two month period? That¡¯s unheard of.¡±

    ¡°The same period of time that we¡¯ve been adrift since Emrox,¡± Zyneth points out. ¡°It¡¯s too much to be coincidence.¡±

    ¡°So what does this mean?¡± Rezira wonders. ¡°The gods are taking on more servants. Why?¡±

    ¡°If they needed more eyes,¡± I say. ¡°If they were looking for something.¡±

    ¡°Or someones,¡± Zyneth says.

    Rezira shakes her head. ¡°The scope of this¡­ this is insane. I mean, you think the gods are now frantically searching the world for these souls? Why? What would they want with them?¡±

    Zyneth folds his arms, leaning back. ¡°It is fruitless to speculate on the why, but the Tournaments are indicative of a few things, at least. First, as Kanin suggested, more Champions likely means they need more eyes and ears on Lusio. The most likely explanation for this is that it¡¯s in reaction to what happened in Emrox, which in turn indicates they are aware of what took place there, at least in part. But the fact that they need so many eyes and ears means they don¡¯t know everything; otherwise their search would already be over and the God Tournaments wouldn¡¯t have been necessary in the first place.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s another possibility,¡± Rezira says. ¡°The gods might not be looking for the souls.¡± She points at me. ¡°They might be looking for him.¡±

    It feels like someone doused my soul with a cup of cold water.

    ¡°Him?¡± Noli repeats. ¡°No¡­ But why would they¡­¡±

    I sit down on the crate. It¡¯s not necessary, but it feels like I should be sitting for this kind of conversation. ¡°Well I did tear a hole in reality and briefly connect it to another world. So, there¡¯s that.¡±

    I glance at Zyneth. ¡°Then there¡¯s what Yezaquib said.¡±

    Zyneth frowns. ¡°It was something to do with the predator, wasn¡¯t it?¡±

    I nod. ¡°He seemed to know what the predator was. Which is interesting, considering there was nothing on the subject in his library. But specifically, when he noticed what was attached to my soul, he said, ¡®The gods won¡¯t like this.¡¯¡±

    Rezira frowns. Noli looks worried. Zyneth¡ªbless him¡ªjust looks resigned.

    ¡°I think I might need a disguise,¡± I say.

    ¡°I was thinking precisely the same thing,¡± Zyneth agrees.

    ¡°But, I mean, you don¡¯t think they would do anything bad to him?¡± Noli asks. ¡°They¡¯re the gods. Even if they don¡¯t like the predator¡ªwell, I think that¡¯s an understandable notion.¡±

    ¡°Maybe,¡± I agree. ¡°He didn¡¯t say they wouldn¡¯t like me. But if they think the predator needs to be killed¡­ Well, Yedzaquib made it pretty clear that extracting it from my soul would kill me. So I¡¯d rather play it safe.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t strike me as the ¡®play it safe,¡¯ type,¡± Rezira notes.

    I splay my hands. ¡°I promise I¡¯m not trying to get into so much trouble.¡± I pause. ¡°Anymore.¡±

    Rezira and Noli¡¯s gaze shifts behind me, and I swivel my head around as well. Captain Murrok has appeared in the doorway, regarding us thoughtfully.

    ¡°Apologies for the interruption,¡± they sign. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I unintentionally caught some of your conversation and was too intrigued to leave before further eavesdropping.¡±

    I shrug it off. ¡°Noli¡¯s told you plenty already. And if she trusts you, so do I.¡±

    They smile faintly, inclining their head in thanks. ¡°In that case, I believe I may be of assistance. You were looking for a disguise, correct?¡±

 Chapter 110: Missing Pieces

    Noli is bouncing from foot to foot in excitement. Zyneth nervously fiddles with his sheath, watching me intently, and even Rezira seems curious. The predator doesn¡¯t know what¡¯s going on.

    I, for one, am really uncertain about this.

    ¡°I¡¯m really uncertain about this,¡± I say.

    ¡°But why?¡± Noli asks. ¡°Isn¡¯t this a step in the right direction?¡±

    I hesitate. ¡°I suppose. It just feels¡­¡± Honestly, I¡¯m not even sure what I¡¯m hesitating over. There¡¯s only one way to figure out how I feel about all this, and that¡¯s to do it.

    ¡°Are you ready?¡± Murrok asks.

    ¡°Alright. Just do it already.¡±

    They bow their head, then place a hand on my shoulder. A crackle of magic crawls over my glass, and motes of light swirl around me. They settle only a moment later, and everyone¡¯s expressions change.

    [You have been subjected to an Illusion spell,] Echo says.

    Murrok lets go of my shoulder and steps away.

    ¡°Oh, Kanin,¡± Noli signs. ¡°You look like a human!¡±

    ¡°Still can¡¯t believe you¡¯re not a halfling,¡± Rezira says.

    Zyneth is staring hard. ¡°Is this what you looked like?¡±

    I send a piece of glass to float over their heads, looking back at myself.

    ¡°Unlikely,¡± Murrok signs. ¡°I created the illusion based on the descriptors he gave me. But there were not enough details to capture any precise likeness.¡±

    They¡¯re right. What I¡¯m looking at is certainly a human. A male human, with dark hair, tan skin, and athletic build. But that¡¯s about where the similarities stop. It¡¯s not me. Not that I expected it to be.

    I feel¡­ relieved? I¡¯m not sure why. At least it doesn¡¯t feel like I¡¯m faking my real body. I¡¯m faking someone else¡¯s body. Somehow, that helps.

    ¡°This is very odd,¡± I sign, my translator also voicing the thoughts aloud.

    ¡°Ah,¡± Zyneth says. Rezira snorts.

    I frown. Or at least, I internally frown, because the illusion is making no expressions at all, nor is it opening its mouth when the translator speaks.

    ¡°That might be an issue,¡± I say. The ocean breeze appears to stir my hair, and when I turn my head to the left and right, the illusion follows. It moves with me, at least. But as Murrok supposed, there¡¯s no face beneath the head for the illusion to copy, so it remains uncannily static.

    ¡°You¡¯ll have to stick to signs,¡± Zyneth comments. ¡°Speaking like that is¡­ unnerving.¡±

    ¡°No kidding,¡± I remark. Without even a hint of change on the face, I look like an animated mannequin. Not going to lie: it¡¯s very creepy.

    Rezira shakes her head. ¡°Even if he doesn¡¯t speak aloud, anyone who spends more than a couple of seconds looking at his face would be able to tell something¡¯s wrong.¡±

    ¡°It is slightly unsettling,¡± Noli hesitantly agrees. ¡°Signs should be expressive! What your hands are saying and what your face is saying is at odds. But!¡± she adds. ¡°I have an idea.¡±

    I tilt my head. ¡°To help make the face look real?¡±

    ¡°Not exactly. One moment!¡± Noli rushes below deck, way too excited for whatever she¡¯s thought up. A minute later she returns with a small bundle of clothing.

    ¡°This first,¡± she suggests, holding out a red scarf.

    ¡°Like this?¡± I take it and wrap it around my head, but since I have no neck, the scarf clips through the illusion, like bad video game graphics. ¡°Hm. Hold on.¡± I gather a dozen small pieces of glass inside the loop of cloth and push out, propping it up as if there is in fact a neck there.

    ¡°Yes!¡± Noli pinches the front of the scarf and pulls it up a bit, covering my mouth. ¡°Now this.¡± She hands a black piece of cloth over next.

    It¡¯s a cowl, designed to cover my head with a hood and drape about my shoulders. I let Noli fix it on. By the end, you can barely see my face within the shadows.

    ¡°I guess that¡¯s one way to handle it,¡± I remark. Most of the illusion is hidden now¡ªsave for my seemingly-human hands. I look rather suspicious. But at least I also look like a person, and it should hold up under more scrutiny with the disguise than without.

    Murrok waves a hand, and the illusion dissolves. ¡°Here.¡± They offer me a ring. ¡°While you wear this, the illusion will be in effect. It contains maybe a dozen uses before it will need to be recharged.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± I sign, accepting the ring. ¡°This was a kind gift.¡±

    They smile faintly. ¡°It is nothing, for a friend of Noli¡¯s.¡±

    ¡°Oh come on,¡± I sign. ¡°You can¡¯t mean that. She¡¯s friends with everyone.¡±

    Murrok grins.

    ¡°I guess that settles things then,¡± Zyneth says. I fold the cowl back and pull the scarf down, now that the illusion isn¡¯t in effect. I¡¯ll need to look for a replacement for both when I get to the city; versions that don¡¯t clash with the color of my long coat. ¡°You¡¯ll be able to use that to get around cities without drawing too much attention.¡±

    ¡°It seems like.¡± And it doesn¡¯t feel as uncomfortable as I feared. It¡¯s just like another layer of clothes. The long coat hides the predator¡¯s void, and this illusion hides my glass. ¡°When will we make landfall?¡±

    ¡°An hour or so,¡± Rezira says, gesturing off toward land. ¡°See that shimmer there close to the horizon? That¡¯s the port.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I can¡¯t wait,¡± Noli exclaims. ¡°I¡¯m rather growing tired of fish and stale bread. I¡¯d love some grilled rabbit. Do you think they¡¯ll have some in town? I can go hunting if not.¡±

    Rezira smiles at her fondly. ¡°I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll find something along those lines.¡±

    ¡°So this is it.¡± I lean against the banister next to Zyneth as Rezira and Noli drift away to become embroiled in a discussion about the regional variations of rabbit meat across Valenia. ¡°We are finally about to resolve that tattoo of yours.¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± he agrees. ¡°Frankly I¡¯m surprised she hasn¡¯t already closed the job call to incur interest. Vardi must be rather desperate.¡±

    ¡°Vardi?¡± I ask.

    ¡°Yes,¡± he says, crooking an eyebrow at me. ¡°The debt owner. Remember?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± I say, confused. ¡°You have not talked about them yet. I figured you would bring it up when you were ready.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Zyneth frowns, turning to face me. ¡°Kanin, we did talk about this. We spent a whole afternoon going over the plan.¡±

    ¡°What plan?¡± I straighten up, nerves buzzing through me. What does he mean? Zyneth wouldn¡¯t lie about this. But we definitely never had a discussion about who owned his debt. I¡¯ve been wondering when he¡¯d bring it up the whole time we¡¯ve been on this boat. His reaction is making me uneasy.

    Zyneth¡¯s expression is morphing from confusion to concern. ¡°When we were on the Prismatic. You asked about the debt, and I told you about Vardi, and we discussed what we would do when we reached her. You were very insistent upon coming along. You said, and I quote, ¡®I dragged you all the way to the bottom of the ocean and halfway through another dimension. If you think I won¡¯t be helping you with this job, you¡¯re dumber than I am.¡¯¡±Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    That does sound like something I would say. But I¡¯m starting to feel alarmed now, too. ¡°What? No. I do not remember this. I would not forget a whole conversation like that¡­ would I?¡±

    Zyneth gives my arm a reassuring squeeze¡ªor maybe the gesture is more for his own reassurance. ¡°You¡¯ve been through a lot lately. Perhaps you just need a reminder?¡±

    The predator can sense my alarm, and suspiciously surfaces in my subconscious, searching for the source of the feelings. I try to ignore it; I¡¯ve got enough things to worry about.

    ¡°Yes,¡± I agree. ¡°Maybe a refresher would help. Tell me.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± Zyneth looks at me as if there¡¯s eyes to make contact with. It¡¯s reassuring, but his worry is also plain. ¡°Vardi is one of three individuals to whom I owe a debt. Well, two, now, with Gillow¡¯s being settled. I incurred it three years ago, and have been chipping away at it since. In fact, I was in the middle of the most recent job I ran for her when I met you.¡± He pauses. ¡°This doesn¡¯t ring any bells?¡±

    I shake my head. ¡°This is the first time I am hearing any of this.¡±

    Vardi. Vardi. The name doesn¡¯t mean anything to me. Is he sure? I feel like I¡¯m losing my mind.

    The predator picks up on a few of my thoughts, and recognition crackles through it. It knows who Vardi is.

    ¡°What?¡± I exclaim aloud. ¡°How do you know?¡±

    ¡°Kanin?¡± Zyneth prompts.

    ¡°It is the predator,¡± I say, irritated. ¡°It thinks it knows who you¡¯re talking about. But it cannot even understand language, so I do not know how it could¡ª¡±

    The predator offers to show me. It reaches for my mind, even as I instinctively flinch away. But when it makes contact, it¡¯s like a puzzle piece snapping into place.

    <hr>

    We¡¯re in the Prismatic. Zyneth¡¯s just run out of mana after helping me create more fulgurite, and I¡¯m fiddling with a cluster of Chained glass. With little else to do, our conversation¡¯s turned toward the inevitable: what to do when we reach land.

    ¡°She likes to make me fetch relics from Ruins,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°I¡¯m sure there are more qualified individuals to scour these sites, but I think she enjoys sending me on dangerous jobs just to see if I¡¯m able to pull it off.¡±

    ¡°It sounds like she¡¯s trying to get you killed,¡± I remark.

    ¡°Well, I did get caught stealing from her, so I¡¯m sure she¡¯d be happy with the outcome whether I return with a relic or die trying,¡± he says flatly.

