Thump.

Selerim stirred at the sound of someone knocking, but it was distant; muddied by the haze of sleep.

Nyx, on the other hand, woke immediately, her sharp talons puncturing his thin clothing and digging into the skin below.

That, of course, woke him immediately.

Selerim hissed— and then bit his tongue, hoping whoever was on the other side hadn’t heard the commotion. He panicked for a moment as the unfamiliar ceiling came into view, then relaxed at yesterday’s recollection.

“Easy, girl,” he whispered, sitting up and gathering her in his arms. The duskwing trembled against him, only relaxing a moment later.

In many ways, his Wyrd now more wary of his new companions than he. She could understand emotions and actions, but not words.

Standing up, Selerim pressed his head to Nyx’s for a brief moment before setting her back down on the bed. He reached for his mask— and then hesitated.

For the briefest of moments, he considered going without it. Even this short time with the others was proof enough of their integrity. He didn’t truly know them— that would come later— but he knew enough.

With a sigh, he pulled the mask’s hood over his head.

Veile was right— no matter how little he trusted her. There were more things at stake here than just himself. His mother and sister were still back in the human city— and their connection to each other was obvious.

Selerim felt a trickle of guilt. The others accepted him with open arms; and, seemingly, had decided not to pry into his background any further. He was thankful for that.

Opening the door revealed Tasha. She held a plate in both hands; something from Rase, no doubt.

“Here.” She offered it to him. Atop was another cut of meat, larger this time, and a dab of sauce. “You ate this quickly last time. So Rase made it again.”

Selerim took it. “Is this alright?” he asked hesitantly.

Tasha tilted her head quizzically. “Why wouldn’t it be?”

“I have my own food,” he answered quietly. “And this kind of meal is a luxury for people like us.”

“You gave us your Hearts and pelts.”

“… I didn’t expect anything in return.”

“Neither do we. Food is important. So eat. Come join us when you’re done.” Tasha continued as he accepted the plate. “The merchants will be done soon. Suli doesn’t like wasting time.” And she walked off without another word.

It took Selerim a moment to process that. Out of the others, she confused him the most. That in itself was a slight contradiction, considering Tasha was the most straightforward of them.

Closing the door, he smiled as Nyx’s head perked up— no doubt at the smell of food. Her ebony form flickered, appearing on his shoulder a moment later.

With a soft chuckle, Selerim pulled his mask off and tore a chunk of meat away, dipping it in the sauce before offering it to his Wyrd. She sniffed it first, apparently curious about this new scent, then snapped it up.

The duskwing fluffed her feathers in content after two more pieces.

Selerim ate quickly. The sauce, though just as rich and savory as before, had a hint of spice to it. It surprised him at first, but the meal was no less enjoyable than the last.

I wonder if I’ll have time to look around.

He was curious about this place. It was more similar to Cress in more ways than the human city, but only just; it was still brighter here than the rest of Umbra, and he was certain it housed less people.

But it was impossible not to be curious. The elven kingdom, by comparison, was far grander— though this was more familiar.

Replacing his mask, Selerim threw his cloak over his shoulders before stowing the few belongings he had in his pack. Nyx vanished as the pitch-black fabric bore down on her.

I should get something warmer.

The cold seemed a non-issue after his Feast, but it was better to avoid suspicion. The others were still dressed lightly, save for Naru, but they, too, had donned heavier cloaks.

Opening the door, he stepped out into the hallway. He was on the second floor, at the very end of the inn. It took only a few minutes to step down to the first floor. As soon as Selerim’s foot reached the last step—

“Over here.”

— Suli’s voice, quiet but firm, called out to him.

It took him a moment to find her. She and the others were seated by a small, round table set near the main entrance.

“The merchants are almost done,” the mage said as he walked up. “It’ll still take some time, though. They have to be meticulous.”

Selerim nodded. “Is there… enough time for me to look around?”

“If you want to.”

He could feel her curiosity bleeding through those four words. He had, after all, claimed to be from somewhere far away. That it was a village like this one seemed a reasonable assumption.

“Wait,” Suli called out as he made for the door.

Selerim turned around just in time to see the mage finish the last of her food.

“I’ll go with you. The people here might worry if there’s someone with a mask walking around.”

“… Alright.”

image [https://i.imgur.com/T7fdvjj.png]

“What do you know about magic?”

Gwyn blinked at the unexpected question. “Nothing.” That was the honest truth; none of her kind knew anything about magic. It was something completely removed from her kind. “Why?”

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Varus smiled wryly. “I’m trying to decide how to best go about this.”

“About what?”

“Your mother told you about my offer?”

She nodded. “A military program.”

“Correct. I believe your kind’s physical attributes are qualification enough, but I suspect you have some desire for power, no?”

Gwyn closed her eyes. The answer to his question was yes, but it was much more complicated. “I want to help my brother,” she finally answered. “I will always be grateful for him, but… but sometimes I feel like a burden.

“I know he’s never thought of me like that,” she continued hurriedly, “but that doesn’t change how I feel. I… I want to be strong enough to help him. To stand by him. Not just… be protected.” There wasn’t a hint of embarrassment in her words, for there was no reason to be.”

“An admirable goal,” Varus said. “Although I’m not sure you’ll ever match your brother in strength. He seems to be… an outlier.”

