Contrary to what most would think, after her argument with Anise, Janet wasn’t angry. The topic had been a sore one ever since she’d taken the girl in and had come up enough that everything that could be said, had been. Rather the situation as a whole was what annoyed her. The boy was the main issue, call it intuition or experience, but Janet could tell the kid was different. When you got to her age, different often meant an issue or an opportunity. With his story being what it was, she was leaning toward the former.
The whole thing reeked of the system fuckery, and one thing Janet hated was being in the system's crosshairs. She wondered what Leonis could see in him, and how Alex’s presence affected the world around him. It was unlikely since he could at range since he hadn’t moved on the boy, but if they were close, it’d probably be easy. Janet reasoned that if she’d just happened to catch Alex on the street, she might have taken a similar stance, ending the problem at the root. It would have been a bit more bloodthirsty than she preferred, but the city, Kingdom really, sat on an unstable knife’s edge of peace, and she’d done worse to maintain it.
Now, it didn’t really matter since that idiotic contract Anise had agreed to stopped her from doing anything of the sort, even after the girl’s debt was repaid. If that was all, Janet reasoned she could still have managed to end him in an indirect enough way. However, instead of gold he’d asked for help, and by the time the contract was seen as complete, it’d likely be too late. So now she was set in helping, right side of history and all that, which was the cause of Janet second issue, seeing her former disciple.
They’d fallen out a few times over the years, but the one around when Anise’s mother died had been the worst. Initially the events weren’t directly related, but the part he had played soured their relationship beyond repair. So, when he was the kid's best option for leveling without drawing too much attention, Janet loathed the visit. The conversation that morning was just forcing her to relive more unpleasant memories, which only added to her annoyance; especially after Ralph had made her fight to acquire his help. But Janet was a grown woman, beyond grown really, and by the time she removed herself from the situation, she’d accepted all of that moved on.
Then came the final annoyance, knowing she was being thrown back on babysitting duty, since, unlike her, Anise was anything but a grown woman. Rather Janet classified her as emotionally unstable with mommy issues and misplaced loyalties to boot. She would want to spend the day crying, and processing what had happened, which would be the same as she’d been doing for the last two, even if the reasons now differed. Janet chuckled at the thoughts, maybe she wasn’t as over it as she mentally claimed.
Either way, going in person wasn’t in the cards. According to… herself, she was still recovering after having to use a couple of her more powerful abilities on Dorothea. With the girl improving as fast as she was, the alternative would have been losing. Janet knew she would be another annoyance in a few decades depending on how things went, but that potential problem could wait for later. Summoning a clone of herself via her most useful skill, Janet sent it to watch Alex before laying her head on the griffon feather pillow, letting sleep claim her. At her level the hours she’d gotten the night before had been plenty, but even levels couldn’t fix laziness.
As Janet 3, as she designated herself, came into existence she looked at the drifting form of the original and sighed. If she didn’t waste so much time, or keep the room so dark, she’d be halfway through D-Grade by now. Though she supposed there was a valid reason for the latter. Harnessing the essence of her combat class’s namesake, Janet 3 cloaked herself in shadow before moving herself under the crack in the door.
It was early, but the people of the house knew of her affinity to the shade, if not the intricacies of her ability, meaning there were always enough shadows for her to move about the common spaces freely. Throwing herself into a corner of the main sitting room, Janet 3 had to suppress a chuckle as she watched the boy give Alex what had to be deliberately misleading directions. She almost wanted to help, but letting the situation play out seemed like it would be more fun, watching was what she’d been made to after all.
As much as she could complain about the original, they were the exact same person up until their split. If anything, Janet 3 was even worse. Knowing life was temporary, even if hard-coded into your essence to be acceptable, led to a person caring less about the consequences of their actions. For this copy that looked like using semantics to dodge responsibility and enhance entertainment.
Following Alex through the streets was child’s play with her skills. The stumbling around he did for the first few minutes was expectedly enjoyable to watch and only served to make her job easier. Janet 3 had planned on revealing herself then, but when the boy had a panic attack almost immediately after reaching a main road, even the temporary Janet felt it would have been a bad time to interfere directly.