    ¡°I¡¯d like to hear that story.¡±

    He chuckles. ¡°It is pretty good actually. Save getting caught in the end. But that¡¯s beside the point.¡±

    I nod. ¡°So you think she¡¯s likely to send you on another relic hunt?¡±

    ¡°That would be in line with previous jobs,¡± he agrees.

    ¡°Any idea which one?¡±

    He shakes his head. ¡°I think planning for the job is a futile exercise: it could be anything. Rather, we should be planning what to do when we encounter her.¡±

    ¡°Like what?¡± I ask. ¡°Is there any other option than you just accepting it?¡±

    He shrugs with a grimace. ¡°Possibly. Though it can¡¯t hurt to be careful¡­¡±

    <hr>

    The memory flashes through my mind, and I remember it all at once. It¡¯s crystal clear. How could I have forgotten?

    ¡°What the Expletive.¡± I step back, scrunching my hand into my coat just above my core. ¡°Why do you have that memory?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Zyneth asks. ¡°Do you remember?¡±

    ¡°No, but¡­¡± My soul churns with disquiet. The predator recedes, and I feel something vanish as it pulls away. There¡¯s a hole there. Something I should remember. A piece of me, missing.

    ¡°Oh, gods,¡± I say, feeling dizzy. I grip the rail. The predator doesn¡¯t understand why I¡¯m so upset. ¡°The predator has it. It has that memory. I do not understand. How¡­¡±

    But I do know. I think I¡¯ve always known, even if I couldn¡¯t tell what was happening. Every time I¡¯ve had to rip myself away from the predator¡¯s influence and felt that ethereal stinging pain in my mind, like it hadn¡¯t been a clean cut, leaving behind an indistinct sense of wrongness¡­

    ¡°I¡ªI have lost pieces of myself,¡± I tell Zyneth, horrified. ¡°When the predator and I separated. Whenever I forced a separation, and it hurt¡ªsome of my memories tore away. I do not even know which ones.¡± And even now I can¡¯t remember what the predator had shown me. I remember being surprised, I remember realizing it was something to do with the conversation Zyneth talked about, but¡­

    I push into the predator¡¯s mind, searching for whatever it had just shown me. The predator is irritated at the intrusion, but offers the memory again anyway. Again, I feel something fit back into place. And again, I remember.

    ¡°Expletive.¡± I try to hold onto the memory. Maybe I can reattach it somehow. Make it my own again. My head spins with panic as I desperately cling to this missing piece of myself. ¡°When did this happen? How many times has this happened?¡±

    ¡°Gods¡¯ grace, Kanin,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what to say. This is¡­ I can¡¯t imagine.¡±

    What if it¡¯s not just memories? What if I¡¯m missing more fundamental parts of myself? Parts I¡¯ll never even know are gone until I find them again. I reach deeper into the predator, frantically searching. For what, I¡¯m not even sure. Something familiar, maybe.

    The predator rebuffs me, annoyed, and the memory it had been sharing slips from me once more. No, I say. Please. Give it back!

    The predator is equally confused and irritated by my nonsensical outburst. It has not taken anything. Things just get stuck to it. That is not its fault. But if we let our minds merge, then the edges should all line up. We would share all our memories between us. Is that what I want?

    No. I shrink back. No, that¡¯s not what I want.

    Zyneth gently shakes my arm. ¡°Kanin? You¡¯re quiet. Talk to me.¡±

    ¡°I just. I do not know what to do.¡± I¡¯m shaken to my core. What else have I forgotten? How can I even find out? I don¡¯t know what I don¡¯t know.

    ¡°We can work through it,¡± Zyneth gently suggests. ¡°If you¡¯re feeling up to it.¡±

    He must think I¡¯m about to have another panic attack. Maybe I am.

    I try to get a grip, wishing I could take a breath or close my eyes. Instead, as Zyneth had once suggested to me before, I count back from ten.

    I don¡¯t know if it helps, but I feel a little less scattered. ¡°Okay,¡± I say. ¡°Okay.¡±

    ¡°Can you remember all the times you felt this¡­ tear?¡± Zyneth suggests. ¡°The number of times that separating from the predator has been painful?¡±

    I try to think back. ¡°The first time it took control,¡± I say, immediately. ¡°In Peakshadow. I was fighting with everything I had. I felt some sense of¡­ wrongness then, even though I did not know what it meant.¡±

    ¡°Okay, good,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°I know asking you to think about these moments is difficult. But can you remember the next?¡±

    I have to think harder about that. ¡°Yedzaquib,¡± I finally say. ¡°In their library, I freed more of the predator from my Inventory to catch you. After we escaped and were running through the city¡­ That was the second time.¡±

    Zyneth is frowning, but he nods encouragingly. He still hasn¡¯t let go of my arm. I let his grip ground me.

    ¡°I am not sure about Emrox,¡± I admit. ¡°I do not remember experiencing this pain then, but we were both disoriented after the blast. That might have been another time. And then most recently, on the pirate ship. After the predator tried to kill that nereid.¡±

    ¡°So, three times,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°Possibly four. It hasn¡¯t happened too frequently, which is a good thing.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± I don¡¯t feel as confident as him, but he¡¯s right at least that it¡¯s only been a few times. If I lost one memory each time, then that¡¯s at most four things I¡¯ve forgotten.

    I¡¯m not sure that makes me feel much better.

    ¡°And you said the memories are still within the predator?¡± Zyneth prompts.

    ¡°Yes,¡± I say. ¡°At least, this one is. There might be more, but I do not know how to find out.¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s something then,¡± he says. ¡°They¡¯re not completely gone. You can still access them. You still have them with you.¡±

    ¡°Maybe,¡± I agree. ¡°But what about Emrox? Something happened to the predator there. A lot of it was separated from me, and did not come back.¡± That flutter of fear is returning again. ¡°What if pieces of me vanished with it?¡±

    Gently, he takes my hand that¡¯s still scrunched protectively against my chest, and pulls it away. ¡°I don¡¯t think this line of thinking will help anything. It¡¯s possible something like that happened. But it¡¯s also possible it didn¡¯t. You¡¯re worrying over something that you have no control over and might not be. But look: Now you know. Now you have more control. You understand what that feeling means, so you can ensure it doesn¡¯t happen again. It might not feel good, but this is a good thing for you to have learned. It gives you more autonomy over future choices.¡±

    ¡°I guess.¡± My soul still feels all knotted up, though. I let out a small laugh. ¡°And you are right it does not feel very good.¡±

    ¡°But it doesn¡¯t have to get worse,¡± he insists. ¡°And who you are, right now, today, is just as much you as the first time I met you. Actually, I think this is a better you.¡±

    ¡°Now you are just trying to flatter,¡± I half-heartedly tease.

    He smiles. ¡°Perhaps.¡±

    His gaze slowly shifts back out to sea, and I follow the look. The port is clearly visible, now. It won¡¯t be long until we dock.

    Zyneth leans back against the rail, silently watching the approaching city. He hasn¡¯t let go of my hand yet. I don¡¯t let go of his, either. I rest against the railing beside him, then slowly lean his way until our shoulders bump. The tension in my soul eases.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± I say.

    His eyes crease with a smile.

    We stay that way until the ship arrives.

 Chapter 111 - Land At Last

    I step off the dock and onto dirt.

    Actual, real dirt.

    ¡°Finally.¡±

    Zyneth pauses beside me. ¡°We actually made it. We¡¯re on land.¡± He takes in a deep breath, then winces.

    ¡°Not as refreshing as you were hoping?¡± I ask, amused.

    ¡°It smells fairly strongly of dead fish,¡± he admits. ¡°Not for long, though. I¡¯m sure the alpine air will be nicer in Harrowood.¡±

    We both wait at the end of the dock as Noli exchanges her last goodbyes with Murrok. The two hug, and Noli wipes at her eyes. When she turns toward us, however, she¡¯s all smiles.

    Rezira gives me a skeptical look as she and Noli catch up. ¡°You¡¯re not actually going to lug that thing through the city, are you?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± I ask. She gestures to my feet, and I look down. ¡°Oh.¡±

    All the Attuned glass and fulgurite that I haven¡¯t used to patch up my body (or turn into extra hands to use for signing) is resting at my feet in a beach-ball-sized spikey clump. I¡¯ve been using a Void Whip to tow it around when I need to, and have Chained all the bits together to keep them from scattering whenever I set it down.

    ¡°Well I am not going to leave it here,¡± I say. ¡°I worked too hard to make and Attune all this glass!¡±

    ¡°It will draw attention,¡± Rezira says. ¡°More than you already do.¡±

    ¡°Attention is something I am used to.¡±

    ¡°She has a point, though,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°You have to use mana to carry that around, don¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Not necessarily,¡± I say. When the predator is controlling the void, it doesn¡¯t cost me any mana. But since I lack its precision¡­ okay yes it does cost me to do it on my own.

    As much as I hate to admit it, they¡¯re right: the loose glass is pretty bulky and inconvenient.

    ¡°Hold on,¡± I say, thinking.

    When I¡¯d had a complete inventory before, it had fifty slots, and each piece of glass counted for their own slot. But the size of the glass hadn¡¯t mattered: a big piece and a small piece both just counted as one item. I¡¯d also Chained some glass together back then, and when connected, those pieces had also just counted as one slot.

    ¡°Let me try something.¡± I step away from the boardwalk, pausing next to a span of water between two boats. I hold out a hand.

    Echo, remove item from inventory, I tell her.

    [Rock removed from inventory.]

    A giant piece of jagged, white marble appears at my fingertips. It almost seems to hover there for a moment. Then it plummets into the water, sending up a geyser as the bay swallows the stone whole.

    Noli jerks back in surprise.

    ¡°What the shit was that?¡± Rezira demands.

    ¡°Some rubble from Emrox,¡± I say, crouching down beside my Attuned glass next.

    ¡°Emrox?¡± Zyneth repeats, astonished. ¡°When did you do that?¡±

    Oh right, he¡¯d been unconscious when I removed the stone from his leg. ¡°Before we got back on the Prismatic.¡±

    Zyneth shakes his head. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you just dropped a piece of an ancient and historically significant Ruin into the ocean.¡±

    ¡°You are right,¡± I say, touching the Attuned clump of glass. ¡°I should have dropped it on one of the pirate ships.¡±

    The fulgurite vanishes.

    [1 volume of Glass added to Inventory,] Echo says.

    A handful of frit drops to the ground; pieces that broke off, or I hadn¡¯t properly Chained. No matter, though. These I can handle. I stand back up, gesturing the handful of pieces along with, and float them into my satchel, along with the rest of my loose and small bits of signing glass.

    ¡°Where did it go? Since when could you do that?¡± Rezira demands.

    ¡°Oh, he could always do that,¡± Noli cheerily signs. ¡°He just didn¡¯t when he was living with us because the pocket dimension was occupied by a void monster.¡±

    ¡°Right,¡± Rezira says flatly.

    ¡°What about Void?¡± Noli suggests. ¡°Too on the nose?¡±

    Zyneth abruptly laughs. ¡°Sorry. I¡¯ve grown so used to the strangeness of all this, that sometimes I forget it is even strange at all. I¡¯m afraid if you two are really set on accompanying me, you¡¯re certain to encounter things even more odd.¡±

    As if Noli could be so easily swayed. ¡°That sounds quite exciting, really!¡±

    Rezira just sighs.

    Ship departed, glass stowed, we make our way into town.

    I drift closer to the group as we walk. Reuniting with Rezira and Noli¡ªespecially Noli¡ªhad been comforting. Even sharing a ship with Murrok hadn¡¯t bothered me much, given they were friends of a friend. But walking through a city, passing strangers by¡­ it¡¯s a little unnerving.

    I¡¯m keeping a sharp eye on the predator, for one. It assured me before that it wouldn¡¯t cause trouble, but that assumes it both remembers and honors the agreement. So far, it seems to be behaving. I can feel it watching our surroundings intently, examining each person we walk past. This makes me nervous, but I can¡¯t feel any ill intent from it at this moment. Just curiosity and vigilance.

    Then, there are the people themselves. A few of them glance my way, which is understandable, given the rarity of glass men walking through streets. But it¡¯s not the way people glance at people. I¡¯d never really noticed before how, when you make eye contact with a stranger on the street, they might flash you a brief smile, or quickly glance away. What I¡¯m getting, though, are emotionless stares; because they don¡¯t even realize they¡¯re looking at a person. All they see is a homunculus.

    We stop at the telepad at the center of town, and Rezira orders four passes for Harrowood, which won¡¯t be until tomorrow morning. I stay toward the back, and stay quiet. I wonder if I should speak at all while out in public. I could do so with Murrok¡¯s disguise, but their illusions are temporary, and I¡¯m not sure I even want to.

    I¡¯m on this planet now. Permanently. I¡¯m in this body. Permanently. So what sort of future do I see for myself here? I could find ways to make their illusions more permanent. Disguise myself with enough magic to play a convincing human. But that doesn¡¯t feel right. It feels exhausting, and a little sad. The alternative is to convince those around me I¡¯m an actual person. Certainly, these three see me as me. I could probably get there with others, too. It will just take some work.

    But what doesn¡¯t?

