CHAPTER 5: RINGS OF BLOOD
PART 1 OF 2
One man sat on the wagon with the horse's reins held slackly. Four men walked alongside the wagon, armed with swords. The Auras of the armed men gave off a self assuredness and a restrained promise of violence, marking them as experienced warriors. Caleb’s Aura was strong and friendly, but cautious, like he was guarding his feelings. Lucas was astounded again at the expressiveness of human Auras. They were so different to monsters, although he figured he was probably attuned to understanding them better, being a human himself.
Caleb was studying him with a puzzled expression while they walked, and when their eyes met Caleb smiled.
“Tell me young friend, how did you end up here? And how did you survive in this place with nothing but the clothes on your back?”
Lucas realised he looked like he had no possessions with his gear stored in his inventory, something that implied not everyone had an inventory. On instinct he decided not to reveal it. If he wanted to, he could show them later.
“No, I haven't been out here long. I actually have no idea where I am, or how I got here.”
Caleb’s brow furrowed and his eyes unfocused a little, Lucas realised Caleb was studying his Aura.
“Well you must be able to fight or the creatures around here would have torn you apart. I don't see any weapons on you,” Caleb said.
“Hiding was a bigger part of it than fighting,” Lucas replied.
Caleb nodded as if to himself, still studying Lucas’s Aura as they walked. After a moment he stopped, went back to one of the horse’s saddle bags, and took a waterskin out.
“There you go lad, you can keep that,” he said as he tossed it to Lucas.
“Thanks, but I don't have a place to put it,” Lucas lied. “Can I leave it with you?”
“Ah of course,” he said with a casual smile and kept walking. Lucas went over to the saddle bags and peered in as he replaced the water skin. Inside were more leather straps with nails, rope, metal tools and various other convenient looking things.
Lucas went quiet as they continued down the road, feeling like he had missed something about that last exchange, but he had too many questions that needed answers.
“So where are we headed?”
Caleb gestured down the road. “Oh we have a little settlement a few days south. It's a humble home but there’ll be a bed and a spot by the fire for you.”
“And what’s back up that way?” Lucas said, gesturing where they had come from.
“The Old Road stretches for many days travel, eventually you’d reach the outskirts of Votterdam, and the sea beyond that.” Caleb’s eyes scanned the forest either side of the road as he talked.
“We head up that way to trade now and then. So where do you come from lad? Have any family that might be looking for you?”
“Well... yea, I have a feeling they are very far away though,” Lucas said quietly, feeling a pang of guilt. After a moment he sighed and continued;
“I don’t know Caleb. I just woke up in that forest, cold and naked and have spent the last couple days struggling to survive with absolutely no idea what's going on. I just stumbled out to the road here, narrowly avoiding being cut open, impaled and beaten to death along the way. That's really the limit of my experience.”
“So you were born yesterday then?” Caleb said, laughing.
Lucas rubbed the back of his head and chuckled
“Yea I guess you could say that.”
Lucas watched the cobble stones pass underfoot, feeling the anxiety of the past few days dripping off him now that he wasn't alone anymore. Still desperately lacking context for his new world, Lucas continued questioning.
“So, what does a Nexus do?” Lucas asked, prompting a quizzical look from Caleb.
“An odd question to be sure, but to be expected I suppose, from someone a day old.” He grinned, but then noticed the earnest look on Lucas’s face and continued.
“Ah, well. I’m no scholar you understand, but as I know it a Nexus is like a record, or an imprint of some use of Mana. It allows another person to pick it up and mimic whatever the Nexus formed around. Perhaps… say, a famous healer dies, he might leave a Nexus behind so that others can still benefit from his skill after he is gone.”
“Uhuh, and does it last forever?”
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“Well no, it will change over time. If a lot of people use a Nexus their Mana makes it messy and eventually useless, or it fades away if nobody uses it at all.”
“Right, cool. And um, how can I get my hands on some healing potions?” Lucas continued, barely pausing.
“You sure are full of questions lad. Let me ask you something. Have you anything you can use to fight? It’s dangerous out here, as you well know.”
“Ah, no, not really, sorry.”
“Mhm, I see,” Caleb said, rubbing his stubble.
