Commander Rea stood ramrod straight as she addressed those gathered in the room. “Let’s cut straight to business. Our situation is dire. As a result, you have been brought to an emergency meeting with the King and Queen. You’ve all been chosen because you’ve demonstrated extraordinary capability defending civilians. We see in you the potential to become Heroes.”
A loud groan issued from one of those seated. Rick clutched his head, some white bandages on his forehead and partially visible underneath his dark blue cross outfit. “What’s in it for us?”
Rea cleared her throat. Sitting in one of the chairs beside her, King Malgus gave Rick a hard stare. The young adventurer hastily avoided his eyes. “I, uh, meant no offense, King Malgus. A little woozy right now. No rest for the brave, eh?” He attempted a grin at Queen Isandril who sat next to the king. Rea was pleased to see the brown-haired woman did not even bat an eye. The commander kept her own face expressionless.
This one gave Rea bad vibes. Wasn’t certain why—maybe the bloodstains on his oversized sword. Still, formality demanded she acknowledge him with a short nod. “Rick Walsh. Defender at Cambri. Let me explain. We wish this select group of adventurers to lead diverse teams and aid the non-Anima citizens. You will go on missions which will stop our most visible threats, and send the results over media to our citizens.”
“PR stunt,” one of the other attendees grunted. He was covered almost entirely in chrome black armor. His face was covered in a helmet, giving his voice a deep echo. “Is it wise?”
His partner, with ears like a tiger, folded her strong arms.
Rea gave him a nod. “Jared Kayden. Defender at Ashton. We are open to any other suggestions you may have. Right now, our focus is on eliminating the most high-risk and violent criminals and monsters, while reassuring the people. This does both.”
Charlotte whispered to her partner as her eyes darted around the room of adventurers. There were about fifty seated pairs. “Wow, Rick, you’re so strong! You hit that traitor so hard you knocked yourself out, and now the royal family’s inviting us! This could be our chance!” She was almost ready to spring into the air but restrained herself in the presence of the king and queen.
“Yeah—right. That’s what happened. Hush now.” Rick furrowed his eyebrows, puzzled, but chose not to talk more about that yet.
Next to Rick and Charlotte, a woman in purple robes fidgeted with her scepter. Her white bunny ears twitched as she gazed with a nervous expression at the seated members of the royal family. She had seen them in the media, sure, but glimpsing them face to face was another matter entirely. All four rulers were here, which meant this was really important.
King Malgus was dressed for battle, in shining gold armor the color of his crown with a sword and shield. Next to him was Queen Isandril, her enchanted red dress contrasting with her brown hair and a silver blade. The bunny woman glimpsed a surprising amount of minute repairs done on the fabric and metal. She could tell the outfits had seen use in the field.
Beside the Queen was her partner Gamor, a lion man with long blond hair wearing black metal coverings like a knight’s. His name came from an ancient tongue and meant “armor”, which fit his stoic face. Last was a black-haired woman with the large purple wings, horns, and tail of a great dragon. Puri usually had a kind expression on her face but even she was quite somber.
The Anima were quite in their rights to lead the conversation themselves, but they seemed fine with letting their partners take the spotlight. To speak of Queen Isandril was to speak of Gamor the First, and vice versa. The same custom was followed for King Malgus and Puri.
Queen Isandril spoke. “Of course, we will also reward you for the work you have already done. Each of you have received the bounty reward for completion of targets. In addition, we have bestowed upon each of you a Title for protecting one of our cities. On behalf of our citizens there, you have our deepest gratitude.”
There was a soft ping from the adventurers’ phones in confirmation of this. The bunny woman glanced at her red one. There was a colorful badge of a green leaf bud icon outlined in gold. Defender of Larush.
She felt a lump in her throat. A Title. Not just any, but one given straight by the royal family. This was one of those moments she had dreamed of all her life, and yet the reality was far different. She should have been filled with pride, but she had only emptiness and a deep ache. She wished, more than anything, that it had the name of another city on it. The one her cousins had been at. Heck, she would have traded the badge in an instant if it meant she could go back in time and redo her steps again.
Rick called out. “If you make me a Hero, I’ll do it.”
The others swiveled their heads towards the young man. The bunny woman was stunned. Even she wasn’t that forward.
Rea’s posture tightened ever so slightly. “Let me point out that, though you show promise, you still have much to prove. Per tradition, only those around the top-1000 ranked adventurers are given the role of Hero. You must also hold sufficient and worthy Titles and accomplishments. Following custom, you must be selected by the people themselves in majority vote as one of the candidates to be approved by the King and Queen.”
Rick’s smile faltered.
“That is not to say we do not make exceptions,” the King added. “There have been cases throughout history. In difficult times like these, it is unwise to adhere rigidly to rules. However, they are just that—exceptions.”
The Queen picked up the thread. “If you do accept this challenge, I want to assure you there will be benefits. You will receive positive coverage in the media and extra finances from the royal treasury. Many resources will be opened to you. Moreover, based on your success, you will have the king’s official endorsement as a future candidate for being a Hero.”
The adventurers glanced at one another. Most kept their expressions unreadable, a habit from constant combat, but the atmosphere grew attentive at this.
“Surely you expect more from us than what we’re doing already,” a man in a black cloak piped up next to his partner. He was leaning against a wall to disguise some injuries on his back.
“Jax Scazi. Defender at Morin. In short, yes.”
Rea thought about what she could say to persuade them. More than that, to perform well in their duties if accepted. She had more than a little anxiety. Though she was used to being an army commander, she now stood in an unfamiliar place next to and behind the King himself. The position traditionally occupied by the royal family’s advisors—or rather, the one inherited advisor. She wondered if they were making the right decisions.
