I was about to vent my anger on Lord Wigram for failing to tell me the first thing that matters of nobility took weeks to decide when I felt a stir of mana in my body. Not my mana, though. The mana left in my body by Idleaf. It reacted to something, probably the reason my guardian marks glowed again.
I had a hunch, but before I had time to ponder deeper into it, I was poked in the side, and a familiar giggle reached my ears as I yelped in fright.
“Hi, Korra’leigh,” Idleaf greeted me playfully, my name rolling off her tongue with more power behind it than when others spoke it.
“Hey...” I said, genuinely baffled as I watched her spirit form bounce around me, having no trouble keeping up with the trotting mare I was riding.
Seeing me stumped, she giggled again. “Easy to startle you.”
No shit! I mean, she always managed to scare the hell out of me when she appeared like this. After all, her spirit form was beyond any perception of mine. If it weren’t for what I felt, saw, and heard, I would have doubted that she existed.
However, this time my shock went much deeper. How the hell could she be here?! Wasn’t she limited by how far she could reach from her trunk? If I’m not mistaken, according to her, if she tried hard, her perception could reach the edge of Esulmor.
“Are you...?” I said, stopping short as my train of thought took a turn. Her spirit was no exception to this rule. At least, I didn’t think so. She spoke of her Guardians as her way of seeing the world, only it wasn’t through their eyes as I wrongly assumed, but... “You can manifest your spirit near me, right? No matter where I am?”
She rejoiced when I got it right. “Korra’leigh smart. Around you, Zeewet and Esudein.”
“That’s...amazing...” I stammered, not knowing what to think. Actually, the first thing that came to mind was the troubles her presence would bring when we got to the city. How the hell am I gonna explain her to the others?
“It is, isn’t it? I can see the world with all of you like this.”
Yeah, yay...honestly, I think I’d prefer it if she could only see the world through my eyes as I thought she might be able, regardless of the hassles it entailed. With that thought, a brief glimmer of hope dawned on me. I might be the only one seeing her right now. However, one look at Lord Wigram and Sergeant sitting next to him, and I knew that wasn’t the case.
“You see her too, don’t you?”
“Indeed, Miss Grey,” the Imperial Chief Healer said a bit cautiously, then gave me a questioning look. “You still think you can keep it a secret?”
“A secret?” Idleaf quipped, curious as hell. “What secret? And why does he call you Miss Grey when you’re Korra’leigh?”
Yeah, I’d definitely prefer if she could only see the world through my eyes. Giving her an explanation, I immediately got more questions.
“Why are you so slow? Maybe you should walk on your own two feet. Why do humans have only two legs? Isn’t that too little?” she asked, her gaze falling on the mare beneath me. “She seems sad. Is it because you’re sitting on her?”
So many questions, stupid questions, you may say. Nevertheless, I gave her a smile and patted the mare. “This is Whisper. She’s sad because she lost her rider. Talk to her. It might cheer her up.”
And Idleaf did just that with great enthusiasm. Unfortunately, to her disappointment, the mare remained sad. Didn’t that dampen her enthusiasm for the world around her, though? No. So instead of pondering the position of the Guardians relative to the nobility of Sahal, I was forced to answer a barrage of her questions.
But first, I had one of my own. “Didn’t you say you needed to regain your strength...” She did, right?. In my mind, it should have taken hours, more like days, considering what she did right after waking up.
Idleaf gave me a puzzled look. “I’ve recovered enough to be here.”
Closing my eyes for a moment, I had to stop myself from sighing out loud. It was stupid of me not to think about that, considering how eager and curious she was. Did Esudein know about this? That she was here? I kind of doubted that.
“I’m glad you’re okay,” I said, knowing there wasn’t much I could do, anyway.
“I am,” she nodded, and her curious eyes fell on the carriage, which she at once trotted up to and peered inside. “They aren’t. Why are you dragging dead people around in a box made of dead trees?”
More questions. But was her curiosity too much? No, not given what she was. From what I understood, by learning about the world, the World Trees were growing in strength. Actually, it should be in my interest as her Guardian to teach her, and I did.
In the end, I didn’t mind it that much.
It made the trip pass pleasantly, and I actually learned about the guardian runes from her. They lit up along with my eyes whenever I used them or, as in this case, Idleaf used them. They were the manifestation of our link, the anchor that allowed her to project her sprite so far from her trunk.
When I learned that, my feelings about it were a bit mixed. It sounded too close to my mutations, a part of my body that shouldn’t be there, and I didn’t have proper control over it. Even worse, someone else was in control. And it wasn’t just the runes. It was her mana in my body, too. Or so I thought.
Idleaf explained to me how silly I was for thinking that. Silly and inexperienced. In other words, weak. Even though it was her mana streaming through the link, the runes made it my own. Idleaf wasn’t the one with the power over it. Once it crossed over to my side, it was me who was supposed to be in control, her Guardian, not her.
According to her and Lord Wigram, who joined in the conversation, his curiosity piqued, my pre-guardian mana didn’t have time to reform and merge with the new type. Simply put, after becoming a Guardian, my mana should take on some characteristics of Idleaf’s. Again, since my mana control was poor, to begin with, the process was taking longer than it should have. As a result, I still had two types of mana in me, one of which I was unable to wield properly and the other not at all.