‘Plus, one to the legitimacy of his story,’ she supposed.
Instead, Janet 3 made a smaller body of shadow, and sent it his way. Her abilities were greatly limited by the minuscule energy the original had granted her, but she was as much a part of the shadows as anything could be, so forming some of them into a small dog was nothing. The food the shadow creature returned with a few minutes later was only a bonus. On top of being tired, the original was perpetually hungry which meant the clone was also hungry. Normally it’d be a waste to satiate that desire but if the food was free…
When Alex went into the Cartographer’s shop Janet 3 figured she’d meet him on the way out. There were but so many things a mapmaker could talk about and when he left, she could bump into him like she’d been searching the entire time. Until then, she had the shop’s wards to occupy their time. They were surprisingly strong with few mistakes in their formation, making the methodical manipulation she had to perform to circumvent them ten times more interesting than properly babysitting. The original had never been to the store, suggesting it likely wasn’t that impressive, but it was obvious they didn’t cheap out on security.
When the clone had completely bypassed the shop's defenses, she was distraught to find they were still talking about maps, and in extreme depth. Once, Alex finally left the Cartography shop Janet 3 kept watching. Based on his purchases, it seemed the original had underestimated the amount he’d won the night before. She had been too busy to watch him after finishing the potion, but either the boy was obsessed with maps, or he had gold to burn. She was sure all trackers were gone, but if it was several thousand gold, she doubted the people looking for it were.
Janet 3 didn’t care about the money specifically, the original had her own fortune, and she didn’t owe Ralph anything after the stunt he’d pulled. It could, however, make protecting him much more difficult. Taking a few moments to form a stable body of shadow, the clone sent a message to the original. The action would permanently decrease her power, but the bird would remain even if she was destroyed, so the trade of information was always worth it.
Rising from his seat Alex began moving toward Cindel, and Janet 3 followed. As he walked Alex started using some sensory skill with the precision of a hammer on glass. It was so clumsy though even when she was within range, the ability had no chance of detecting her. With how heavy-handed he was Janet wouldn’t have been surprised if someone attacked him in retaliation. Eventually there was a close call, but when the boy noticed his mistake, he started moving with such nervous ferocity, Janet 3 laughed from the rooftop she was perched on.
Then Alex went clothes shopping, and Janet occupied her time by playing with the wards that surrounded Cindel. They were of masterwork class in comparison to the ones she’d broken through earlier, but she knew the original could get through them if necessary. The real issue was the person watching them. Alex excited the store over a half an hour later wearing some new clothes, and they were once again off.
Entering the city’s most expensive district, Janet 3 was forced to forgo her invisibility. Lacking the full capabilities of the original, staying camouflaged while under the district’s wards would have been more than she could handle. It wasn’t like she needed it with Alex lack of awareness, so she stuck one block behind and continued to tail him. Back in the cartographer’s he’d asked about the library but based on his path Janet 3 doubted it would be the central one. That was for the best, since he was the kid was more likely to die there than in the Forest. Even without help, it seemed the boy had a good head on his shoulders.
The pastries Alex bought only served to make Janet 3 hungrier, and she siphoned a couple from the bakeries stores, careful to leave the wards intact as she followed him with her sensory skill. When he arrived at the chosen satellite library Janet 3 knew there was going to be an issue. She had long been banned from all the city’s public facilities outright, but few were willing or able to enforce that restriction. Unfortunately for her, the man who was waiting to interview her charge was one such person.
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Rather than cause a scene as she usually would, Janet 3 decided to walk through the front door after Alex was passed off to some other lackey. Directing her meager aura in to a condensed shape, she sent a weak pulse directly toward the old man. His robed form appeared in front of her a second later.
“I was on guard for a moment,” Solomon said as he looked her over.
“I could tell, you even forwent the theatrics.” Janet 3 said, cutting off the rest of his statement.
“But,” he continued as ignoring her input, “if I had to guess based on the weak aura, you’re only a messenger. I’d hope you’re not here to do something untoward.” His voice strained as he stretched. “Though destroying you would be an enjoyable to break this stagnant rhythm. If you came in person things could really heat up.”