“I understand many of you like to work solo in your own small teams. I was like that too as an adventurer. That’s why some of you may dislike broadcasting yourself. But think about the opportunities this could give for your own goals, whatever they may be. Forming alliances, building reputation, setting up deals, trading information—we are quite aware you have been pursuing your own agendas.
“For the mages, I would also urge you to please think about your partners, your Anima. The kingdom is their home, where they live with family and friends. Do it for them. Anima, I would ask you to show the nations our strength as a unified kingdom. My own partner Richard is still on the front lines, helping both Anima and non-Anima, and I know he won’t rest until our enemies are defeated. In an unprecedented time in history, we are a land of many races, and it is our time to show the world a way to coexist—”
“Yeah, yeah, we get it, blah blah. I’ll accept.” Rick interrupted with confidence.
Rea blinked and restrained herself from slapping this upstart. She outranked him, but…now was not the time. “I’m glad to hear that. Everyone please inform us of your decision by a week’s time, at latest. We will be working alongside each other, so I expect mutual cooperation and respect.”
The other adventurers kept their faces neutral. The king did the same.
Gamor, the Queen’s partner, let out a small scoff. “Small minds listen the least.” The king and Puri shot him a look, which Rea interpreted as, “We need all the help we can get,” but he shrugged that off.
Rick’s face flushed. “I’m eager to get it on, that’s all. Actions speak louder than words, am I right?”
The king nodded. Gamor uttered a grim chuckle, eyeing red marks on the adventurer’s sword.
“We have one more matter to attend to.” Queen Isandril’s voice was quieter but carried through the room.
“Ah, yes. Thank you for reminding me, my queen.” King Malgus stood up. He stepped to a black wall-sized board at the back of the room. “Due to the current emergency, and after much debate, the Queen and I have decided to open up a new part of the System.”
All heads turned to him. The hush in the room was palpable. The bunny woman’s eyes widened. A System update? This, she hadn’t ever heard of before.
The board flashed with light and a blue digital screen appeared. There were two humanoid figures on it. “For now, we are calling this feature Partner Swap. The usage is straightforward. A mage may select one or multiple Anima as an extra partner. The Anima will then receive a power boost based on the mage’s existing abilities.”
Puri spoke, her pleasant voice contrasting with Malgus’s brisk tone. “It is important to know that Partner Swap is a temporary measure and requires explicit consent from all parties involved. You will receive a pop-up alert and must individually confirm your agreement. If both Anima and mage agree, then the Swap may activate. Importantly, either of them may terminate the Swap at any time, for any reason. Then the boost will stop.”
Above each of the two figures, a check mark appeared. A pop-up box with buttons shimmered on the screen to illustrate this.
“Additionally, there will now be a profile of the adventurer themselves.” As the dragon woman said this, a small example screen with text popped up on the board. “Name, partner, demonstrated abilities, and shared rank, similar to existing profiles. This will help the Anima evaluate if the selection choice makes sense.”
King Malgus nodded and continued. “You may ask why we have decided on this feature. We know sometimes a partner and his or her Anima have trouble working together. There may be cases where an adventurer would work well with another partner, one which was not given to them by Destiny. This is a kind of workaround. In addition, some Anima are not paired and could benefit from an unofficial partner. We hope the synergy and strength gained through Partner Swap will help us overcome threats to our kingdom.”
Queen Isandril held up a hand. “One more point. Please be aware that, though this feature allows you to share power with multiple Anima, your own Anima is still your true partner. That bond is not something that can be removed. It is far deeper and stronger. The System is an ancient construct, made since the time of the mythical Four Houses. Its capabilities are vast, its actions independent—in a way, like the kingdom’s own unknowable god-mind. The King and I have exerted our limited control and chosen this option as the safest one available to us.”
A black-chrome adventurer spoke gruffly. “What power is given? Any drawbacks?”
Rea took over briefly. “Their Majesties briefly tested the feature among themselves to ensure safety. It seems to boost an Anima’s existing abilities, like use of elements, based on a selected partner’s combat level and proximity. However, there may be adjustments by the System as time goes on. As for weaknesses, the most obvious is that your partner can get jealous and you may end up spending much less time with them.”
Rick guffawed. Charlotte clutched him with her jacket sleeves, bouncing in excitement. “Riiiick! I wanna see you boost!” she whispered.
The other adventurers merely nodded assent.
“The social aspect should not be underestimated. This feature is merely a tool available to you, but I imagine it can generate much conflict, so I personally would not use it unless you are very careful,” Rea warned sternly.
Queen Isandril continued. “Please do not, I repeat, do not attempt to test this feature beyond its limits or undermine it in some unethical manner. The System may react strongly to this. We cannot guarantee your safety if you do so. One or two extra partners in Partner Swap should be acceptable. Again, this is simply an option if you need it.”
A jackal-eared woman in white robes raised a hand. “Excuse me, your Majesties. Will this Partner Swap be publically available and broadcast to everyone? Will it be only us, all adventurers, or citizens? I imagine a good number will be confused or distracted by this.”
“That’s a good question—” Queen Isandril started to speak, when suddenly, next to Rick, a bunny woman’s phone rang.
The bunny woman glanced down and gasped. The witch jumped out of her seat, causing eyes to be drawn to her. Her face turned red.
“I’m—I’m so sorry, Your Majesties!” She bowed to the royal family members, her cheeks hot and burning.
Rea, keeping her composure, nodded at her. “It’s no problem. Let’s carry on.”
“I—I have to take this call. It’s important—not that you’re not important, Your Majesties—I mean, very sorry!” Morgan’s eyes darted to the door, her face panicked as she hastily adjusted her purple robes.
Queen Isandril gave her a nod. “You are excused. Go.”
Morgan fled out the room, feeling eyes on her and filled to the brim with embarrassment. The door banged shut.