After that Caleb became thoughtful. Lucas was still burning with questions but stayed quiet. He didn't want to be pushy. In Lucas’s experience people were more open if he was patient than if he bombarded them with questions non-stop. Caleb was clearly considering something when he spoke up again. His Aura had a careful and controlled feel.
“Lad, If anything comes out of the forest we all need to be able to defend ourselves. You’ve no weapons right? I’ll lend you something you can use for now.”
“Ahh yea, that would be good,” Lucas said, slightly sheepishly, still not wanting to reveal his hidden inventory.
Caleb was looking over Lucas’s Aura as he spoke, nodding to himself. He stopped in his tracks, motioning for Lucas to do the same. He then reached over his shoulder and slid two nails out of a leather strap, they were a handspan long with flat heads. As he approached his Aura took on a suspenseful energy that put Lucas on guard. He held out a nail in each hand towards Lucas, then grinned.
A field of buzzing energy enveloped Caleb’s Aura and his eyes suddenly hardened. The nails shot out of his hands faster than Lucas could follow. He looked down to see two flat steel circles, like coins on his feet.
‘No no no...’ a voice in Lucas’s head was repeating. Little rings of blood formed around the nail heads. Pain overwhelmed shock when he tried to move, his feet pinned solidly to the cobbles. Screaming, he fell backwards, refusing to believe what he was seeing.
Caleb was a couple metres away. He squatted down so he was eye level with Lucas, watching him intently as his sword drew itself and laid flat on the ground between them. It was double edged and pointed on both ends, a single piece of steel deadly from every angle.
Lucas glared at him. “Why! what are you doing?”
Caleb just watched, not replying. Then pointed to his feet and said casually;
“Are you going to do anything about that? Looks uncomfortable.”
Lucas yelled “Take them out! What do you want from me? I don't have anything!”
Caleb was silent for another second, then scoffed.
“Your Aura is radiating with deception and yet you really expect me to believe these childish lies? Do you think me blind? Is that it?”
He shook his head in disbelief. The wagon had stopped and the four guards had walked up to watch.
“I don't know what you are, or where you come from,” Caleb continued.
“The only thing that’s clear is that you are weak, but that's all that really matters. Whatever you are, you’re mine now.”
He had the same smile as always on his face, but Lucas saw now that there had never been any kindness in it. Lucas Analysed him.
[https://i.imgur.com/OowebnL.jpg]
The moment Lucas used Analyse Caleb froze with a shocked expression on his face, quickly replaced by a guarded one as if he was waiting to see what comes next. Lucas was cursing himself. He had been so eager to talk to someone that he had let his guard down completely.
Caleb moved a little closer and Lucas stood, careful not to shift his feet.
“Not going to do anything about it, ey? How about if I do this...”
With a small hand gesture two more large nails levitated over to Lucas, sunk an inch into the flesh of his thighs and began to twist around. The pain was unbearable. Anger and desperation boiled over and Lucas swung a punch at Caleb. Mid swing he willed a Porcupine Quill into his hand, which he gripped tightly, and changed from a punch to a thrust at Caleb's chest. There was a bright flash of steel Lucas barely saw, the tip of the Quill was spinning away through the air and Caleb's sword hovered between them.
Caleb stepped out of reach, shocked amusement on his face as he brushed his hair back.
“That was pretty close. If I’d not been waiting for you to try something you might have skewered me with that little surprise.”
His Aura lit up with satisfaction as he withdrew the nails from Lucas’s thighs. Lucas’s heart sank, suddenly realising Caleb had been baiting him.
“What was that!?” One of the guards asked with shock on his face.
“That, I’d say, was dimension magic. He’s hiding his gear in some kind of bent space,” said Caleb.
“You mean like the old stories? Like Rorik the Wise and that. Sounds a bit far-fetched doesn't it?” Said another guard.
“Sounds like a damned lot o’ coin, that's what it sounds like,” Caleb retorted.
The first guard whistled while the second nodded slowly at Lucas with a wide grin on his face. All their Auras glowed with greed.
“Should we stick ‘im then? See if he drops a Nexus?” one asked.
“No no. If he doesn't drop it we get nothing. Someone will pay for him alive just for the chance to get it. Hells, someone might be willing to train it first, increase its power.” The guards were nodding along, clearly impressed by their leader's foresight.
“At the very least we will get him to empty out whatever he has hidden in there, might be some other interesting surprises. We can put him to work with the others while we fish for a buyer.”