    We stake out an inn, then Noli excitedly tugs Rezira toward a marketplace where meats are smoking on an open fire. With little else to do until our time slot at the telepad the next morning, we wander the streets and peruse the stalls. After sea monsters and pirate ship battles, it feels weirdly¡­ normal. Like the time Zyneth and I spent in the Miasmere bazaar. Which reminds me: I owe him a new knife.

    As the sun sets and the living party members¡¯ appetites are sated, we head back to the inn. I don¡¯t follow the others inside, however.

    ¡°The agreement with the predator has not ended just because we are no longer at sea,¡± I tell Zyneth. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    He doesn¡¯t look happy about this, but he doesn¡¯t argue. ¡°I had suspected as much. Keep safe.¡±

    ¡°I will,¡± I promise. I hold out my satchel for him to take into the inn; the predator certainly won¡¯t be using it.

    Probably looking a lot more stoic than I feel, I leave the inn behind and search for the edge of the city. It gradually thins out, giving way to pines and leafy trees. I keep walking though, ignoring the predator¡¯s pestering for as long as I dare. I know getting far away from the city won¡¯t really mean anything. It will be able to find its way back, and we have to return in the morning anyway. But the distance from all the townspeople helps calm my nerves a little, even if it might just be a placebo. Finally, nervously, I turn control over to the predator.

    But I needn¡¯t have worried. Under the moonlight we bound through the woods, marveling at our new surroundings. The padding of leaves beneath our glass. The chirp and squeak of small animals in the dark, fleeing before our sudden appearance. And the smells! The rich earthiness of the dirt, the cleansing petrichor of the air, the small sweet green things¡ªflowers! Yes, flowers¡ªall folded up upon themselves for the night. It¡¯s so different from the ocean. So new!

    Like all previous nights since that time on the rocks, we don¡¯t notice any distant pinpricks of familiarity. And with so much to explore, we don¡¯t go looking for it anyway.

    <hr>

    The glow of the telepad flashes white, and the group of merchants standing on the platform vanishes. The spell circle carved into the stone goes dormant, the glow leaking away. A bored looking elf steps up to the circle, flipping through a book. They find the page they¡¯re looking for, consult the diagram, and touch the platform. Magic funnels from their fingers into the telepad, lighting runes and lines carved in the rock¨Cslightly different from the previous lines that had been lit, I notice. In fact, there seems to be an iteration of patterns carved over the stone: I wonder if it¡¯s as simple as each pattern representing a different destination, or if the teleportation magic is much more intricate than that.

    ¡°Next port: Harrowood.¡± The elf yawns, glancing around the square.

    ¡°Oh! That¡¯s us,¡± Noli signs, skipping up to the pad worker to present our tokens.

    Two other travelers, a human and a felis, also join us on the platform. Noli is the only one of the six of us who appears particularly excited¡ªor awake.

    ¡°Pad activation in two minutes,¡± the operator reports.

    I guess we wait.

    ¡°Will you be alright?¡± Zyneth asks.

    ¡°About what?¡± I ask.

    ¡°Well, the telepad¡­¡± he begins.

    ¡°Oh.¡± I shake my head. ¡°No, it does not bother me. And I traveled with you to Miasmere, remember? If anyone, it is Noli who¡­¡±

    I trail off, even though I¡¯m using my translator and she wouldn¡¯t be able to hear me anyway. She¡¯s smiling pleasantly, her hand tucked around Rezira¡¯s arm, head leaning against her wife¡¯s shoulder. The same happy Noli she always is.

    But when I look close, when I really look, her grip is tight, her jaw clenched, fingers digging into Rezira¡¯s skin.

    Noli ended up stuck in that toy octopus because she took a telepad at exactly and impossibly the wrong time. Even if there¡¯s no predator waiting for us Between anymore, even if there¡¯s likely no magic collection spells cast into the void by senile wizards, the fear is still there.

    I get it.

    I probably get it more than anyone.

    Rezira glances at me out of the corner of her eye and gives the smallest shake of her head.

    ¡°Departing for Harrowood,¡± the pad operator announces. When no one comes running up at the last minute, they activate the spell.

    A flash of light.

    A moment of dark.

    And then we¡¯re out the other side, standing in an all too familiar city.

    Noli lets out a breath. Rezira pats her hand, and the elf flashes a smile up at her wife. I feel like I should say something, but I¡¯m not sure what. As I hesitate, the Harrowood operator ushers us off the platform. Noli¡¯s hand drops to Rezira¡¯s, all the previous tension gone.

    That¡¯s right. She doesn¡¯t need me to say anything; she¡¯s got Rezira. Some things don¡¯t need words.

    ¡°Inn first,¡± Zyneth says as we start into the streets. ¡°Just one night. I don¡¯t know what Vardi wants, but her jobs often send me out of town. And yes, I know I said both of you can help,¡± he adds to Noli and Rezira, ¡°but for this initial meeting it would be best if I were alone. Or at least, appeared alone.¡±

    ¡°That is my cue.¡± I crack my knuckles. Well, I pretend to crack my knuckles. No one would have been able to hear it over the city¡¯s noise anyway, so the gesture still works.

    ¡°Should I go like this?¡± I ask. ¡°Pretend to be a servant, like with Gillow? Or I could come pocket-sized.¡±

    ¡°The latter,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°The other way didn¡¯t work terribly well with Gillow.¡±

    ¡°It worked perfectly well!¡± I object. ¡°Did you see how surprised they were when I spoke the first time? They did not suspect a thing.¡±

    Zyneth gives me a skeptical look. ¡°Regardless, we¡¯ll be trying a different strategy this time.¡±

    Right¡ªstrategy. I nudge the predator, who¡¯s rather distracted by all our surroundings, but answers my request to reach out and touch my mind.

    I remember the plan Zyneth and I came up with. ¡°Ah, okay. I would hide my glass and void in your clothes, and in case anything went sideways, I would be there and have some fighting power as well.¡± I figure saying it out loud will help me remember this conversation, even if I won¡¯t remember the original. ¡°And I could use some of my glass for scoping out the area, too. That is a good idea.¡±

    ¡°Glad you think so,¡± Zyneth says.

    But I think I¡¯ve got a way to make it better, now. We hadn¡¯t taken my Inventory into account before. With it, I¡¯ll be able to covertly bring a lot more firepower than just what could be hidden on Zyneth¡¯s person.

    Actually, I¡¯m kind of eager to see how it works. If I could Inventory my whole body¡ªexcept my core¡ªthis opens up a lot of possibilities. The only thing that I¡¯d really have to deal with is all the void, but given its range, I could hand over control to the predator and have it hide somewhere nearby. Assuming I¡¯d feel comfortable doing that, and that the predator would even cooperate.

    But maybe I¡¯m getting ahead of myself. I don¡¯t want it all to go sideways. I want Zyneth to get in and out of there without any trouble.

    Even though it would be fun to attack Vardi.

    I pause at the intrusive thought, mentally turning to the predator. Sure enough, it¡¯s been listening in and is eager for some action.

    We are not attacking Vardi, I tell it. Not unless she does anything to try to attack Zyneth first.

    She has hurt Zyneth, though. She hurt his arm somehow, even though she was far away.

    That¡¯s different, I think, though his debts are far too complicated for me to try to explain to a sociopathic void monster with no concept of currency.

    The predator grumbles about my inconsistencies as it slinks away.

    We find a place to stay not long after that. Rezira and Noli take one room, while Zyneth and I take another. Noli finds this highly amusing, and appears ready to make some insinuating comments before Zyneth cuts in.

    ¡°We¡¯ll be departing momentarily,¡± he says. ¡°Kanin and I can meet you two back here in an hour or so. I don¡¯t expect the meeting to take long.¡±

    ¡°So soon?¡± Noli asks.

    Zyneth brushes a hand over his arm. ¡°Yes, I would prefer to address this as soon as possible.¡±

    The women take the hint.

    ¡°We¡¯ll see you back here, then,¡± Rezira says. ¡°Don¡¯t do anything stupid without us there to bail you out.¡±

    Zyneth smiles. ¡°Noted.¡±

    There¡¯s not much to do in our room. I dump my clothes and satchel on the bed, then pull my Attuned glass from my inventory, and swap it for my body. It works exactly as I¡¯d hoped.

    ¡°Now we just need to deal with that.¡± Zyneth gestures to the floor.

    The void is puddled like a three dimensional shadow. I can¡¯t leave it behind, since it¡¯s connected to the predator and the predator is connected to me, but it¡¯s a bit conspicuous like this.

    ¡°Maybe it can pretend to be your shadow?¡± I suggest, reluctant to go through with the original plan we¡¯d agreed upon.

    I mentally mold into the shape of Zyneth¡¯s shadow. If you weren¡¯t looking for it, you might miss it. Then Zyneth takes a step, and the void follows half a step behind. It¡¯s eerie, and very obvious.

    ¡°Cloak it is, then,¡± Zyneth says, opening up his bags.

    From the memory the predator now owns, I hadn¡¯t liked this part of the plan then, and I still don¡¯t like it now. Keeping the predator tucked up close to me is one thing; having it tucked up against Zyneth is very different.

    But we¡¯ve already had this argument. The predator means Zyneth no harm. Zyneth finds this solution the best available. As he shakes out a cloak and then secures it around his shoulders, I bite my metaphorical tongue.

    The predator, who does remember our plan, lifts from the ground to climb its way up the cloak and spread across the interior of the fabric, blending in with the shadows. Through the void, I can feel where it¡¯s resting against Zyneth¡¯s back. It¡¯s too close to him. He¡¯s too trusting. I hate this.

    ¡°Remember the rest?¡± Zyneth asks, holding out his hand.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± I grumble. At least, with the predator¡¯s help, I do. I climb into his palm, and he holds me at his side. I hook my glass legs around his belt, then Chain them together on the backside so I won¡¯t accidentally let go. Resting next to his knife, I am a very convincing potion bottle.

    ¡°I think that¡¯s everything,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°Are you ready?¡±

    ¡°I want to get this over with as quickly as possible,¡± I say.

    Zyneth chuckles. ¡°That makes two of us.¡±

    We head back out into the streets, and Zyneth walks purposefully through the city. He takes us out of the main thoroughfare and along some back alleys I hadn¡¯t seen the last time I was here. It¡¯s almost frustrating how much faster he¡¯s traversing the city than I¡¯d been able to manage as a little glass bottle. Then again, the me of today would be able to maneuver the city much more quickly as well. It¡¯s strange how much has changed in less than half a year.

    The crowds thin and the roads become more grimy. Not dangerous, necessarily, but the ground is tacky, and the peeling and fading paint on signs indicate the establishments here seem far less concerned with appearances. Finally, Zyneth slows, coming to a stop before a tavern with a sleeping dragon carved into the sign that hangs over the street. Zyneth pauses.

    I wait a moment for him to go in, but he continues to stand there. ¡°What?¡± I risk asking aloud, as we appear to be alone on the street.

    Zyneth shakes his head. ¡°This is not what I was expecting.¡± He holds his hand beneath me, so I un-Chain my legs and drop into his palm. He lifts me up to the door to see. A board is nailed across the door, bearing a message that¡¯s simple and to the point:

    CLOSED.

 Chapter 112 - CLOSED

    ¡°Closed?¡± I repeat, staring at the sign. ¡°What does that mean?¡±

    Zyneth frowns at the door. ¡°It means it does not appear to be open.¡±

    I wish I had eyes so I could give him a flat look. ¡°What does that mean for you?¡±

    ¡°That depends on if Vardi really isn¡¯t here.¡± He steps around to look through a window, but the curtains are drawn. Zyneth glances both ways down the street; it¡¯s empty.

    He holds me up to his shoulder, where I hop off and dig my glass into his cloak for purchase. Zyneth withdraws a thin metal rod from his pocket and inserts it into the door¡¯s lock.

    ¡°Is that a lockpick?¡± I ask. Exciting. I¡¯ve never done a B&E before!

    I mean, I guess beside the Athenaeum.

    ¡°Of a sort,¡± he murmurs. A faint yellow light glows between Zyneth¡¯s fingers, and a set of runes light up along the grip of the tool. Zyneth twists the rod, and a pulse of red flickers through the lock. A moment later, more runes appear on the door itself. Zyneth frowns in concentration, turning the pick this way and that. One by one, the runes on the door fade from red to blue, then flicker out.

    The lock clicks. Taking one last look around our surroundings, he quietly pushes the door inward, removes the pick from the lock, and slips inside.

    It¡¯s dark inside the tavern. Completely silent. I tensley clutch to Zyneth¡¯s shoulder, waiting for him to move, and I can feel the predator watching attentively as well¡ªperhaps on alert due to my own nerves.

    Only the way I sway on his shoulder tells me he¡¯s moving. I can¡¯t hear his footsteps at all. Disoriented from the lack of light, I resist my instincts to activate a Glow spell or ask Zyneth what we¡¯re doing. This is his job: his specialty. I¡¯m just along for a ride.

    After several minutes of darkness and silence¡ªit¡¯s hard to keep track¡ªZyneth lets out a quiet sigh. A small flame crackles to life in his palm.