There was a short silence.
Rick laughed. “Ha! Look at her go. I would never be so dismissive of your presence, Your Majesties.”
Morgan Fieldspring, huh? His smile widened. Charlotte peeked over his shoulder at a screen as he checked the stranger’s profile for a second.
The Queen began again as if she hadn’t been interrupted. “We would also like a gradual rollout. However, the System tends to make broadcasts about something like this across the kingdom. You should receive official messages on your devices soon. We will also be sending an official instructional video. It may benefit everyone if all Anima pairs have this option eventually. I should mention again that it is meant as a temporary measure. We have limited Partner Swap to about a month, so we can observe how it helps us and minimize any long-term consequences.”
She glanced towards King Malgus, who nodded in confirmation. “Let’s wrap up. Again, the important takeaway here is we wish for you all to lead teams in clear view of the public. You shall aid the non-Anima citizens and eliminate our most serious threats as fast and effectively as possible. Please send us your decisions as soon as possible through official channels. This way we can update you and provide mission briefs and resources. That is all. Thank you for your service.”
The adventurers stood up, the Anima including Charlotte bowing to their rulers, and filed out of the room.
----------------------------------------
Morgan quivered like a wind-blown leaf. She held her phone to her ear as she spoke to the caller. “Mom?…Stars and skies! How—how did that happen?…Okay, I’ll be right there.”
She put the device away, her hand shaking. As she hurried away from the meeting area, she noticed Rick and his partner heading her direction. She quickened her steps and ducked her head, avoiding eye contact, but the adventurers likewise moved faster and caught up to her.
Rick reached out a hand. “Hey, you! Fieldspring!”
“Sorry, I don’t have time for this.” She broke into a run.
“It’s no problem, we’ll talk along the way. Come on, it’ll be quick.” Rick winced and clutched his chest, slowing down. Morgan’s eyes briefly grew concerned as she glanced back.
“Charlotte, help me out. Give her a speed boost too.”
The girl waved her arms. “But I lost a bunch of my toysss! My butt hurts and I’m aching all over and I almost got burned and I might get a fever and I’m all dirty! I want to go home!”
Nevertheless she reached into her backpack and produced a stuffed black bird. It grew in size and she placed it around Rick from behind, like an oddly shaped beanbag cushion. She leaped in the air and gained ground on Morgan, carrying Rick in the stuffed animal.
“I’ve seen videos of you,” Rick told Morgan as he arrived by her side. He gave her an easygoing grin. “Saw the flames too. You were in the city next to mine. You’re strong.”
The witch found herself accelerating as a few glowing green wisps flowed from the backpack girl. Charlotte had a face like she had bit an unripe melon, breathing hard. Morgan wasn’t in a grateful mood, only anxious and fearful.
“What do you want?” she snapped. “My friend is dying—maybe dead!”
“What happened? What’s the rush?”
“The last time my mom called I—I didn’t pick up, and now, now it’s happening again—” Morgan’s eyes were wide and panicked.
Rick snapped his fingers at her face. “Hey. Hey. Breathe.” His expression arranged itself to one of concern. “Let me help. Talk to me.”
She took in a deep shuddering breath. “My cousin was in another city and—I wasn’t there to save him. I wasn’t there. It was the Dire Wolves Gang. They—they did it. If I’d known, I could’ve used my magic. Could’ve teleported.”
Charlotte’s eyes became big like dinner plates. Her partner had a similar, if more guarded, reaction. Rick’s face turned interested. “Teleportation? Seriously?”
Morgan suddenly felt tearful. She hadn’t even been able to see her cousin Jamie’s face before he died. She wished more than anything that she could see it one last time. All that training, all that spellwork, all that time taking missions, for what? “That…that doesn’t matter. Who gives a s***—”
“What’s the limit? There must be one. Wait, let me guess. One-time use, limited range, huge mana cost? You need to know where you’re going?”
She nodded. Didn’t want to talk. Wiped her eyes with a swipe of her robed sleeve.
“What other abilities do you have?”
Morgan needed a moment to focus again on the adventurer. “What? Spellcasting, barrier magic, healing—”
“Not bad,” Rick commented, his eyes darting side to side, calculating. Charlotte was excited as she noticed his face.
“—crafting, making outfits, fire magic, Foretelling—”
“What’s that?”
Normally this question would have excited her. Her response was toneless. “It can completely predict the future, but only for a split second. Whatever I see exactly comes to pass. It’s pretty random. I also need a huge outside power source like a mana crystal or a scrying ball.”
“Wow! That’s super mega cool!” Charlotte gushed. “No one I know has an ability like that!”
Rick nodded in agreement, thoughtful. “Where’s your partner?”
“I’m not paired.”
Rick’s jaw went slack with surprise. Quickly, he recovered himself. He leaned over and whispered something to Charlotte. Her eyes widened. Then he smiled at Morgan as the witch spotted the action.
“The one in danger now. Who is it?”
“Vivian Azurelane.”
“Oh.” Rick’s eyebrows went up. He fell silent, thinking.
“Isn’t she that former Hero from a war? The one who botched that mission? How did you meet?”
Morgan was running without thinking, faster than a magicless eye could see. The witch took a sharp turn and vaulted over a fence onto a trail, taking as many shortcuts as she could.
The two were still following. Why, she didn’t know. She was getting irritated but gave a reply. “The same way you meet anyone, I guess. It was random chance. She happened to be a patient of mine. Signed up for an appointment.”
The other adventurer made a disparaging noise. “Hmph! As if. That’s too convenient.”
She stared. “Huh? What do you mean?”