It was funny, how people assumed she had contact with the original, though Janet never been one to dissuade misinformation about her abilities. Janet 3 wondered if her and all the other clones would just die on the spot if not for the misconception, or if they’d be even safer without it. Now it didn’t matter since despite his words, Solomon had no plans to attack her unprovoked.
“Just here to talk, catch up with an old friend. Maybe debate my sentence, I have been truly bored without being able to read books.
“Then buy them,” Solomon replied deadpan.
“But getting them for free is so much more fun.”
“Still playing the part of the teen I see. Figured you’d have grown bored with that by now. Come, we can talk in my office.”
“If you knew what this teen body could do, maybe you’d respect it more.”
The older man chuckled but didn’t rise to the bait and Janet 3 followed as she spread her senses throughout the building. Alex would be safe enough here, but now that she’d been watching him, she was curious on what he’d decide to research.
As they finished discussing the past and were moving toward the future, Janet 3 felt a surge of aura. Without hesitation Solomon disappeared from where he sat. Deciding to hang back, she readied a path through the shadows to defend him if necessary. Janet 3 would rather not act, but the original had committed to this path and if her hand was forced, she was confident in getting the kid out if nothing else. Luckily it turned out to be unnecessary, Alex retracting his aura immediately when challenged by the librarian.
It made sense, even with whatever skill he’d earned the night before, the kid was nowhere close to the solidity of Solomon’s aura, though she wondered what happened to make him exert himself so. It might not have been anything to write home about, but the aura had held depth. Enough to make her think he was at least E grade, even when she was sure he was still below level twenty-five.
As she followed the kid toward the gate Janet 3 took a guess at where Alex was heading. Pulling up her status screen she navigated to her muted notifications and found what she suspected, though the quest didn’t entirely explain his reaction. She again considered confronting him but didn’t. Instead, she watched as he waited in line, walked out the gate, and ultimately began fighting. There was something here, and Janet 3 wanted to know. With the kid as likely to tell her as to not she resigned to continuing her impromptu spying session. If his life was ever in real danger, she was still confident in pulling him away from a few beasts, until then the copy see what she could learn.
Alex’s first charge amused her, the immediate retreat that followed made Janet 3 burst out into laughter. A few of the soldiers at the wall glanced in her direction, but to them, she’d be invisible and the sound faint at best. The bleed skill he had interested her, both for the way it liberally covered Alex body in gore, and its similarities to the one she’d had many years ago. The path of blood had never been her favorite, but it was interesting that he’d picked a class similar to the one her own had evolved from. Coincidence or not she wasn’t sure, but like the original she couldn’t rule out the system's intervention.
His movements on the battlefield were sloppy at best, further confirming he was untrained. As the last jarkin died Janet figured it was time to go explain the situation to him, even if she hadn't learned anything new. It was surprising, impressive even, he’d managed to deal with the babies so well at his level, but now the real threats would start appearing, threats Alex wouldn’t be able to handle. Instead, she was once again stopped, this time by a person who volunteered to babysit the kid for her.
Janet had never seen the man before, and based on the kindness she guessed he wasn’t from the city. Probably a group of travelers who just happened to be helping, still Janet 3 kept aware. There were much fewer shadows in the clearing, but it was still early. The sun was tilted, and while not ideal, a person’s shadow was as usable as any other. She wouldn’t be able to appear in many of the fighter’s shadows, but the kid obviously didn't know the power one could hold. So, she continued to wait.
Janet 3 wished she had some popcorn as the jarkin entered the clearing. With the big man protecting him Alex should be fine, but the way he put the kid into situations he clearly wasn’t cut out for was amusing. Still Janet wondered why the boy was here. The arena wasn’t much better, but it was safer, even with the chances for sabotage. Maybe he was just worried about being tracked, though that didn’t explain his use of aura back at the library.
The first fight went well. As expected, Alex was doing nearly nothing in terms of damage, but Jamie had obviously trained people before. He let Alex experience real combat while never being in too much danger. At least until the boy failed to learn his lesson and was pelted across the ground for his mistake. Luckily for him the healer was the was ready, repairing his wounds by the time his body stopped skipping.