    ¡°I¡¯ve disabled all the alarm and trap spells I could find,¡± Zyneth says, his voice still low. ¡°It should be safe to explore. I suspect it really is closed.¡±

    Alarm spells? I hadn¡¯t even noticed. ¡°What do we do now?¡± I ask.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± Zyneth admits. ¡°Look for some sign of where Vardi has gone, I suppose. See if there¡¯s any indication of when she¡¯s coming back. But be careful,¡± he adds. ¡°I haven¡¯t checked upstairs yet; there could be more spells up there.¡±

    He offers a hand down to a table, and I take it. ¡°Can I make a light?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but keep it dim enough no one would notice from the outside,¡± he says. ¡°It¡¯s actually a good thing it¡¯s day, still; I¡¯ll crack a few curtains.¡±

    I remove the small pieces of glass that were hidden in Zyneth¡¯s clothes, and nudge the predator to leave, too. I don¡¯t particularly need its help looking around the tavern, but it will keep the creature busy, and more importantly, it will get it away from Zyneth¡¯s back so I can stop feeling so anxious. The predator is happy for the opportunity to exercise some of its autonomy, and peels away from Zyneth¡¯s cloak to puddle onto the floor. Using a small cluster of signing glass, I activate a Glow spell.

    Benches are upturned and resting on the tops of their tables; the floor is clean¡ªas clean as a tavern floor can get¡ªand all the glasses are slotted away behind the bar. It looks like someone swept up, closed shop, and never came back.

    The predator slinks across the floor in curious exploration. It¡¯s about as big as a medium-sized dog. Sometimes the suggestion of limbs or carnivorous jaws almost manifest, only to be subsumed by the living mass of shadows once more. Without my glass to give it a stable shape, its form is indistinct and dynamic. It¡¯s extremely unsettling.

    Zyneth begins systematically checking all the building¡¯s rooms. Without removing my body from my Inventory and getting the predator to act as my inorganic tendons, I remain where Zyneth left me on the table. I can keep track of things through the predator, but I also have another spell I haven¡¯t used in a while: Inspect.

    It has no mana cost if I¡¯m touching the thing I¡¯m Inspecting, but since I¡¯m searching for more of those trap and alarm spells Zyneth mentioned, touching those probably isn¡¯t the best idea in the first place.

    How much mana to scope out the dormant spells in this whole building? I ask Echo.

    [Inspect with a thirty-foot radius would consume three mana per second,] Echo says.

    Three per second? Given my pool of 300, that¡¯s nothing! It¡¯s wild to think that would have eaten up my entire mana pool in less than four seconds when I first got dumped on this world. But now I¡¯ve got mana for days! Or, well, a few minutes, anyway. I activate an Inspect.

    It¡¯s not a form of sight, exactly, but I can feel the magic balloon through the building, passing through wood just as easily as air. A thread of magic appears between me and the predator, connecting us together. Items light up on Zyneth¡¯s person, too, including his blade and lockpick. As curious as I am to learn about all his artificed trinkets, that¡¯s not the current priority. In the tavern, almost everywhere, there¡¯s magic.

    It¡¯s a lot like Yedzaquib¡¯s library. There were dozens of spells embedded in the walls, some for structural support, some for the water system, others for the floors¡¯ force fields. In here, it¡¯s very similar. There¡¯s mundane things like dormant spell circles in the kitchen basin that my low-level spell tells me has to do with water. There¡¯s some type of cleanliness runes carved onto much of the floors. I notice the spells Zyneth deactivated as well, though all my Inspect can get out of it is that one was a sound spell and another was a fastening spell. Since I¡¯m not sure exactly what to look for, I use these as examples and search for anything else in the tavern that Echo would describe in a similar manner.

    ¡°There is another alarm spell upstairs,¡± I say aloud when I notice it. ¡°Top step.¡± The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

    Zyneth pauses. ¡°You can tell that from here?¡±

    ¡°I think so,¡± I say. ¡°I am just looking for the same things you disarmed. Let me know if I am wrong.¡±

    Zyneth disappears around a corner; I don¡¯t hear him move up the steps, but I do see the magical items on him ascend. He pauses.

    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± he voice drifts back. ¡°Good catch. Let me know if you find anything else.¡±

    As it turns out, I do: another fastening spell on a door¡ªactually that might just be a lock spell rather than a trap¡ªand another alarm in a back office. Zyneth also catches two more traps I didn¡¯t, so my system isn¡¯t perfect, but hey, I¡¯m learning. And if I get this spell leveled up a bit more, it might be very useful.

    In the end, there¡¯s nothing more to find. The tavern is empty. Zyneth gains no clues about where his contact, Vardi, has gone. He estimates it¡¯s been at least a week since anyone has been there.

    ¡°What do we do about your debt, then?¡± I ask.

    Zyneth sits down at the bar next to me. The predator has taken to exploring the tavern as the two of us talk, bored by concepts of commerce it doesn¡¯t understand. Since Zyneth and I both scoped out the place pretty thoroughly for traps (or anything living) I feel relatively safe letting it roam. At least it¡¯s in an enclosed area with no one else around. And frankly, I¡¯m perfectly happy to not have it clinging to my body for a few minutes.

    Zyneth rolls up a sleeve to show his tattoo: the ink is still gold, rather than the inert black color, but it¡¯s no longer glowing. ¡°Ironically, this is probably the best case scenario,¡± he says. ¡°Since I¡¯ve arrived at the agreed upon location, as ordered, the burning has stopped. It¡¯s up to the creditor to deliver the details of the job contract now. If they don¡¯t hold up their side of the agreement, a portion of my debt is removed.¡±

    ¡°That is great!¡± I say. ¡°So can we just leave?¡±

    ¡°Not quite,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°If it were that easy, you could appear at the meeting location when you¡¯re sure the creditor will be away, consider the obligation fulfilled, and scrub off a portion of the debt. To account for this, there is a time limit. For Vardi and this particular debt, it¡¯s one month. If she doesn¡¯t return within that window, then I¡¯m off the hook. While that window is counting down, however, I need to stay in the area, in case she returns.¡± He turns his hands up. ¡°So I suppose now¡­ I wait.¡±

    Certainly not the outcome I was expecting. But I agree with Zyneth¡ªthis is a lot better than being sent on some dangerous mission or another. ¡°You are telling me we have free time?¡± I ask. ¡°We are not fighting for our lives, or racing against a clock, or trying to steal something or sneak somewhere?¡±

    ¡°Much of that tends to be your doing,¡± Zyneth remarks, quirking a smile. ¡°But I suppose, yes. For the next thirty days, at least, we can just¡­ be.¡±

    I¡¯m not even sure what to do with myself. Such freedom! I¡¯d been so certain we were about to go on some new dangerous job to help settle Zyneth¡¯s debt that I hadn¡¯t even bothered to figure out what I would prioritize after that.

    ¡°I need to figure out how to start tracking down the lost souls,¡± I think aloud. ¡°And Rezira suggested I should find a glass mage to learn more glass magic from. Noli and I also would like to make a trip to Trenevalt¡¯s cabin. Oh, Expletive, and Attiru is nearby! We should stop and say hi to them. This also gives me time to get the predator accommodated to being in a city. But what to do first?¡±

    Zyneth taps my translator. ¡°First, I think, I will get your primary translator recharged. There¡¯s no need to start with the biggest things. We can take them one manageable step at a time.¡±

    ¡°You are right,¡± I say, brightening. Now that the surprise is wearing off, I feel weirdly¡­ happy? Okay, it shouldn¡¯t be weird to feel happy. But it¡¯s like a weight has been lifted. Those of us with lungs can take a deep breath. This dark cloud that¡¯s been chasing me has finally blown past. It feels good to have options. A¡­ future on this world.

    ¡°We should celebrate,¡± I say. ¡°After two months on a submarine, I bet you could use a drink.¡±

    Zyneth laughs. ¡°That sounds wonderful, actually. Will you be paying?¡±

    I falter. ¡°Maybe finding a job is the next thing I should do.¡±

    His eyes dance with amusement. ¡°Oh? And what sort of job would you take?¡±

    Er. Good question. ¡°I will figure something out.¡±

    He chuckles, standing up as he offers me a hand. ¡°I believe you will.¡±

    <hr>

    Noli and Rezira are equally surprised and pleased to hear the news. Noli has many of the same first thoughts I did, what with visiting Attiru and returning to Trenevalt¡¯s cabin.

    ¡°If you two travel to Peakshadow, I won¡¯t be able to come,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°I¡¯ll need to stay in Harrowood until the time limit is up.¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s perfectly fine,¡± Noli signs. ¡°It would only be four, five days at most. And I think we¡¯d rather just go alone anyway, if that¡¯s alright.¡± She looks to me for confirmation.

    We¡¯re back at a bar near our inn, one Noli insisted we had to try because it has some sort of drink called ¡®Rainbow Surprise.¡¯ (And they¡¯re certainly prismatic, glowing all different colors with an illusion spell. After a sip, Rezira winced and reported the surprise was that it was grog.)

    I¡¯m in my body and clothes once more, sitting at a table with the rest instead of attempting Murrok¡¯s disguise. Zyneth is reclining in the seat next to me, sipping at a stout, which I actually did manage to pay for with the last few coins I had leftover from selling my spellbooks in Miasmere. When was the last time I¡¯ve seen him this relaxed?

    I nod at Noli¡¯s suggestion. ¡°It just seems like something we should do in private.¡±

    Rezira sighs, pushing away her kaleidoscopic drink as she looks to Noli. ¡°I don¡¯t like you being out there on your own, but I know you can take care of yourself.¡±

    I guess I don¡¯t count as company.

    ¡°If it¡¯s something you both must do, I will not stop you,¡± Zyneth agrees. ¡°However, I would request you wait a week, first. If Vardi was notified of my arrival via our contract, then she will likely show up within the next couple of days. If she doesn¡¯t by then, I suspect she won¡¯t show up at all. I¡¯d rather her arrival not coincide with your trip, if avoiding that is at all possible.¡±

    ¡°I can wait a few days,¡± I say.

    Noli nods her agreement. ¡°That¡¯s fine! We can explore the city in the meantime. I wasn¡¯t here very long last time. And it seems so different now that I¡¯m not three inches tall!¡±

    ¡°A break would be nice.¡± Rezira stands up. ¡°In that case, I¡¯m going to go get something stronger that¡¯s not marketed at my wife¡¯s vulnerabilities.¡±

    ¡°No, wait, I¡¯ll still drink them!¡± Noli objects. ¡°It might not taste good but it looks so happy! It¡¯s nourishing for the soul.¡±

    I translate for Zyneth as Rezira stalks off to the bar. He chuckles, taking another drink of his beer, beforing nodding at me.

    ¡°Will you also be exploring the city?¡± he asks.

    ¡°I had more than my fair share of that last time, thank you very much,¡± I say. ¡°But maybe finding a day job would not hurt. I should be able to find something I can do with my glass magic. Fix windows, perhaps.¡±

    ¡°Would you like for me to come with?¡± he offers.

    ¡°Can you?¡± I gesture vaguely in the direction of Vardi¡¯s closed tavern. ¡°Or do you need to stay close?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll need to periodically check on it throughout the day,¡± Zyneth admits.

    ¡°Then do not worry about me,¡± I say. ¡°I will not fall apart without you.¡±

    He raises an amused eyebrow. ¡°Are you certain about that? It¡¯s happened before.¡±

    ¡°Ha ha,¡± I say sarcastically. But in truth, I¡¯m brimming with warmth.

 Chapter 113 - Day Off

    It turns out Harrowood shuts the city gates at night. Probably not a bad idea, what with nightbanes prowling the nearby mountain range.

    It¡¯s also rather inconvenient for me to slip out of the city after dusk and return before dawn, giving the predator enough time¡ªand space¡ªto go on its nightly prowls. Of course, they let travelers in if they state their business and prove their benevolence, but I¡¯m thinking a talking glass homunculus probably won¡¯t meet their criteria. In the end, I use a couple of Void Whips on an unpatrolled section of wall to pull myself up and over. Not the least-suspicious solution, but it works.

    The predator enjoys its nightly escapade, per usual. There¡¯s new areas to explore, new small creatures to chase¡ªnot to mention a handful of undead creatures, even this far from the Black Spire. Nothing as big or dangerous as nightbanes (the predator scoffs at the idea of nightbanes posing any threat to us) but mouse-sized clusters of bones, animated by a faint internal glow of green, mimicking no creature we¡¯ve ever seen. Maybe they¡¯re a mix of creatures. The bones of rats and birds and lizards, all mixed together just enough to be functional. Straining to reach through the mental void that seems to distance us from the System whenever the predator wields more control, we¡¯re able to get a staticy assessment from Echo: the creatures are simply called ¡°mobs¡± and are indeed the remains of an assortment of creatures that have forgotten what they once were, reanimated by the ambient necrotic energy of the Black Spire.

    The predator doesn¡¯t particularly care about any of this. It¡¯s more interested in what they taste like.

    We pounce on one, crushing the brittle bones between our glass teeth. The faint taste that passes through our void¡ªif taste even applies to what the predator can sense through its essence¡ªis damp and musty and a lot like dirt. Part of us finds this intriguing, the other part extremely disgusted. The green light in the mob puffs out like an exhaled breath, but not before we can pull it into our void. We feel the tiniest flicker of enhanced strength as we absorb it. Like eating souls or absorbing other magical energy sources. But this is so faint that we barely notice its effect at all. Maybe bigger creatures would give us more.