The adventurer narrowed his eyes. “Do you think that meeting was a coincidence? Look at your powers. You’re strong. Anyone would kill for even half of those abilities. That ‘friend’ of yours, I know types like that. I had a teammate like that in a national tournament. They’re so full of themselves. They’ll use anyone and do anything to gain power. I mean, look at the news. She wants to be at the center of everything. How can you trust her?”
Morgan blinked. “What? But I know her. She wouldn’t—”
Rick swiftly cut in, his voice low and urgent. “How do you know? I bet you haven’t even thought about it. Why would a well-off Hero want to make friends with you, of all Anima? She could have chosen any number of doctors. You could be nothing more than a tool for her to use. A disposable bag of magic tricks for her benefit. I mean she’s a fox, for god’s sake. You do know what those are known for, right?”
The witch was starting to get uncomfortable. “They…eat rabbits?”
“Uh…” That…wasn’t exactly what Rick had wanted to imply, but close enough. He pressed her. “I bet it’s started already. The signs. Small hints of your relationship being off. She’ll trick you. Lie to you. Hatch plans behind your back. Act like your feelings mean something, on the surface, but then brush off your pain when it matters. She’ll break rules the rest of us have to follow. She’ll pretend to be nice but be ice cold on the inside, because she doesn’t truly care about you.”
Doesn’t care about me? Morgan shook her head. Doubt filled her as she came within a few blocks from her mom’s house. “That…that’s impossible. I know Vi. She wouldn’t. Why would she do that?”
Rick shrugged. “Speaking from experience. Let’s just say, my own teammate used me for his own victories once. I became like a ghost. Watching as people heaped praise upon him and threw themselves all over him, when it was me who did everything. That’s all.”
Charlotte uttered a theatrical gasp. “Rick! That’s so sad! Don’t tell that story!”
“Now, me, I’m many things.” Rick gestured to himself, a faint smile on his face. “I would call myself noble, looking out for the people under me, but I’m not always a saint. You can ask Charlotte about all the times she gets fed up with me—”
“Like now!” Charlotte lifted Rick up to make a point as she exclaimed.
The adventurer raised his voice. “—but if there’s one thing I am, I’m honest. I tell everything like it is. I ask and I receive. No secrets from me. Which brings me to my next point. I want to make an offer with you.”
“About what?” Morgan, now not only bewildered and panicked but a little conflicted, stopped and turned to face him.
“Your cousin was killed—”
Morgan uttered a choked sniffle. Pain and self-hatred closed around her like an invisible vice.
“—Sorry. By a gang, right?”
Charlotte, her eyes wide, scolded. “Rick! We’re making her cry!”
The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
Morgan’s green aura flickered around her. She nodded.
“I’ll help you go after them. You know I’ve joined the king and queen’s deal. I’ll form a team, with you as one of our leaders, and wipe them out. They’ll be one of our first targets, I promise. We’ll give you revenge.”
Morgan wanted to get away from these two. She needed to clear her head. The panic and tightness in her chest was overwhelming. “This is way too much to think about. Can you leave me alone?”
Rick gave her a winning smile. “Sure, no pressure. Here.” He dug into the folds of his coat and produced a small green vial. “I’m no good at healing. Neither is Charlotte. That’s part of why you’d be valuable on my team. Still, maybe you can use this.”
Morgan took it. A high-grade potion, rather costly. “Thanks.”
“I’ll do you one more. You know that Partner Swap the king was talking about? Let’s try it.”
Her eyes got bigger. “Didn’t Her Majesty say no one knows what it could do? That’s dangerous, isn’t it?”
“Trust me. If you want a leg up on the competition, it helps to have a first-mover advantage.”
The witch took steps away from the two. “I’m not sure.”
“Here’s what I think. If you accept, you’ll get a boost of some kind. Give it a try, check how much it helps, and see if you'd like to be on my team. If you don’t like it you can cancel or whatever.”
Rick swiped a hand in the air and a glowing screen appeared in front of his face. His smile widened as he swiped through some menus. “Not a big deal to me. I’ll have a whole army of takers lined up. I might not even notice if you drop out, ha!”
“If I do this, can you leave me alone?”
“Yeah, yeah. Hey, it’s starting.” Rick stared at the screen expectantly as an alert popped up with a soft ping. He tapped on it. Charlotte bobbed her head eagerly, taking the brief break to set down her stuffed animal and shrink it to a normal size.
Morgan’s own phone emitted a similar sound. The witch was reluctant but glanced down at the screen.
Two items. A notification announcing the new feature. A regular profile of Charlotte was shown, but there was also an extra menu box inside it, plus an alert. She checked the menu:
Rick Walsh
Rank: 9,000
Partner: Charlotte Evergreen
Partner Swap: Inactive
Element: Darkness
Major Skill Line:
First Form: Titanfall, Progression: 2 / 5
Known Spells: Ashura’s Wrath, Reflection Bubble, Dark Beam…
Weapon Arts: Gravi-Crush Slash, Gravity Crusher, Deflection Arc
Registered Weapon: Godslayer
The alert was similar to what she’d seen in the meeting:
Rick Walsh would like to Partner Swap with you. Do you accept?
Yes/No
Morgan reached out a hand. She shakily tapped the box with a finger. Yes.
A soft beep confirmed it. Her own profile appeared and she saw the change. There was extra text, as well as a small add/remove button.
Morgan Fieldspring
Registered Anima
Roles: Adventurer. Therapist. Healer.
Partner: (None assigned)
Partner Swap: Active
Extra Partner(s): Rick Walsh
Add/Remove
Rank: 74,685
A rush of pure energy crashed into her. It was immense. Like her insides were gradually being filled with boiling lava and a frothing ocean of raw power. She gasped.
Rick, watching her, gave a wide grin, showing pearly-white teeth. “I’ll be out of your hair now. Shoot me a message if you want to join us. Good luck with your friend. I could be wrong. You do know her more than me, right?”