She laughed at that. “He is,” she said with no small amount of pride. “After a while, even the adults had trouble with him.”

“I see.”

“Why do you ask? About magic, I mean.”

Varus reached for a sheaf of papers on his desk. “I’ve been reading about cases like yours. They’re rare, but they exist. And every single one of them references some form of magic.”

“What kind?”

He sighed. “Frankly, I have no idea. It’s been quite some time since the last hollow with your… unique disposition appeared, and the records of those times are spotty at best.”

“Then why bring it up?”

“There may be a way to force an awakening.”

“Awakening?” Gwyn had heard that word before, but never in this context.

Varus nodded. “Aside from your kind, everyone carries essence inside their bodies. That’s ultimately why Umbra is deadly to us. But not everyone can impress their will onto it.” Another sigh. “No one truly knows what leads to an awakening. There are theories, of course, but no real answers.”

“… But you said you could force one.”

“I believe I may be able to. As I said, your disposition is rather… unique. That leaves some open possibilities.”

“Is it dangerous?”

“It could be.’

“I still want to try.” There was no real reason to hesitate. The world itself was dangerous.

Varus’ wry smile returned. “I’ll need your family’s permission beforehand.”

“Selerim’s, too?”

He nodded. “Your brother is… rather protective of you both. Understandably so.”

Gwyn sighed. Her brother could be too protective sometimes. “I’ll talk to him when he gets back.”

“Very well. In the meantime…” the doctor reached for another sheaf of paper. “You should read this.”

“What is it?”

“Information about the program. I’m more than happy to write a letter of application in your place, but your decision should be an informed one.”

“I doubt it will change my answer.”

“Even so.”

image [https://i.imgur.com/T7fdvjj.png]

Suli watched Ember from the corner of her eye. Though used to his mask by now, it was still difficult to tell where he was looking. Only the smallest side-to-side movements of his head were proof of his curiosity.

That curiosity, in turn, had reignited her own. He claimed to be far away, and though there was no real reason to doubt his words, she’d assumed his origin was someplace like this.

Stop, she chided herself. You came to keep the villagers from getting scared. That’s all. The village itself had hardly changed since Suli’s last visit 8 months ago. If anything, there were fewer people than before.

“What is that?”

The sound of Ember’s muffled voice interrupted her thoughts.

“What is what?”

“That.” He raised his right hand, pointing towards the nearby mine. It was little more than a staircase dug into the ground itself, marked by a small structure over its entrance.

“A mine. There’s more all over the village.”

“I see.”

They walked in silence for a few more minutes.

“If you have any questions, just ask them,” Ember suddenly said. “I just might not answer them.”

“What do you mean?”

“You look curious.”

Suli felt her face redden ever so slightly. “Can you blame me?”

“No.”

For some reason, that answer made her burst out laughing.

“What?” The masked man asked, a tone of slight irritation creeping into his voice.

“Nothing,” Suli gasped out in between laughs. “It’s just… you’re a walking contradiction.”

He fell silent.

“Sorry,” Suli apologized after calming herself. “I don’t know why I found that so funny.” She paused. “Are… are you sure?”

“I might not answer,” he repeated.

“I won’t expect any.” It took her a moment to voice the first question. “Why the mask?” That was the most obvious one.

Ember took a moment to answer. “It’s… just a precaution.”

Suli nodded. That answer was believable. As much as the Guild clamped down on it, foul play was common— not that they ever got away with it.

Still.

Some temptations were simply too great.

“Are you ever going to take it off around us?”

Ember stopped walking.

“Sorry,” Suli said, realizing her mistake. “I shouldn’t have asked that.”

He shook his head after a moment of silence. “No,” he said quietly, “it’s fine. I get it. I would also be curious… and wary.” His body shook, and she heard the muffled sound of his deep breath.

“As for your question… not now.”

“Then…?”

He nodded. “Eventually.”

“I see.” Suli pondered that for a moment. “You don’t trust us, do you?”

If it was possible for a faceless mask to look guilty, his certainly did. “I…”

“It’s fine,” she said, mirroring both his words and sentiment. “Trust is hard in this line of work. And…” the mage trailed off for a moment. “Cold and distant as you are, I can tell you’re trying. You’ve already opened up more than I expected. That’s all I can really ask. I was distrustful when we first met— as were the others.”

“But you’re the leader.”

Suli nodded once. “It … made the most sense. Rase, for all his linguistic talent, is no leader. Neither is Naru. And Tasha is just…”

“Too young.”

“Exactly.”

She took a deep breath, trying to ignore the emotions that came with her distant memories. “My family started training me when I was little. Not for anything like this,” Suli swept one arm across the village. “But I know how to deal with others better than they do. And they listen to me when it really matters. It’s not hard, all things considered.”

“So the person you replaced—”

Suli nodded. “Lorel. He was the previous leader. Much better than me. I didn’t know him for long, all things considered, but… I miss him.”

Ember’s body seemed to tense, but she knew there was no danger.

“… Don’t force yourself,” she said after another deep breath. “We can tell you’re trying. That’s all we can really ask. Everyone out here is running from something, in one way or another.”

He fell silent at that.

Suli glanced skyward. Even through the haze of Umbra, she could see the sun up above. “We should get going. The others will be waiting.”