    Sadly¡ªor happily, depending on your perspective¡ªwe don¡¯t have an opportunity to test this theory before sunrise. We slink over the city walls, back to our inn, and through the window Zyneth had left propped open for us before anyone in our party wakes.

    I guess this is going to be the routine, now, isn¡¯t it?

    <hr>

    The next morning, Noli drags Rezira off for some shopping while Zyneth accompanies me to the Merchant¡¯s Guild to procure a map and list of businesses in the city. We¡¯d done this once before, many months ago. How strange it is to be walking in here on my own two legs.

    ¡°There¡¯s plenty more businesses not registered with the Guild,¡± Zyneth remarks as I glance over the map. ¡°Though likely the ones who paid to be advertised are more profitable. Do you know where you want to start?¡±

    ¡°Not really,¡± I admit. ¡°Maybe a construction company of some kind that could use someone good with glass? I think I will just browse my options for now.¡± It¡¯s certainly strange to have the luxury to take my time with things.

    ¡°I¡¯ll come check in on you in a few hours,¡± Zyneth suggests.

    I laugh. ¡°Really, I¡¯ll be fine on my own. I¡¯ve got Captain Murrok¡¯s disguise if I need it. And you recharged my translator so I sound like a person again.¡± An endeavor he managed yesterday evening, deeming it worth the risk to attempt to recharge the device now that we¡¯re among civilization and can replace it if his artificing attempts went wrong. The fear turned out to be unfounded, as the translator charged right back up. I guess even a man as capable as Zyneth can suffer from self-doubt¡ªor maybe he¡¯s just extra cautious when it comes to me.

    ¡°How about we meet for lunch at noon,¡± I tell him when he still seems unconvinced. ¡°That meat on a stick stall near our inn.¡± He seemed to like that place yesterday.

    ¡°Alright,¡± Zyneth relents, laughing lightly. ¡°I can tell when I¡¯m not wanted.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not what I mean and you know it!¡±

    His smile turns mischievous. ¡°So you do want me.¡±

    My soul lurches in my chest. Oh, that bastard. ¡°You set me up.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps.¡± He still seems amused, but he also raises an expectant eyebrow.

    An uncomfortable mixture of affection and anxiety is warring within me.

    ¡°You want me to say it?¡± I ask.

    ¡°Say what?¡± he asks innocently.

    I¡¯m not sure I can. I certainly can¡¯t if I think about it too much. So the answer is to stop thinking about it. Just say it. Just get it out there. Right¡­ now!

    ¡°Yes,¡± I blurt, dropping my voice as I rush to get the words out. ¡°I do want you. Is that what you want to hear?¡±

    He grins. ¡°I could stand to hear it more often.¡±

    Relief floods through me, bringing with it an entirely new set of worries. ¡°This is really not my forte,¡± I admit.

    ¡°I thought your career had to do with spoken words,¡± he points out, his teasing smile softening.

    ¡°Other people wrote the words.¡±

    Zyneth claps a hand to my shoulder and gives it a squeeze. ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s time I heard your own.¡±

    ¡°I¡ªI¡¯ll try,¡± I say, meaning it with all my¡­ well, not heart, I guess.

    ¡°I¡¯ll look forward to that effort.¡± Zyneth drops his hand as he draws away, starting to head in the direction of Vardi¡¯s tavern. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll let you get to it. Good luck, today.¡±

    The ghost of his touch lingers on my shoulder. ¡°Lunch?¡± I call after.

    ¡°Lunch,¡± he agrees, flashing me a smile that makes my soul feel warm and fluttery.

    I turn away, picking a street at random as I cool myself down. Why is this so damn hard for me? He likes me. I like him. I¡¯m no longer planning a one-way trip to another planet. And he¡¯s right that it was my job to deliver lines. Maybe I can borrow from my old characters until I come up with something of my own. What would Jack Stone say?

    He was a solo action hero whose only mission was to hunt bloodthirsty supernatural monsters and look good while doing it. He¡¯d probably say something like, ¡°My only love is justice.¡±

    God, that show really did suck, didn¡¯t it?

    It takes me a bit to get my mind back on track. I¡¯ll be seeing Zyneth again in a few hours, anyway. I¡¯ll have time later to sort through my thoughts. Right now, I need to focus on becoming a productive member of society.

    Using the city map, I decide to explore the manufacturing district first. A couple people glance my way as I walk through the streets, though I don¡¯t draw an undue amount of attention. Lone homunculi are semi-common on this side of town, most carrying heavy packages or supplies; although they all tend to be made of stone or wood. I imagine glass seems impractical and exorbitant, but it¡¯s only strange enough for people to do a double take before moving on. Even on this planet I bet most cities have some eccentric rich noble or another who¡¯s eager to show off their wealth. At least it means I¡¯m left alone.

    Walking through the manufacturing district, I had been expecting to find blacksmiths and carpenters of some sort¡ªand I do find those. But not in the way I¡¯d thought.

    A lot of the carpenters are dryads, growing chairs into existence from branches of living trees. The blacksmiths likewise use magic in the forging of their wares: they pound metal into shape with sharp gestures in place of hammers, and glowing spell circles instead of a fire. It¡¯s fascinating to see all the ways magic has replaced aspects of technology I¡¯m familiar with on Earth.

    There isn¡¯t a dedicated window-making business, I find. Instead, glasswork tends to be lumped in with other things: house-shaping services, for instance, or alchemic supply stores which offer all sorts of artificed bottles and jars designed to hold noxious brews. Artificing really isn¡¯t my thing¡ªthough maybe it could be, if I looked into it. It would be useful to be able to add my own types of strengthening spells to my glass instead of relying on Zyneth all the time; maybe I¡¯ll ask him about that over lunch.

    But learning artificing will take time, and that won¡¯t make me a few extra coins today.

    I explore the merchant district next, which is less about fabrication and more about selling pre-built goods. I figure if nothing else it might give me ideas. There¡¯s plenty of stores which sell glasswork, largely in the form of dishware, and even some artisan stalls that have small glass animals. I wonder if I could make something like that. Is it enough to just picture a dog and Sculpt the glass into my mental image? Or does it take more artistry than that? I should try that tonight. I¡¯ve enough Attuned glass I could afford to sell a few little figurines.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    The question is, how will I sell them?

    I ask Zyneth the same question when I break for lunch.

    ¡°Well, there¡¯s two ways about it, as I see it,¡± he says, taking three skewers from the smoked meat stall after passing over some coins. ¡°Either you use that disguise Murrok gave you and hope the suspicious attire doesn¡¯t scare customers away, or I can act as your intermediary and sell them on your behalf.¡± He carries the skewers over to one of many stone benches that line the plaza, and I sit with him. Zyneth nods to me. ¡°That¡¯s assuming you can even make these trinkets.¡±

    ¡°One way to find out,¡± I say.

    I withdraw some of my signing glass from my satchel as Zyneth starts munching on his skewered meat, watching with great interest. I grab a handful of frit and glass fragments too small to be of much use and activate a Sculpt.

    [Mana cost: 10]

    There was a time when that was everything I had.

    I mash the glass together, forming it into a sphere the size of a small plum. Then I picture a cat, sitting, so the piece would be stable; tail wrapped around its legs, so I won¡¯t have any thin, fragile bits to worry about. Something basic and easily recognizable.

    After a minute, the spell expires and I hold up the result.

    Zyneth pauses mid-bite. ¡°What is that?¡±

    The figure is roughly cone shaped, with a bumpy base where feet should be, and a spikey top that was intended to be ears and a snout. It turns out, some amount of artistic ability is in fact required.

    ¡°It¡¯s a cat,¡± I say.

    Zyneth squints, tipping his head. ¡°Do cats from your world have significantly different anatomy than ours?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± I say flatly. ¡°They¡¯re pretty much the same.¡±

    Zyneth stares at it for a moment longer. Then he bursts out laughing.

    ¡°Alright, so, scratch that off the list,¡± I grumble, stuffing the glass back into my bag.

    ¡°No, no, it¡¯s great!¡± Zyneth assures me, still laughing. ¡°Give it to Noli. She¡¯ll be delighted.¡±

    I indignantly tolerate the laughter until it dwindles into chuckles, and Zyneth takes another bite from his skewer, shaking his head as he smiles. All right, not completely indignant: at least it made him laugh.

    ¡°So,¡± I finally venture. ¡°Labels.¡±

    He crooks an eyebrow at me. ¡°Labels?¡±

    I nervously fiddle with a fleck of glass, floating it between my hands. ¡°Well there¡¯s¡­ the predator, for one,¡± I say.

    ¡°Ah.¡± He sits back. ¡°You mean how Noli wants to name it.¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± I say, relaxing. ¡°What do you think?¡±

    He shrugs, polishing off one of the skewers. ¡°It feels a bit odd, but I don¡¯t see why not. Perhaps it¡¯s a coping mechanism for her.¡±

    That catches me off guard. ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°Well, it tried to kill her,¡± he says. ¡°Twice, if I recall. And now it¡¯s intrinsically associated with you, and you¡¯re perpetually around her. Perhaps giving it a name makes it more knowable. Less frightening.¡±

    The predator is listening as we talk. Well, as much as it can listen. It doesn¡¯t understand language, so far as I can tell, but it gleens insight from my thoughts and processes meaning through associated concepts. It knows we¡¯re talking about it, for instance; it knows the conversation isn¡¯t referring to it in a hostile way. But the subject itself¡ªnames¡ªis elusive.

    ¡°I suppose that¡¯s why I¡¯m reluctant to name it at all,¡± I admit. ¡°Maybe I don¡¯t want it to feel knowable.¡±

    ¡°That won¡¯t change what it is,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°But I understand how you feel. Perhaps you and Noli and just processing the damage it¡¯s caused in different ways.¡±

    ¡°What about you?¡± I ask. ¡°It caused plenty of damage in Emrox.¡±

    Zyneth goes silent and thoughtful, staring off across the plaza as he takes another bite of his lunch. After a minute, he looks back at me¡ªand my coat, where the predator remains hidden.

    ¡°I don¡¯t resent it,¡± he says. ¡°I¡¯m not sure it¡¯s malicious in any intentional way¡ªthough I lack the same level of insight into its mind as you have. But from the outside, it seems to me much like an animal. Simplistic: resource motivated. Dangerous, certainly, but capable of conditioning.¡±

    ¡°I think it¡¯s more intelligent than you¡¯re giving it credit for,¡± I say. ¡°Or at least, it¡¯s growing more intelligent. Not quite like you or me, but¡­ certainly more than an animal.¡±

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that be all the more reason to give it a name?¡± Zyneth asks. ¡°Based on what I¡¯ve witnessed of its ability to learn so far, it seems to be happening quickly. At some point or another it¡¯s likely to be capable of more complex communication. What will it think when it understands how we currently refer to it? Will that be to our benefit, or detriment?¡±

    I mentally examine the predator. Do you understand any of this? I wonder. This label we have for you. This¡­ association.

    The predator picks apart the idea I send it. A superior killer? Yes, that sounds very accurate. It exudes a smug sort of pride at the thought.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s bothered,¡± I report flatly.

    Zyneth chuckles. ¡°I suppose I should have expected that. Well, there¡¯s no rush. You don¡¯t need to make a decision today. But I also wouldn¡¯t discourage Noli if she finds some way of referring to it that brings her comfort.¡±

    It¡¯s just not fair that he can be this attractive, competent, and insightful. Leave something for the rest of us.

    ¡°Alright,¡± I agree. ¡°I¡¯ll roll with things for now. But I am not letting her call it Spot.¡±

    Zyneth snorts. ¡°That would be rather jarring.¡±

    He finishes the last few skewers without any further conversation, both of us wrapped in our own thoughts. When he¡¯s done, he gives me an appraising look. ¡°So, was that the only reason you wanted to bring up labels?¡±

    ¡°Of course it wasn¡¯t!¡± I blurt out. ¡°Us. I wanted to talk about us. Then I chickened out.¡±

    Zyneth chuckles. ¡°Yes, I had surmised as much.¡±

    Ah, so he just wanted to make me squirm, then. I splay my hands. ¡°Well?¡±

    ¡°Well what?¡±

    ¡°What are we?¡± I say, nerves creeping through me all over again. At least I no longer have a heart capable of beating a mile a minute.

    ¡°That depends mostly on you, I think,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°We¡¯ve already been through much together. I¡¯d say our cooperation under pressure is fairly well tested.¡±

    ¡°Yes, but.¡± Why is this so excruciating? ¡°I just. I¡¯ve never done this before,¡± I finally admit.

    Zyneth looks surprised. ¡°Relationships?¡±

    ¡°Yes. No. Emotional relationships,¡± I say, feeling all twisted up inside. I can¡¯t look at Zyneth while I say this. Impulsively, I shut my vision off. The world goes dark¡ªand somehow, that¡¯s soothing. It¡¯s easier to talk to him like this.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been in plenty of physical ones,¡± I say. ¡°One night stands. Friends with benefits. But I don¡¯t see how that¡¯s possible for me now. And I know that¡¯s not what you want, anyway. But emotional intimacy is new territory for me. I¡¯m pretty sure I¡¯ll fuck it up.¡±

    ¡°You might,¡± Zyneth agrees, and my soul sinks. ¡°But I might as well. Or maybe neither of us do. Unless you¡¯ve developed the ability to see the future, I¡¯m not sure such speculation is useful.¡±

    He¡¯s right of course. He usually is. I have to fight down the instinct to argue, because a big part of me doesn¡¯t think I deserve his friendship, let alone anything more. But that¡¯s not for me to decide, I suppose.