----------------------------------------
“Rickkk! Why’d you talk about yourself like that? It sounded different from what you told me! You are so cool these days!” Charlotte was excited, her backpack tilted in a precarious position as she turned from side to side.
He grinned. “A good lie always needs a little truth in it.”
“What’s that mean?” Charlotte cocked her head.
The adventurer shook a finger at her in a sage-like manner. “Come on now, it’s basic deduction. Fieldspring’s friend was a general and Hero in a war, the news said. Someone like that’s bound to be obsessed with power. I’m betting she’s a fanatic too. Like, come on. You heard her, blabbing about ‘her’ kingdom. Those uptight military types brainwash themselves with propaganda. You don’t get a position that high, go through that experience, without showing loyalty to your nation. She’s probably an Anima supremacist.”
His face turned pensive. “Hm…that’s a good angle, now that I think about it. There’s the other races hating on her already. She could be a racist, extremist patriot, while in contrast I’m definitely not one to care about such matters. Even if what’s-her-face is dead I can up my ratings and visibility with that. I’ll have Fieldspring and the others vouch for me. Attract more of the NPCs, I mean, populace.”
“Ohhh.” Charlotte’s eyes widened.
“That witch is an idiot!” Rick laughed.
“Meannn!” Charlotte cried, but was smiling nonetheless. “You’re so bad! I could never do that. My dad would ground me for life.” Charlotte stopped twisting in place as Rick adjusted her pack.
“That’s not much of a punishment when your mansion is huge,” Rick pointed out.
His partner predictably complained. “He doesn’t let me do anythinnng! He’s afraid I’ll get hurrrt and make bad friends or something. I like staying with you. You always buy me lots of cute, cute toys from Felice.”
“Heh. Alright, I’ll let you order from her e-shop again. If you want more, why don’t you be more straightforward about it?” He scratched the back of his head, managing a smile of his own. “Hey, we’re not done yet. Let’s find one of the other adventurers from the meeting. There was this one guy I saw, he was standing kind of funny…come on.”
The two headed towards the meeting spot from earlier.
Rick’s partner glanced around, putting a finger to her mouth as she wondered aloud. “Who were those evil-looking guys from earlier? At the Academy?”
He shrugged, nonchalant. “Don’t know. They’re a no-show on campus. Haven’t heard of them from other schools either. You think we’d hear rumors if they were strong. If I had to guess? Delinquents. Thugs. They probably skip classes all the time. Minor people. Don’t worry about it.” He patted her on the head.
His partner put a hand to her mouth. She gasped. “Wait! You killed Morgan’s friend? What if we get in trouble? I’ll get in trouble! There’s laws against that! Adventurers aren’t supposed to hurt Anima!”
Rick held his head high as he shook it, chuckling. “We have witnesses, remember? Those thugs attacked us first. Then they fought other students. Plus, you know the protesters aren’t going to complain. Eyes on the prize, Charlotte. I’m going to collect the bunny and a whole lot more. My silver tongue will do its work, and then I’ll reach Hero status. After that it’s only a matter of time until I’ll be in the number one rank. It’ll be perfect.”
“I wanna have the cat girl with us! She can join our League. When do we get one? I want a big one! I want a cool name! ”
“Soon. Very soon.” In a flash, Rick’s eyes veered towards a man in a black cloak. What stood out was his gait, with a small, disguised limp. He was being helped by a woman with the pointed ears of a canid in white robes, leaning against her for support.
Rick sidled up and shot the pair a knowing smile. “Need a hand?”
The woman glanced over and narrowed her eyes. Her grip tightened on a sword. “We’re fine. Leave us.”
“Whoa now. What’s with the attitude?” The adventurer reached into his outfit, rummaging until he produced a small vial. “Here. My last one. Usually I don’t need any, so I figured I’d put it to good use.”
Charlotte wailed and whacked Rick with a jacket sleeve. “But you’re still not good yet! We’re going to fight soon! I don’t want to go buy moreee!”
“Ow. Eh, a little headache is nothing.” He handed the potion to the other two adventurers.
“Thanks.” The man in the pair took the offered elixir.
“By the way, do you two happen to be in a guild?”
The other adventurer peered at his face. He glanced towards his partner and hesitated. The two seemed to get into a mental debate, their eyes shifting between each other and the other pair. Then he shrugged. “Luna Guild, part of the Solaris League.”
Rick sounded impressed. “Headquarters near Heaven’s Gate League, right? Part of the big four in the city? Maybe you can show me the place. Looks like you guys need help.”
The other adventurer fixed his eyes on Rick sternly. “It’s public info. You can find it if you want.”
“Sure, sure. I’m starting my own League, you see. It would be great to know how others run theirs. See you around.” He waved and the two left.
Rick leaned over to Charlotte and cupped a hand to her ear. “You know what this means, right?”
Charlotte squeaked in a whisper. “Harem! Everybody’ll love you!”
----------------------------------------
Sven unwrapped his cloak and laid Vi on the bed. He had searched around, then quickly placed bandages and dabbed an ointment from a cabinet by the bedside. Morgan’s mother had rushed into the room moments earlier. Ms. Fieldspring’s eyes had gone wide, but she was swift to compose herself and react.
She held a hand out and her body glowed with green light. Vi’s body glowed with a matching color as the bunny woman inspected, then sent healing spells toward her.
“Severe mana drain, external bleeding, cut marks indicate an oversized blade, dark element damage, extreme pressure on all sides of the body, probably rune manipulation…”
Morgan’s mother was now standing at the side of the bed, none too gently pushing the three out of the way. She shook her head and murmured in a low voice. “What in the queen’s name happened?”
“We were at school—”
“Why didn’t you take her to the hospital? Or the nurse’s office? The Academy healers are experienced with combat injuries.”