Their team was good. Easily high E grade, if still a bit away from advancement. She was done within seconds, compared to their tank Alex’s health was much lower than what she was used to healing. Unlike the stunned shock a brush with death might incite in newer fighters Janet 3 was surprised to see the boy back on his feet as soon as he was called. She sent a sliver of consciousness hopping towards Alex’s shadow and got a better look at him. His face was a mask of determination. While it was something Janet never had, her advancement more a combination of luck and circumstance, she’d seen it before. She’d seen it get people killed.
Pushing away the unwelcome thoughts, Janet 3 gasped as the Jarking began to appear. It was too early for a boss, and during the same push as a Jarkin no less. She wondered if the King had made a new deal. It was always a bad sign when powerful people changed from their regular pattern, but that would be something for the original to deal with. She summoned another bird of shadow and permanently imbued it with more of the energy she’d been granted. That would further lower her power, but it was important information.
Watching the kid fight the Jarking was more of what she expected. Someone completely out of their league, having little effect on the battle as a whole. The group continued to protect him, and the bleed his blades inflicted seemed enough to offset the party difference somewhat.
Listening in to his conversation, as she had all the others before, Janet 3 finally got what she was looking for some of what she’d been looking for. Alex said he had to fight, she wondered if it was really a quest as he said or something to do with the people who took him. That seemed unlikely since the original hadn’t found anything magical on or in the boy when she’d searched him. It could be a bigger conspiracy, but one that she hadn’t heard of would be rare. It was odd, but there wasn't much to do about it now. If the kid was going to fight solo, she would definitely have to move soon.
Janet 3 was about to send another message to the original when the fight started, but she forgot about her task as Alex’s opening strike drew her attention to him instead. Janet had seen some of it yesterday, but with the beast weakened as it was, she discounted it as anything but luck. Looking at him now the clone was sure, the kid was a natural. Unmolded potential, she corrected herself as he immediately walked into an easily dodgeable strike. His movements spoke of an unrelated practice, but Janet 3 was sure he hadn’t been blooded before the prior night.
She continued watching, now invested to the point she didn’t want to interfere unless absolutely necessary. Her patience paid off as counter to expectations, he didn’t immediately crumble from the injury. Instead, continuing to fight. His single arm doing the work of two against a beast double his level. She wondered why he didn’t call for a heal, but when he finally did, voice nearly desperate, she realized it was because he hadn’t thought to.
Janet 3 saw it then, another twintail was headed for him. She knew he had some ability similar to her sight, but she wondered if he could see the beast. Deciding to only help slightly rather than directly interfere, she sent his voice through her shadows to a nearby healer. The younger man was obviously lower leveled than the woman had been, but he had the skill necessary to heal him and begun almost immediately after spotting his target.
Still, it wouldn’t be fast enough to finish before the panther reached him, so Janet 3 watched for what the boy would do, a wide grin across her face. Like she’d suspected Alex had seen the panther and his answering maneuver was impressive enough. Rather than make his retreat obvious Alex had angled his back to the charging panther in a way that it would collide with the injured one when he moved. He continued to heal while they separated, and managed to finish the injured one off shortly after.
But twintails were pack hunters and another was already on its way. Janet 3 looked on eagerly to see how he would deal with this one, another collision, or something new. She had become used to Alex managing to squeeze his way out of situations with a bit of work so while the beast’s attack landed, and it began tearing at his leg, Janet was slow to move. When the now third twintail joined the fight and the boy was thrown away like a bag of rocks, she realized it was actually time to intervene.
Dropping from her perch Janet 3 began to fall towards the ground. Rather than landing on the grass she stretched the shadows, of a nearby tent creating a puddle she could fall into. Making a quick stop at the guard's supply crates, she grabbed a couple potions before moving though the shadows of a few of the weaker fighters. Once in range she expanded Alex’s shadow, giving herself enough room to emerge from it. Dumping one of the E grade potions on his head, she entered the fight.