    I force myself to turn my vision back on. He¡¯s still watching me, brow faintly creased, waiting for a response.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure how relationships work without the physical aspect,¡± I admit. ¡°I don¡¯t know what I have to offer.¡±

    ¡°For now, just your presence is enough,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°Your thoughts. Your honesty.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, that¡¯s starting to seem a bit much,¡± I lightly tease.

    His mouth quirks in a smile. ¡°You¡¯re right¡ªhonesty might be pushing it.¡±

    I bump his shoulder, and he bumps back. The tightness in my soul lessens, but my nerves aren¡¯t completely gone.

    ¡°Okay,¡± I say. ¡°Yes. I want to try. Whatever that looks like. It¡¯s going to be an adjustment for me. But I admire your patience and understanding and unflappable poise so much¡ªI want to be worthy of that. So I¡¯ll give everything I have to offer.¡±

    ¡°Oh, is that all,¡± he chuckles. Zyneth holds out a hand. Hesitantly, I take it.

    ¡°It¡¯s a two way street, you know,¡± he says. ¡°You¡¯re acting as though you¡¯re the only one to benefit. But I also see traits in you I admire. Your resilience, your creativity, your compassion. Yes, compassion,¡± he adds with a laugh when I start to object. ¡°No matter how much you try to hide it beneath sarcasm¡ªeven knowing you¡¯re still learning how to properly express it. You care quite a bit, and that means quite a bit to me.¡±

    ¡°Wow. I¡ªthank you.¡± I decide to stop myself before I can be any less articulate.

    Okay. Alright, then. We¡¯re doing this. Should it feel this terrifying? It never has before. ¡°So, labels,¡± I venture.

    ¡°They are optional, you know,¡± he says.

    I nod. ¡°But I suspect you would like one.¡±

    ¡°I would,¡± he admits. ¡°And you?¡±

    ¡°Sure. Yes. Though I¡¯m not sure what would be appropriate.¡±

    ¡°Would it help for me to suggest some?¡±

    ¡°Please,¡± I say, relieved. This couldn¡¯t be more outside my wheelhouse.

    ¡°Suitor,¡± Zyneth says. ¡°It¡¯s fairly benign.¡±

    I laugh¡ªthough that might be the nerves. The word feels so stiff and formal. ¡°I don¡¯t think anything we¡¯ve been through together could be classified as benign.¡±

    ¡°Lover would be at the opposite end of that spectrum.¡±

    I physically squirm. ¡°That seems a bit¡­¡±

    ¡°Too much,¡± Zyneth agrees. ¡°Significant other?¡±

    I hesitate. ¡°It¡¯s a bit of a mouthful.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have a mouth.¡±

    ¡°Please don¡¯t mock me while I¡¯m already dying of mortification,¡± I say.

    He grins. ¡°Partner?¡±

    I stop to think about that one. It¡¯s a bit nondescript. It could as easily mean a business partner as a romantic one. But it certainly fits our relationship¡ªour friendship¡ªup to this point. I¡¯ve leaned on him a lot. I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ve provided the same for him, but I¡¯d like to.

    ¡°Let¡¯s try that,¡± I say. ¡°At least for now.¡±

    He gives my hand a faint squeeze, and terrified, excited, humbled and hopeful, I squeeze it back.

    We sit like that for a time. Just existing as the world moves around us.

    ¡°So.¡± Zyneth stirs. ¡°Will you be the one to tell Noli, or shall I?¡±

    ¡°Oh god.¡± I can vividly picture the overly enthusiastic reception already. ¡°She¡¯s going to try to throw us a party or something.¡±

    Zyneth laughs.

 Chapter 114 - A Job

    In the telepad square, I find a job board, which is probably where I should have started. The wall has several messages pinned to its surface, some of them magically affixed, some of them mundane. A lot of them are asks for package deliveries or miscellaneous repairs.

    Not the entire wall is dedicated to odd jobs, however. One section is a single crisp piece of parchment, upon which different blocks of texts are displayed. Every once in a while, some of them sink back into the page, and new words appear, rotating through different stories. It¡¯s a news bulletin.

    I pause to read through some. A couple warnings about necrotic animal sightings. Predictions on when to expect the first snow. Preparations for a local holiday coming up in a few weeks. There¡¯s mention of the gods tournaments Noli had talked about, too.

    It lists dates and locations, though admittedly neither mean anything to me. I scan for some indication of today¡¯s date and find it, and after I get Echo to change the calendar into something I would understand, she lets me know I¡¯m somewhere in Earth¡¯s equivalent of late August. Now that I know to look for it, I can see early signs of autumn in the town¡¯s trees already.

    The next round of gods tournaments aren¡¯t scheduled to take place for another few weeks. The names and a few bare details of individuals who were in previous tournaments and ascended to be Champions are provided.

    I wonder if I should attend one. The idea of witnessing gods¡ªreal gods¡ªis pretty enticing. What would they look like? How would they act? I¡¯m very curious to find out.

    Though, I also haven¡¯t forgotten Yedzaquib¡¯s cryptic warning that the gods might not be too pleased by my existence. Maybe going to one of these events wouldn¡¯t be wise.

    But the tournaments must have something to do with the lost souls¡ªthe timing of their announcement is just too precise for it to be a complete coincidence. If I want to start finding these people, this is the best lead I¡¯ve got. The potential reward outweighs the risk.

    I note down the locations and dates for the next few events. Zyneth¡¯s time here will overlap with one of the tournaments, so he might be reluctant for me to go without him. I resolve to talk it over with him and the others at dinner tonight.

    Back to the job board, I pluck two leaves of paper from the wall. No sense in waffling over the matter. Time to see if I can still put some of my acting chops to use.

    I follow my map to the first address, which is a bizarrely familiar activity. I¡¯d spent my first time in this city also following maps around to different shops, though happily this time I¡¯m doing so without all the existential dread and impending threat to my mortality.

    I pause outside Potion¡¯s Boutique. The job post said they needed someone who could repair a crate of glass bottles that was dropped and damaged during its delivery. Sounds like my area of expertise. I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯d have to Attune their glass first¡ªwhich might take a while¡ªor if I could substitute some of my already-Attune glass, but it can¡¯t hurt to take a look.

    I knock on the door.

    ¡°Enter!¡± a muffled voice calls from the back.

    I step inside.

    The alluded to crate is in the middle of the room, opened and half unpacked, exposing a dozen shattered bottles. The rest of the room is filled with all sorts of chemistry equipment¡ªor maybe alchemic equipment. It¡¯s a lot of bottles and vials and jars of varying colors, at any rate.

    ¡°Hello?¡± I call. There¡¯s a shuffling sound coming from the back office. ¡°I¡¯m here about the repair job.¡±

    An orc ducks out of the back room, grumbling to himself. He¡¯s at least a head taller than Rezira. His gaze lands on me, then he looks about the room expectantly, before returning to me once more.

    He frowns. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±

    ¡°Er.¡± I also glance around, wondering what he¡¯s talking about. ¡°The broken delivery bottles, I assume?¡±

    His eyebrows lifts. ¡°Is this a joke?¡± He stomps over to me, and I can¡¯t help but hastily retreat. ¡°Stuck a voice box on the thing so they could send one of their homunculi back to mock me? What, want to break a few more of my goods before calling it a day?¡±

    The predator is alert, honing in on the merchant¡¯s hostile tone and body language.

    ¡°Hold on,¡± I object, my back bumping into the door. ¡°I¡¯m not a¡ªOkay technically I am¡ªbut I didn¡¯t break your¡ª¡±

    The orc glares as he reaches for me, and the void beneath my coat shifts, readying for an attack.

    I turn the handle and stumble out of the shop, unsure if it¡¯s the predator or the orc that scares me more.

    I hold up my hands, swiftly retreating down the street as the orc stomps out after me. ¡°I just wanted a job!¡± I cry.

    He stays standing at the front of his shop, fuming, until I make an impulsive turn down a side street and out of sight.

    Well that went about as bad as it could have. Mentally, I glare at the predator.

    He wasn¡¯t a threat, you know.

    The predator does not know this. He certainly was acting threatening.

    I mean, he kind of was, but that¡¯s beside the point. Don¡¯t attack anyone unless I give the say-so first.

    But what if there¡¯s not enough time to give the say-so?

    Then I guess we¡¯ll take a hit first, I think, exasperated.

    Unacceptable. It will not allow a potentially fatal hit to our core.

    I do have that reinforcing spell circle Zyneth painted on it now, remember? I tap my chest. We can activate that if things get bad.

    The predator remains unconvinced.

    I heave a mental sigh. I guess I¡¯ll just have to try to avoid any more confrontations. Not that that was my fault! The man wouldn¡¯t even listen to me. Though I can¡¯t entirely blame him, either. I am a homunculus. Homunculi aren¡¯t supposed to be able to talk. Of course he thought it was probably some prank or another. And given it sounds like homunculi were responsible for his broken goods in the first place, I can even understand how suspicious my arrival might have looked.

    Even if that hadn¡¯t been the case, would I have been able to convince him I really am a person? How much time and effort would that have taken? This also poses an issue for the other job on my list.

    Well, I guess there¡¯s nothing for it. It¡¯s time to try that disguise Murrok made for me.

    Still in the alley, I channel some of my mana into the enchanted ring. My vision ripples.

    [Illusion spell activated.]

    I use a piece of glass to look at myself. It really is uncanny how I look like a perfectly frozen human. I turn my head from side to side, and the human head also moves, but that does little to stop the unsettlingly neutral expression and unblinking eyes. Next up, I wrap Noli¡¯s scarf around my ¡°nose¡± and ¡°mouth,¡± then pull the cowl over my head to cast my face in shadows.

    Suspicious looking? Highly. Human looking? Good enough.

    The next location is a residential address. It¡¯s a small stone house along a quiet street, squished up against its neighbors like all the rest. After double-checking the address, I give the door a knock.

    Silence. I wait a moment, then knock a little harder¡ªas hard as I dare with my smaller and more fragile finger glass. This time, I hear a shuffle of sound. Then a wooden thump. Then a clunk from the door¡¯s lock. And finally, the scrape of wood on wood as it¡¯s dragged slowly open.

    I look down. My employer doesn¡¯t even come up to my hip.

    [Check. Molli: Level 41 Goblin Artisan.]

    She¡¯s wearing a knitted shawl and leaning heavily on a walking stick. Based on her thin white hair pulled up in a bun, and the fact that she¡¯s practically being swallowed by her own wrinkles, I¡¯d estimate she¡¯s about two hundred years old. Molli squints up at me. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

    ¡°Uh, hi,¡± I say. ¡°I¡¯m here about a job? Something to do with a glasswork delivery.¡±

    ¡°Oh!¡± Her voice is exactly as frail as I imagined. ¡°Good. Yes, wonderful. Very big! But skinny. Are you strong?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± I say, a little caught off guard and unsure if that¡¯s actually true. When I first started operating this body I couldn¡¯t even lift a book without dropping it. But I¡¯ve gained better control over my glass since then, and the predator can help me use the void to strengthen anything that I can¡¯t handle on my own. ¡°If you need me to carry something, that won¡¯t be a problem.¡±

    ¡°Well, alright then. It¡¯s very heavy! But, come in. Come in! You can leave your coat on the rack. Awfully warm to be all bundled up like that, eh?¡±

    She begins to shuffle back inside. I take one step, catch up, then stand there and wait for her to continue inching her way forward. When I make it in the door, I have to crouch awkwardly to keep from hitting the ceiling.

    ¡°Actually, I¡¯ll be leaving it on,¡± I say. ¡°It¡¯s a¡­ skin condition.¡± Technically true in the most incorrect way.

    Molli doesn¡¯t seem bothered by this explanation, if she even heard it at all. ¡°I was beginning to think no one would come. My grandson said no one takes coppers anymore, they¡¯re a relic of a different age, he says, won¡¯t do in this economy, but I just don¡¯t trust those new magitech bank systems, you understand?¡±

    ¡°Ah, right,¡± I say, realizing I hadn¡¯t actually checked how much the job paid. I¡¯d been too interested in finding ones that actually seemed applicable to me to look at the pay. But I¡¯m certainly not about to leave the poor woman now. ¡°Coppers should be fine.¡±

    ¡°Good!¡± She pauses in the front hall, looking between two doors. ¡°Good, good, good... Do you fancy a cup of tea?¡±

    ¡°No, thank you,¡± I say. ¡°I¡¯ve just come from lunch.¡±

    ¡°Straight to business then, eh? Alright. Come on.¡± She hobbles into the living room.

    The room is covered in an extremely dense painting of flowers, from floor to ceiling. And I mean that literally. The floor, the walls, the ceiling, and even the stone table and bench are all painted. Every inch of them. It would strain my eyes if I had any.