Enrique, unsure how to respond as he felt her eyes narrow, turned to the other two. “Well, we…she was attacked by a student, and we needed to get away from him—”
“Why would anyone do that? The nerve! If it wasn’t for Vi the Anima Kingdom would have been destroyed a long time ago, a hundred times over.” She grimaced. “Ugh. Forget it. You’ll explain to me later.”
The green light from the healing magic brightened as Morgan’s mother uncorked and applied various items. She was strained as she worked and energy seeped out of her. Her tone was stubbornly neutral but tinged with worry and sharp. “At least one of you knows basic emergency care.” She gave a nod to Sven. “Disinfectant, salve, pressure to stop the bleeding. Good. We can work with that.”
Her eyes widened as she monitored Vi’s body. The machine by the bedside whirred to life and beeped. “We’ll need to loosen it up. She has very strong self-healing…a rare ability and it has limits. I’m surprised it’s still working even now. Did you see this before you got here?”
Vi’s body was glowing with faint blue light. Small lights like blue sparkles were shimmering over cuts and blood, and around the bandages, slowly repairing part of the injuries. Despite that, Enrique wasn’t certain if she was breathing. He strained his ears and caught a sound. It was quiet and sounded like it was in pain. He had no doubt now. If that was me, I’d be folded in half. Smashed to a bloody pulp.
“Wait outside,” Morgan’s mother ordered the trio, in a voice that brooked no argument.
Enrique approached the bed in an attempt to get closer.
A burst of hot air hit his face. Ms. Fieldspring, green aura aglow, had a hand out and glared. “Out! Get out! Her life is hanging by a thread. This is a sensitive operation. I can’t afford any distractions. I could transfer her to my hospital, but that’s only if we don’t lose her now.”
The healer was talking quickly to herself, her tone agitated, still pulsing with mana, as she dug concoctions and medicine out of cabinets with careful precision. “Skies, the timing couldn’t be worse. Need more hands. If Morgan hadn’t got called over by the king’s orders, she could’ve helped—the girls could do it, but I really don’t want to have to subject them to this.” She called out the room. “Anna, Mia, Lucy! Come here! I need some help with supplies.”
Three small, brunette bunny girls peeked into the room and then shuffled in. They gasped, eyes widening.
Ms. Fieldspring gave them instructions. “Anna, energy tonic, there’s mana drain. Lucy, support, blood ray spell on the side injuries. Give me silver-root potion too. Mia, some more wraps, please.” The cousins blinked and then moved to obey, hurried but silent.
Lucy glowed with green light also and handed a silver-brown bottle. Anna unscrewed a yellow elixir and poured it onto Vi, where a glowing yellow light appeared. Mia fetched a set of long, large white bandages, which Ms. Fieldspring then applied to other places around the body.
Enrique, Sven, and Alicia had moved out of the way and now stood at a corner of the bedroom near the door. Alicia thought, with apprehension, she should finish the job and strike, but Morgan’s mother thrust a hand out at the three. She sent them all staggering out the entrance with an invisible, sweeping burst of energy, like wind was chasing them and shoving them off.
“She didn’t need to do that,” Enrique grumbled.
Sven wasn’t fazed. “We’ll only get in the way.”
----------------------------------------
The front door banged open and Morgan dashed into the room as a purple blur of movement.
“Oh, stars! Vi!” Morgan held out a hand and glowed with green healing light.
Her mother’s eyes flickered over. “Stabilizing her has been difficult. There’s not much we can do now except let her own healing magic work.”
Morgan reached into her pocket and produced a small vial. “Mom, we need to do whatever we can!”
Ms. Fieldspring took the vial and gave it a quick glance before administering it. Her voice was tight. “I see our family’s training hasn’t completely left you.”
The witch’s face flushed. “Mom, really? At a time like this? I’m not gonna argue about that again! Adventuring can save lives too!”
Morgan turned away and spotted the trio. “What happened?”
Enrique spoke up, doing his best to appear calm but his face was etched with worry. “This a**hole adventurer named Rick Walsh wanted to force Alicia to join his harem. We got in a fight. Vi stepped in and he attacked her.”
Morgan’s face had astonishment written all over. “Rick? Why? I met him a minute ago. He’s the one who gave me that potion.”
Now it was Enrique’s turn for his eyes to widen. He jumped forwards. “You handed that bottle over knowing that? It might be poisoned!”
Morgan raised her eyebrows. “My whole family’s trained as healers. My mom and dad run a hospital. We’d know if it was poison or modified drugs. You’re saying he’s the one—”
“He did it. How can someone like that be allowed to be an adventurer? I’ll make him pay.” His face darkened.
Loud pings sounded from phones in their pockets all at once. “Huh? The heck?” Enrique took his out.
There was a notification.
A new feature, Partner Swap, has been added.
This is a temporary measure.
Duration: 1 month
Allows an Anima to boost their inborn and elemental abilities by selecting one or more mages for unofficial pairing. This requires the explicit consent of both parties. The swap may be ended at any time by any party.
Another ping and a notification of a video with text appeared. Please view the instructions for further info.
Morgan explained. “It was announced by the king and queen in a meeting today.”
“Oh. Definitely…unexpected.” Enrique stared at the screen, then pocketed the phone, cursing himself for standing around and not thinking straight. He edged out the doorway towards the rest of the house. “Do you know where Vi left her stuff?”
Morgan scratched her head. “Sure. I think her bag’s in the kitchen.”
“Gotitthanksbye!” Enrique ran before the words even got out of his mouth.
“Eh?” Morgan stared blankly as the other two rushed off as well.
----------------------------------------
Enrique snatched up the strap of Vi’s brown pouch.
“So, what did she tell you?” Sven was observing him closely as the boy opened up the bag and rummaged through its contents. Alicia was watching with the stuffed animal hanging limply from a hand.
“She said, ‘I have a paper inside my pouch’. And to stay safe. Also to find, hide from, and follow the teddy bear.”
Sven furrowed his eyebrows. “Hide from? Don’t you mean hide it?”
“That’s what she said. Maybe she meant that. It’s not like we had time. What did she tell you?”
“She said the cat likes milk and there’s food in the fridge.” Sven promptly opened up the fridge, found a milk bottle, and handed one to Alicia. Then he dug through the fridge and produced two tubs of ice cream. “Ah. Does this count as food?”
“Seriously? Priorities, man. Give some to Alicia, I’m not hungry yet.” The young mage rolled his eyes.
Sven found a scooper and obeyed. Alicia’s attention was distracted as she saw white and brown cream mixtures doled out into a bowl in neat balls. What in the world? It’s squishy-looking. Like half-liquid and half-solid.
“Got it!” Enrique pulled out a folded white sheet of paper, triumphant. He unfolded it, smoothing the creases and reading its neat black text.
Enrique. For your eyes only. Please keep this a secret from the others. Especially Alicia.
This is an unofficial mission. The most pressing goal is to stop gangs from fighting the Anima Kingdom as soon as possible. You’ll need to gather info, learning the motivations and structure of the overall group behind these attacks. Larger plans are unfolding, and you should confirm those for yourselves.
Someone is using this gang and their arms supplier. I suspect it’s Allblades. The assassin who killed Aurelius. His ultimate aim is to kill the royal family to end the System, starting his own rule. As of now he remains in the chaos lands, outside the kingdom, but it’s likely he’s finding ways to gain power enough to leave it. He’s having an influence on everything. Since Alicia’s a former member of the Dire Wolves, it’s dangerous to pass anything to her. They may contact or take her by force.
There’s a detachment of the army that has been working independently with me. They’ve been hunting Allblades before, and now they’re finding clues to stop a terrorist assault on the upcoming Anniversary Ball. That could cause thousands of deaths, including yours. It’s related.
You’re likely going to cross paths with one of the army members if you decide to continue. My phone might get a call. He looks like a bad guy, but don’t shoot him.
Personally, I’d like to make friends with gangs like the Dire Wolves over time, but I understand if you don’t want that option. You have some choices. You could make a deal with the gang, taking some of their drugs away. Seize control of as much illegal substance movement as you can, cutting off their major finances. Talk to the kingdom about alternate policies. Abandon the gang if adventurers come. It’s all up to you.
Tonight, the Dire Wolves are meeting their supplier for a drug trade.
Place the stuffed animal somewhere near school where you can hide from its view, before midnight. You need to make sure it doesn’t see you as you follow it. Keep up as it can be fast. It will lead you to the gang tonight. Capture however many members you can, the drugs, and their supplier.
Backup. In my pouch there’s also instructions for a tracker I placed on Yecna, the leader of the gang. Please make sure Morgan doesn’t find it first. If she does, you’ll have a hard time.
You’ll need to disguise your identities. Maybe use equipment. I’ve provided some supplies in a hidden room. It’s in the back of my closet. Use your mana or the code: 49912X.
My phone has a book collection downloaded. Read it with Sven. That’s part of your cover and intel.
If you’re reading this, your chances of succeeding in the next task has dropped to less than a 40% chance. Your chance of having limbs intact after the Anniversary Ball is less than 25%.
Think about if you truly want to do this? Take care of yourself.
Vi
He felt his blood run cold. The low percentages, and that especially ominous last part. It sounded like a suicide mission. He took a deep breath. A lot of details here. Okay, fine. We’ll pick through the important ones. Secret. Stop the gang. Find what they’re about. Be careful of bigger threats from someone named Allblades. Phone call, a ball, a drug deal…I’m way over my head, aren’t I?
Tracker? Enrique reached into the pouch and spotted several gun cartridges, gold and green, including four green ones. Oh, those are from before. There was a small folded paper attached to one. He pulled the cartridge out to read.
Morgan approached him. “What are you doing?”
Enrique nearly jumped with surprise. He hastily crumpled up the note Vi left. “Argh! Piece of trash! That stupid fox is so cringe! All this lovey-dovey talk. She was always such a pain in the neck.” He jammed the note in his pocket and, with his other hand, slipped the cartridge behind his back onto a table. Luckily, the action was plausible enough Morgan didn’t pay attention.
He exchanged a glance with Sven, who shook his head. Alicia was poking an ice cream with a spoon as if expecting it to run away. Should I tell Morgan what’s going on? He debated to himself. Maybe it’s best to tell the truth. We don’t want miscommunication. He huffed out a breath. “Ali, Sven, and I are going after the Dire Wolves Gang.”
Morgan’s eyes flashed. “You too? Let’s do it together then.” The witch pulled her scepter out behind her back. The orb glowed and a small fire lit around it, bathing the walls in orange and green. A fierce smile formed on her face. Enrique noted, with some trepidation, that it bordered towards maniacal. “Hang on, I’ve got an idea! Wait here.”
She ran off into a room upstairs, clutching her rod. Enrique heard metallic clunks and dull thuds like boxes and heavy objects were being thrown about. The witch murmured under her breath as she sifted through a pile. Morgan returned with a large, clear plastic bin full of colorful fabric.
“Huh, that’s weird, some of my extra stuff’s missing…anyways!” The bunny woman was grinning now. “These are costumes I’ve made for the Anniversary Ball happening soon. They’re not only fashionable but practical.” She slammed the tub down and popped open the lid.
“This one, for example, is for Vi.” She held up a black outfit, made to fully cover the body and plain except for a gold pattern on the wrist sleeves. “You guys can pick one and take them for a test drive. They’re super reinforced, made for combat and dancing. Plus, they look great on camera. Part of the requirements by the king and queen. I’m going to join a team that’s going to fight the gang. You guys can come with.”