    Molli takes me over to a hearth in the corner of the room. She taps her cane against a large black stone that¡¯s sitting on a ledge there. ¡°Well, here it is.¡±

    I cock my head. ¡°I thought the ad said there would be glass?¡±

    ¡°Hmph!¡± Molli grumbles. ¡°It is! Can¡¯t you see, boy?¡± I¡¯m starting to think she can¡¯t, actually, which is probably the only reason my disguise has lasted as long as it has. ¡°It¡¯s ink glass! My husband dug it up himself. T¡¯was made into our wedding tureen, see?¡± She grabs a jagged knob on the top and lifts.

    What I had assumed was a rock is actually a bowl and lid. Upon closer inspection, its surface is etched to display a miniature forest scene of incredible detail. I give it a Check.

    [A wedding tureen made of obsidian,] Echo summarizes. [Such bowls are traditionally used during marriage, where the involved partners all take turns serving each other their first meal as wedded companions. Oftentimes the tureen is made by one or more of the partners.]

    Is obsidian ink glass? I ask. Wait, is obsidian glass?

    [Affirmative,] Echo says.

    The more you know. That opens some interesting possibilities.

    ¡°And you want me to take this somewhere?¡± I ask.

    ¡°And bring it back!¡± Molli cries. ¡°Just need to get it fixed up is all. Developed a crack last year when Jame dropped it. Only gotten worse since then. Worried it¡¯ll crack in two one of these days.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be very careful with it,¡± I promise.

    I¡¯d been hoping it was something I might be able to fix myself, but given the artistic nature of the bowl, this is probably something best left to the professionals.

    ¡°Good!¡± she says. ¡°Good. That is why I didn¡¯t want a homunculus for the job.¡±

    Well, this is awkward.

    ¡°Needs a gentle touch, you see?¡± She pats the tureen fondly. ¡°Can¡¯t risk it being handled carelessly. Now that Jame is gone, I don¡¯t know what I¡¯d do if I lost this, too. Only someone with a soul would understand its importance.¡±

    Well I may not be alive, but at least I still qualify for ¡®has a soul.¡¯ ¡°On that I can agree.¡±

    Molli¡¯s eyes are swallowed by wrinkles when she smiles. ¡°I¡¯ll give you the directions.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not necessary,¡± I say. ¡°I have a map. You can just give me the address.¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡± She nods. ¡°So you just need to head south along Gravel Lane for a few blocks, then take your third right onto Mountain View.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± I hastily say. ¡°But I do have a¡ª¡±

    ¡°There will be a park on your left,¡± Molli continues, undeterred. ¡°You can cut through that and take Hallow Street another four blocks, or you could go around Green Glade¡ªthat¡¯s the park¡ªand head down Meadow¡¯s Lane instead¡­¡±

    It takes another five minutes to deliver the full instructions, including all possible travel iterations.

    ¡°Got it.¡± I slump, head spinning. ¡°I¡¯ll definitely remember all of that.¡±

    Molli hands me the coins next¡ªI¡¯ll have to ask Zyneth later if they¡¯re actually worth anything¡ªand then shuffles out of the way so I can pick up the decorative black bowl.

    ¡°Ask the glassmith if they know when I can expect the piece to be done,¡± Molli says, continuing to give me instructions she¡¯s already given me as I kneel before the bowl. I hold my hands out hesitantly, worried about doing any more damage to the fragile design. ¡°Then come back here and let me know the date. And if you¡¯d be a dear, I¡¯d appreciate you retrieving the piece when it¡¯s complete as well.¡±

    It¡¯s the quest that never ends.

    I summon void to my hands, wrapping them around the glass to help cushion my grip. The illusion around my fingers flickers while I do so, and I hope Molli doesn¡¯t notice. Gingerly, I grab the tureen and lift it up.

    She was right that it¡¯s heavy. No wonder the old woman couldn¡¯t move it herself. I pull more void to my hands and pool it beneath the bowl for a little extra leverage and support. At least the shadows are faint enough no one should notice them against the black stone¡ªeven those with good eyesight.

    Bidding Molli goodbye, and declining yet another invitation for tea and biscuits, I head out into Harrowood. Hands now preoccupied, I use some of my signing glass to hold the map up before me. The glass shop she wants me to take it to is about a half hour walk away. How many hours would it have taken me to make this same trek the first time I was here?

    After about ten minutes of walking, I turn the illusion spell off. Murrok had warned it only had a couple hours of charge in it, and I¡¯d rather not waste it all just walking through town, especially when so many homunculi are also about delivering packages of every kind. The only thing a bit strange about me doing the same is that I¡¯m made of glass and wearing clothes; I can¡¯t change the first part and I don¡¯t intend to change the second.

    I make it to the glass studio without any trouble. It¡¯s in a rougher part of town that reminds me of Gillow¡¯s storefront¡ªin fact it might not be far from Vardi¡¯s Tavern. Paint is peeling from signs, the gutters are filled with rot, and the doors all have physical locks instead of magic ones. Peoples¡¯ gazes linger on me just a little too long, and I hurry along, pretending not to notice.

    The shop, simply labeled Glasswork and Repair, is locked. I use some signing glass to knock on the door and wait a few minutes, but there¡¯s no response. It¡¯s late afternoon, but it¡¯s still well before dinner, so I wouldn¡¯t expect it to be closed. What to do?

    A few houses down, a young group of people who look absolutely up to no good are making obvious gestures toward me as they talk amongst themselves. I deem it prudent to get off of the street.

    Glasswork and Repairs is connected to its neighbors, so I can¡¯t circle directly around back to see if there¡¯s another entrance there. A few houses down is an alleyway, however, so I head in the opposite direction of the thugs as I search for a way to reach the glass shop¡¯s rear door. The passage is narrow, and leads me out into another alley, this one full of garbage. Maybe for the first time, I¡¯m happy with my inability to smell. I can make out the back of Glasswork, at least.

    Someone steps out of an alleyway behind me. They probably think they¡¯re being sneaky, but I¡¯ve got vision turned on in three panes of the glass in my ¡°head,¡± which gives me a wider range of vision than most people. I go ahead and turn the rest on while I¡¯m at it. It¡¯s still a little disorienting, looking five different directions at once, but it helps that they¡¯re all stationary relative to one another¡ªnot to mention, weirdly, I¡¯m kind of getting used to it. Maybe the predator¡¯s ability to split its attention and mind in as many different directions as it likes is rubbing off on me.

    Regardless, the girl is surprised when I stop and address her. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t try anything if I were you.¡±

    She stops. Then she laughs, turning her head to call over her shoulder. ¡°Hey, Vim, get a load of this. It¡¯s got some kind of security feature.¡±

    A dryad steps out behind her. A third thug, an elf, drops down from a roof between me and the glasswork shop. I give them all a Check.

    [Pelara: Level 17 Human Rogue.]

    [Vim: Level 16 Dryad Bruiser.]

    [Zari: Level 19 Elf Enchanter.]

    What do you know? This is the first time I¡¯ve been higher level than those around me. I hadn¡¯t felt especially threatened by the teens before, and I¡¯m even less impressed with them now.

    The predator, meanwhile, is keenly aware their intentions are no good; whether or not they pose a threat to us is irrelevant. It sees a challenge and is more than ready to engage.

    ¡°I¡¯ll again warn you against whatever your plans are,¡± I say, attempting to calm the predator down¡ªa futile task. Even if these kids are a bunch of thugs, I don¡¯t want them dead, and I¡¯m not sure the predator would be able to show enough restraint to just scare them away. ¡°This will only end very badly for you.¡±

    Zari laughs. ¡°What kind of fancy-ass homunculus is this?¡±

    ¡°Got a speech stone on it, or something,¡± Vim agrees.

    Pelara casually strolls my way, and I can feel the predator tense. ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter. How much you think that piece is worth?¡±

    ¡°Probably not as much as the parts,¡± Zari says. ¡°Who makes a homunculus out of glass and then sends it to do chores in Vale district?¡±

    ¡°Rich assholes,¡± Pelara says.

    Zari snorts. ¡°Fucking idiots.¡±

    The three of them head toward me. The predator excitedly reaches for my void, and I jump at our shared magic as well, trying to hold it back.

    Well this is going great.

    I channel mana back into Murrok¡¯s spell, reactivating my human disguise. ¡°Last chance,¡± I tell them. The three stop, startled by the shift in appearances as I¡¯d hoped.

    ¡°What the fuck?¡± Pelara cries.

    ¡°They¡¯re a person?¡± Vim asks.

    Zari squints at me.

    [Your magic has been identified.]

    ¡°No,¡± he says. ¡°It¡¯s not real. It¡¯s an illusion.¡±

    Fucking wizards.

    ¡°If he was human, he wouldn¡¯t be trying to convince us to leave,¡± Pelara agrees. ¡°Must be another thief deterrent.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m trying to convince you to leave for your own good!¡± I cry, exasperated. The predator strains against my mental hold, and I feel it slipping through my grasp. Don¡¯t kill them, I tell it, trying not to panic. Please, don¡¯t¡ª

    Vim pulls a hammer from their belt and races toward me. The predator forms clawed limbs. Aw, shit. Here we go.

 Chapter 115 - Glasswork and Repair

    There¡¯s no time to fight off the predator and the thugs at once, so I pick my battle. If I can¡¯t convince the predator from the outside, maybe I can direct it from within.

    We sidestep the dryad as they rush toward us. Void snakes out from the bottom of our coat and grabs their leg as they pass. They trip with a cry, and go crashing to the ground.

    Their friends laugh. ¡°What was that! The idiot can¡¯t even hit a stationary target.¡±

    We carefully funnel more void out from our sleeves, engulfing the glasswork in a protective cocoon of shadow. We remind ourself to make sure the stone doesn¡¯t get damaged. Annoying. But a challenge sounds fun.

    We stalk after the first one, still picking themself up. They reach for their weapon, and we slam a boot down on their hand. Their howl of pain fills us with satisfaction. Shifting the bowl to one arm, we lean down, reaching out a hand. Claws of shadows poke through the illusion of human fingers.

    A door slams open three shops down, shaking the whole alley. A blue dracid steps out, head swiveling in our direction, eyes narrowed. She¡¯s bigger than any dracid we¡¯ve ever seen. All muscle and callus. She¡¯s carrying what looks like an enormously oversized pair of tweezers, and as she stomps our way, she wields it like a sword.

    A thrill of excitement goes through us. A worthy opponent. We flex our claws.

    ¡°What have I told you kids about hanging around my shop?¡± she roars.

    My prey scrambles out from under me, but not in time. The dracid is on them, smacking the dryad with their tweezers like a whip. They yelp, throwing their hands over their head as they stumble back toward their friends. She storms right past us, as if we¡¯re nothing more than another piece of trash that litters the alley. The kids scatter. She takes another swing at them, managing to hit the elf on his rear, before they¡¯re gone, racing down the alley and out of sight.

    The dracid turns back to us with a huff. She puts a hand on her hip and looks us up and down. ¡°They didn¡¯t nab anything from you, did they?¡±

    She¡¯s not a threat; she was trying to save us. We find that funny. We retract our claws.

    ¡°Well?¡± she asks after a moment.

    We still haven¡¯t responded. We quickly try to pull our mind away¡ªand feel a faint pain at the suddenness of it. Alarm sparks through us. Careful. We have to separate carefully. Please, let us go. It¡¯s not night yet, and the danger has passed.

    Reluctantly, grumpily, the predator relents.

    ¡°Sorry,¡± I stammer, still pulling my mind away. The predator is only making a half-hearted effort to extract itself from my mind; it¡¯s like trying to separate tar from glue. ¡°I¡¯m, ah, a little shaken.¡±

    The woman snorts. ¡°If those kids are enough to get to you, you probably shouldn¡¯t be wandering around the back alley like a lost kitten.¡±

    Okay, I¡¯m mildly offended by that.

    ¡°I was trying to deliver something.¡± I retract the void that had been cradling the bowl, and hold it up for her to see. Hopefully she didn¡¯t notice the shifting shadows. ¡°I was trying to get into the glass shop, but no one answered the front door.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s because I was in the middle of something.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± I say. ¡°You¡¯re the owner of Glasswork and Repairs?¡±

    Instead of answering, she starts to head back to the door she¡¯d burst out of, and gestures for me to follow. ¡°Hot glass doesn¡¯t give two shits about anyone else¡¯s schedule. So what have you got for me?¡±

    I give her a Check.

    [Caecius: Level 43 Dracid Lava Crafter. Owner of Glasswork and Repairs.]

    Wow. Twice my level. And lava crafting sure sounds interesting. ¡°Yes, I have a package from Molli Mosswood. She needed a tureen repaired.¡±

    Caecius pauses at her back door to look critically at the bowl in my hands. Then she grunts and heads inside. I take that as an invitation to follow her.

    The backdoor opens into a workshop. There¡¯s an open chimney on the outer wall, several large stone chests sprinkled throughout, and a shelf of completed glasswork on the opposite side of the room. Caecius hangs up the oversized tweezers on a rack alongside a dozen other tools, then takes a seat at a bench next to what I¡¯d guess to be an inert forge. She looks at me expectantly, then pats the low work table in front of her.

    ¡°Put it here.¡±

    I gently set the tureen down, then stand back, hesitating nearby. Caecius ignores me.

    The dracid carefully lifts the lid from the bowl, pausing to examine the design on the top, then sits it aside. She lifts the bowl next, her talons faintly tinking against the glass. She turns it over, then her hands glow with a faint blue light.