Enrique eyed the bin and wandered over, picking through the clothes. “Wow. Fancy. Colors are a good fit. What kind of materials did you use?” Despite the situation, the mix of odd designs and smooth sensation of the costumes were strangely soothing. He ran a hand across a suit-like uniform which was velvet soft on the surface but hard to the touch underneath, like armor casing. “The cross-stitching is nice. It almost looks like they were made from a single fabric.”
Morgan blinked and cocked her head. “Yeah, there’s some expensive mage cloth that the royal family buys for special occasions. They let me make costumes for the ball. This year there were like a hundred applicants. You know about sowing and stuff too?”
“Oh.” His face reddened. “Yeah. It’s not much but I had to repair old clothes a lot.”
Too late, he realized a mistake. Intrigued as he was by the costumes, he had left Vi’s cartridge behind in plain view. He took a few steps back and scooped it up, hoping to appear casual. It didn’t work.
“What’s that?” Morgan snatched the cartridge from Enrique’s hand. She was puzzled at first, turning it over between her fingers. Then her eyes got big as she read the attached paper. Her voice became hushed.“This is…where did you get this?” The witch turned towards the nearest room. “Follow me! We need to talk about this!”
Enrique went into the room with her. Sven started to follow, but Enrique, a sinking sensation in his stomach, quickly slammed the door shut and locked it.
Morgan held the cartridge up. “This is illegal.”
“Huh?” Enrique stared.
The witch had a peculiar expression on her face, both frowning and curious. “It has a tracking spell. Projectile mana trackers are restricted and you need special permission to use it in the kingdom. Like army or policing and such.”
He took a moment to consider this. “Does it violate privacy or something?”
“Would you want to be able to be found anytime, anywhere by whoever shot you with this? Where did you find it?” She shook the item at his face.
Enrique grasped for a good excuse. Definitely not a good idea to mention Vi’s pouch had more of them. “A hooded guy in a really shady restaurant gave it.”
“There’s instructions.” Morgan squinted at the small, typed font on the attached paper. “Draws mana from the shooter to locate the tracked opponent. You know, if you used one already, you could face jail time.”
Enrique bolted for the door and attempted to yank it open, but its lock was firmly in place like it was frozen. He raised a hand to blow it up, but his flames abruptly vanished as Morgan raised a hand.
Her eyes narrowed. “You’re not leaving. You need to tell me what’s going on.”
He turned to face her, resigned. “Vi used one. It’s for tracking the leader of the Dire Wolves.”
The witch was disturbed at first. Her eyes shifted left and right, uncertain. Then she grew excited. “But this is perfect! We can use this to find and kill them all!”
“Well, yeah—”
Morgan was already opening the door, tucking the cartridge in her robe and talking very fast. “The team’s going to set out in a few days, I think. We can use that new feature and make sure we can completely overwhelm them. You can pair with me. I’m already paired with Rick.”
“You what?” Enrique’s head whipped towards her in shock. “Why? No! I don’t want anything to do with that jerk!”
Morgan had irritation in her voice. “Come on. I mean, he’s not great, but I need to do this. Anyways I can cancel anytime. Work with me here—”
“My partner could be dead because of him!”
Morgan spun around. She let out a frustrated sigh. She scrunched her face up as if in pain and took a moment to calm down. “Okay. You three can stay here tonight. We can stay close and check up on Vi.”
“We, uh…” Enrique glanced back at Sven, who was puzzled, and Alicia, who had finished her food and had a neutral expression. “We need to go back to Vi’s house. For a little bit. Vi gave us some things to do.”
He glanced back at the room where Vi lay, then took off out the door. The other two followed.
Morgan stared at them, shock evident on her face. “What…I don’t understand.”
Rick’s earlier words rang in her ears. You could be nothing more than a tool for her to use.
It occurred to Morgan that she hadn’t even gotten a proper introduction to Sven and Alicia. They and Enrique had gone off by themselves to school for reasons never explained. And she had learned only now that Vi was possessing black market weaponry, right in her own parents’ house. Why isn’t she telling me any of this? What’s she hiding from me?
----------------------------------------
Morgan barged into the patient room, clutching the cartridge in her robe. Her mother was positioned to block Vi from view.
“Mom! I need to see her.” She reached out a hand to grab Vi’s arm.
Mrs. Fieldspring didn’t turn. “Morgan, I shouldn’t have to repeat myself. You know we should be very careful to not move her. Let the self-healing and potions work.”
“No, no, you don’t understand! She’s got a tracking spell. I could reverse-engineer it. I just need to draw out her mana.”
Her mother’s eyes snapped over. “No! You’re not thinking straight. What’s the purpose of performing such a spell? On a patient, no less? If you take out even more of her energy, you’ll endanger your friend’s life!”
The witch clenched a hand, shaking, “But Mom! We can find the ones who killed Jamie! We could have justice! This is one chance I can’t pass off. Vi would understand.”
Her mother pursed her lips and shook her head. She gripped a steel support bar installed near the bed. Her voice was firm. “That’s not a risk we should be willing to take.”
Frustration welled up inside Morgan. I’ll reason with her, then. “She’s not the former number one Hero for nothing. She’s still alive. Her body can take a lot of damage. There’s clearly more mana in her than normal. I’ll look after her. I’ll help heal her afterwards. Just let me do this.”
Her mother turned towards the door, her voice mostly calm, but Morgan could sense the irritation in her movements as she turned towards the door. “You can take over monitoring the rest of today. Don’t do anything foolish. I’d expect more from you.”
Morgan went still at those last words. A familiar shame filled her as the door shut.