    ¡°Is that glass magic?¡± I ask, excitedly leaning in.

    She glances at me skeptically. ¡°No.¡± She goes back to focusing on the bowl.

    Seeing as she won¡¯t be giving me answers, I Inspect the spell myself.

    [Low grade stone spell related to structural identification,] Echo says.

    So her Affinity must be stone or something similar, which glass would fall under. And given her class of Lava Crafter, I can hazard a guess what that might entail.

    Caecius grunts, sets the tureen back down, then swipes a hand across the surface of the nearby forge. Runes and spell circles carved into its surface light up blue. She moves the bowl over to forge, then pulls on a pair of thick gloves.

    I quietly hover nearby. She hasn¡¯t dismissed me, but she also hasn¡¯t indicated when she¡¯ll be done, and until I have that information, there¡¯s no point in leaving. Besides, I¡¯m interested to see her work. I¡¯ve never witnessed anyone other than myself use glass magic¡ªor stone magic, I suppose¡ªand I don¡¯t intend to pass up this opportunity to try to learn something.

    Though there¡¯s no apparent flame, the air above the spell circles begins to waver. Caecius crooks her gloved hand over the bowl, like fingers on a stringed instrument.

    I fire off a couple more Inspects. ¡°The spell circle is for glass manipulation?¡± I gather. ¡°And that other one is for heat. Why heat it up if you already have a spell for mending the glass?¡±

    Caecius shoots me an irritated glance. ¡°You a mage?¡±

    ¡°I suppose so,¡± I say.

    ¡°Mages ask too many questions.¡±

    I skeptically take in all the spell circles, runes, and the magical glow around her hand. ¡°Aren¡¯t you a mage?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± she says. ¡°Now shut up.¡±

    I shut up, and instead switch over to more Checks and Inspects to try to figure out what she¡¯s doing. Still maintaining my human disguise and unable to surreptitiously float my glass over to the other side of the table, I lean over to Check a small spell circle just outside of my line of sight.

    ¡°Careful,¡± Caecius snaps. ¡°You¡¯ll singe your clothes.¡±

    ¡°Oh!¡± I lean back. ¡°Sorry.¡±

    She doesn¡¯t look up from her work as she flicks a hand at her forge. One spell circle extinguishes, while two new ones light up. ¡°You¡¯re too close. And all bundled up. Heat doesn¡¯t bother you?¡±Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

    Oh. I hadn¡¯t even realized it was hot. I can feel a faint warmth, but that¡¯s about it. My glass isn¡¯t very good at sensing temperature unless it¡¯s toward an extreme. ¡°I have nerve damage. Don¡¯t feel a lot of things.¡± I hope that¡¯s how nerve damage actually works.

    She grunts again, switching more circles on and off. ¡°Go open the annealer for me.¡±

    ¡°The what?¡± I ask.

    She jerks her head toward one of the stone chests. ¡°The annealer! Open it.¡± She picks up the bowl with both her gloved hands.

    ¡°Er, right.¡± I head toward the one she indicated and pull the hatch open. There¡¯s more runes inside this one as well, and when I check them, I¡¯m surprised to find they¡¯re also for heating.

    ¡°What¡¯s the point of moving it from one hot area to another?¡± I ask.

    She sets the bowl in the chest, then quickly closes it. ¡°Different levels of heat. Cools it down slower. Keeps the glass from cracking.¡± She takes her gloves off and gives me a critical look. After a moment I bow my head a little, hoping she didn¡¯t stare too long at the unblinking eyes of my illusion. She heads back over to her workstation to drop off her gloves.

    ¡°Why all the interest?¡± she asks. She¡¯s already heading through a door toward the front half of the building, and since she asked me a question as she did so, I¡¯m guessing that¡¯s an invitation to follow.

    ¡°My affinity is glass,¡± I say, stepping through. This room looks more like a storefront than a workshop, with shelves of items on display. I peruse these so I don¡¯t have to look at her and potentially expose my cover while I talk. ¡°I¡¯ve been wanting to learn more. I¡¯ve tried sculpting some on my own, but it all ends up pretty fragile. I know there must be a way to make them more robust, I¡¯m just not sure how.¡±

    ¡°What kind of stuff do you make?¡± she asks.

    My mind briefly short circuits from what should have been an obvious question. I¡¯m certainly not going to tell her ¡®parts of my homunculus body.¡¯ ¡°Mugs,¡± I say, repeating the first thing I happen to be looking at. ¡°Plates. Those sorts of things.¡±

    ¡°Uh, huh.¡± She sounds skeptical, but she doesn¡¯t follow it up with any questions of her own. ¡°The tureen will be ready in a day. You can tell Molli and come back for it then.¡±

    ¡°Do you need to do anything else with it?¡± I ask.

    ¡°No. It just needs to cool.¡±

    ¡°And that takes a whole day?¡±

    Caecius looks at me flatly. ¡°You questioning my work?¡±

    ¡°No!¡± I object. ¡°I just didn¡¯t realize it took so long.¡±

    She looks back down at the book she¡¯s jotting notes in. ¡°You¡¯re pretty new to glasswork.¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± I admit.

    ¡°New affinity?¡±

    ¡°I suppose so.¡±

    ¡°Derived from a parent affinity?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure what you¡¯re asking,¡± I admit.

    ¡°Stone,¡± she says. ¡°Earth. Sand. Common starting points for developing a secondary affinity. My specialty came from merging stone and fire affinities.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± I say. ¡°No. It¡¯s just glass.¡±

    ¡°Hmph.¡± She sets her quill down and looks at me. ¡°A little old to be developing your first affinity.¡±

    I don¡¯t have anything to say to that, so I say nothing.

    She waves a dismissive hand at me. ¡°Tomorrow. Noon. You can retrieve it then.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± I¡¯m a little disappointed I wasn¡¯t able to get anything else out of her. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll be on my way, then. Say, do you happen to know of other glass shops around here?¡± She gives me a blank stare. ¡°I mean, anyone looking to take on an apprentice? Or perhaps classes, or a thorough book¡ª¡±

    ¡°Noon,¡± she repeats, returning to her ledgers. ¡°You can tell her it¡¯ll cost a crescent and two silvers.¡±

    Ah, well. It was worth a shot at least. I leave, through the front door this time, and head back to Molli to deliver the cost and timetable. The old woman once again invites me in for some tea, and I once again decline.

    That evening, as we¡¯re discussing our days over stew, beer, and crusty bread, Zyneth helps me charge the illusion ring back up to full capacity. There¡¯s no word from Vardi yet. Rezira is spending her time practicing and exchanging techniques with a local healer¡¯s guild, while Noli appears to simply be enjoying herself: shopping, exploring, and making friends with the local hunters.

    I give Zyneth the coppers I received from Molli to examine. ¡°Well it¡¯s not entirely archaic,¡± he admits. ¡°Some places will accept it. You could also get them exchanged at the Merchant¡¯s Guild for a cost, but it¡¯s probably not worth it. These could buy you maybe¡­ half the meal we have here.¡± He gestures to the table.

    ¡°A day¡¯s worth of work for half a meal.¡± At least it was for a good cause. ¡°Ah well. Guess I¡¯ll try something different tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Let me know if you need any assistance,¡± Zyneth says.

    ¡°I will.¡± I recline in my seat, leaning against his shoulder. ¡°Same goes for you. Let me know as soon as Vardi shows back up.¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡± He takes my hand and places the coins back in them, folding my fingers around them. He doesn¡¯t let go after that, and I don¡¯t pull away. The closeness fills me with warmth.

    Noli loudly slurps at her drink, looking at us over the brim of her mug.

    ¡°Okay, yes, Noli,¡± I sign, one handed. ¡°We¡¯re together.¡±

    Noli excitedly gasps, immediately choking on her drink. Rezira thumps her back as Noli coughs and splutters, still managing to sign, ¡°I knew it!¡±

    ¡°Who asked who?¡± Rezira asks.

    We look at each other. ¡°I suppose it was a mutual conversation,¡± I say.

    ¡°But who started the conversation?¡± Noli asks.

    ¡°I don¡¯t recall,¡± Zyneth admits.

    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Rezira presses.

    If I had eyes, I¡¯d be narrowing them. ¡°Why does it matter?¡± Noli glances guiltily away. ¡°Did you guys place bets or something?¡±

    ¡°No!¡± Noli cries, at the same time Rezira signs, ¡°Yes.¡± Noli lunges for her wife¡¯s hands.

    Zyneth chuckles. ¡°At least it¡¯s not a party.¡±

    ¡°Oh!¡± Noli brightens. ¡°We should throw a party!¡±

    <hr>

    The next morning I show back up at Glasswork and Repairs. It¡¯s a bit before noon, but I had nothing better to do and figure I can at least kill some time looking around Caecius¡¯s shop. No one bothers me this time, though I¡¯m also in my human disguise. When I knock on the front door, she opens it.

    ¡°You¡¯re early.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m aware.¡±

    She turns away, leaving the door open, which I suppose means I¡¯m allowed inside. Caecius heads back into the shop, so I stay in the front, examining glasswork and trying to figure out how it¡¯s done.

    ¡°Ready,¡± she says in another ten minutes, gesturing me back. ¡°Bring the payment after lunch.¡±

    ¡°Actually, I¡¯ve already got it,¡± I say, withdrawing a pouch as I follow her toward the annealer. ¡°Stopped by Molli¡¯s this morning.¡± I hold it out.

    Caecius snatches up the pouch, glances inside, then tosses it on her work bench. ¡°Come back after lunch. I¡¯ve another job.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± I say, surprised. ¡°Delivery? I¡¯m actually not sure if that¡¯s the best use of my¡ª¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m working on a larger piece.¡± She opens the annealer and gestures for me to take the tureen. ¡°Could use an extra hand.¡±

    I take the bowl out and tip my head. ¡°With glasswork?¡±

    ¡°No, with wiping my ass.¡± Caecius snaps the doors closed. ¡°Now go on. I¡¯m busy. Be back here at a hand after noon.¡±

    Somewhat baffled, I leave as instructed. Molli is delighted to receive her bowl back in perfect shape and, no, I can¡¯t stay for lunch. After a quick tag up with Zyneth, I head back to Caecius¡¯s shop.

    She¡¯s in the back, her forge lit with magic, holding what appears to be a giant glass vase stuck to the end of a metal pole. She looks up when she sees me.

    ¡°Good. Hold this.¡± She hands the stick over to me.

    ¡°Er, alright.¡±

    Caecius puts on her gloves and grabs the pair of giant tweezers. She sits at her station and gestures me over. ¡°Hold the glass here and rotate the rod.¡± I oblige, needing to tuck the end of the rod beneath my arm to keep from dropping it. With all the glass at the end, it¡¯s heavy. ¡°Faster,¡± Caecius commands. ¡°Good. Don¡¯t stop.¡±

    She puts the prongs of the giant tweezers inside of the vase and opens them, gently pulling the end of the glass wider.

    ¡°What are those called?¡± I ask. ¡°Those big tweezers.¡±

    She doesn¡¯t spare me a glance. ¡°Tweezers.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± I¡¯m silent for a moment. ¡°I was sort of expecting a fancier term.¡±

    Caecius works for another couple minutes in silence, then sets the tweezers aside and grabs some burnt up rag looking thing next, running it over the outside of the glass.

    ¡°Glass isn¡¯t solid,¡± she abruptly says. ¡°Not like other stone. But it¡¯s not a liquid either. Something in between, like cold taffy. Its structure doesn¡¯t really want to stay in one shape¡ªit¡¯s just slow at moving. That¡¯s why heat is good for shaping it.¡±

    Caecius nods to one of the spell circles. ¡°I don¡¯t got glass affinity, but I make do with fire and stone. It gets me close enough. Can you read runes?¡±

    ¡°A handful,¡± I say. ¡°I¡¯m still learning.¡±

    ¡°Move it over here. Stop spinning.¡± Caecius points off to the side of the forge. I swing the pole where she¡¯s indicating. The dracid puts one of her gloves beneath the vase and abruptly raps a hammer against the pole I¡¯m holding: the vase breaks off the end and falls into her hand. ¡°Now open the annealer. Quick!¡±

    Still trying to follow her abrupt changes in topic, I open the hatch, and she puts the vase in. After it¡¯s closed, she heads back over to her forge, running a hand over the symbols. The lights go out.

    ¡°This one is for structural manipulation,¡± she says, pointing out a circle. ¡°You Attune glass to manipulate it, yes?¡±

    ¡°I do.¡±

    She nods. ¡°This spell, like an Attunement, can manipulate the structure of any glass in its area. But that¡¯s not enough to make it strong; you need a deeper understanding for that. Material composition, shape, and internal structure. Without an understanding of composition, you start with subpar material. Without applying knowledge and intent, the structure will be weak.¡± She taps her forge with a claw. ¡°I will teach you.¡±

    I brighten. ¡°Thank you. That would be great! What can I¡ª¡±

    ¡°Sit.¡± She points to a bench near her work table.

    I sit.

    ¡°Watch.¡±

    I watch.

    ¡°No questions. First: listen.¡± Caecius brings out several jars of ground up glass, and several more jars of something that doesn¡¯t appear to be glass at all. She sets them down and lays out several tools. Then she begins to explain. I listen.