Annoying as it was, it was nice to know that I should be able to control these LED elements of my body, eventually.
***
In that manner, with Idleaf bouncing around me, excited by everything she saw and full of questions, me trying to answer them to the best of my ability, and Lord Wigram assisting me when I was at my wits’ end, we came within sight of Castiana.
It took a while to calm Idleaf after her gaze fell on the human dwelling. She was so excited, never having seen the houses, walls, and palaces with her own eyes. Yet as hard as it was to find the right words, I had to ask her to...disappear.
Fortunately, despite her childish behavior, she understood my reasons very well, that her presence without a proper explanation could frighten people in the city. In particular, she understood the guards might react too protectively.
Of course, I had to promise her I would let her know as soon as it was possible for her to come back. For that, she taught me the trick of how to call her. A rune the size of my palm on my right side was used for that. All I had to do was send mana into it, and she’d know. A very rough way due to me not using proper mana, which, as it turned out during testing, heated up the rune quite a bit. Doing it more than once in a row could be painful. Once again, my inexperience with magic was on display.
Nonetheless, without Idleaf bouncing around and with me glowing like a Christmas tree again, we approached the Southeastern Gate of Castiana. In many ways, it reminded me of my return after being captured by the slavers. The same gate, the same road leading from Castiana to the town of Granhill between which lay Esulmor, with Deckard at my side and two dozen guards waiting outside the gate, master guards, Captain Rayden, Janina, and few others to make sure everything’s okay before they let us into the city.
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Only my entourage was bigger this time around. An entire unit of imperial soldiers. Admittedly, they weren’t here for me, but Lord Wigram.
That he was sitting on the coachman’s bench rather than in the comfort of the inside caught the attention of the city guards, sending a wave of mumblings through their ranks. For some reason, in their eyes, that and the fact that fewer men and women came back than left the city yesterday completely overshadowed my new glowing look.
Not that I mind. It was nice for once not to be the center of attention. Sadly, I knew it was just a matter of when.
And so, under the watchful eyes of the city guards, the Sergeant expertly stopped the carriage in front of a waiting Rayden and the rest. Janina, who was noticeably relieved to see her mentor okay, I kind of expected to be here, not so much Blaine and Rhys, the hulking guardian, standing behind the Captain. On the other hand, Agent Sah, who I thought I was sure to find here, was nowhere to be seen.
That aside, unlike the coachman, I struggled with where to stop. Whisper wasn’t the problem. She was an experienced horse, and despite her mournful mood, she listened to all my commands. The thing was, I didn’t know the etiquette of correct procedures in those situations. And last but not least, as Lord Wigram pointed out to me on the way, where I stood as the Guardian of Idleaf.
In the end, following Deckard’s example, I pulled up beside the carriage, which massive construction partially hid me from the view of Captain Rayden and the others.
“My Lord,” Rayden greeted the Imperial Chief Healer as I dismounted from the mare. “Glad to see you’re back safely.”
“Captain,” he returned her greeting, a sad smile on his lips. “I wish that were true of everyone.”
Rayden’s eyes followed his hand as he gestured to the carriage. Understanding immediately flashed across her face. “Take them to the barracks, Sergeant. They are well prepared for their arrival there.”
“Thanks, Captain. Much appreciated,” said Colonel Gill, joining them after he had given orders to his men and dismounted from his horse. There was no hint of sorrow in either of their voices, but their eyes said otherwise. Gill was greatly pained by the loss of his men, while Rayden sympathized with him, knowing such a loss.
“Go,” Colonel Gill ordered the Sergeant. The man slammed the reins, and the carriage moved out of the way, leaving me completely exposed to the stares of Rayden and the rest. And they stared, noticing my glowing eyes and several exposed runes almost immediately. As unpleasant as I found their gazes, I stood my ground, staring back while they struggled to decide what to make of me.
“Given your quick response, I believe the messenger has reached you, Captain?” the Imperial Chief Healer asked, getting her attention back.
“He did, my lord,” she said, pausing for a moment as if hesitant to say more. “Though I’m still working on believing the contents of his report. If it weren’t for your seal, I’d lock him up for messing with his supervisor and forgery.”
That made Lord Wigram chuckle, and even Colonel Gill broke into a rare smile. “I don’t blame you. I was there, and I’m still not sure what I witnessed, Captain.”
“And...” Janina spoke in response to Gill’s mention of what happened, looking at Lord Wigram for answers. “Is that true? The mental wave that hit us actually belonged to...you know who?”
“Honestly, I hope it’s not some stupid joke, my lord,” Rayden remarked, clearly tired of dealing with the chaos in Castiana. “The mental wave woke up the whole city in the middle of the night and caused quite a panic, as you might imagine. Yesterday you would have thought people had completely forgotten the horrors of the Mind Wars. However, this morning we were still pacifying those who were accusing the neighbors of being under the influence of mind mages, screaming that they’re coming for our minds.”
“It doesn’t sound to me like you shared that notion,” Colonel Gill pointed out, seeing it in her eyes.
She nodded. “It would fit their pattern when attacking the city to sow panic among the population. The attack was too widespread and strong, though.”
“Didn’t you dismiss the possibility too quickly?” Gill questioned her judgment, taking advantage of the fact that she was now a lower rank than him. “In Binard, they used runes and some kind of beast to amplify their potential.”
“I was there, Colonel, remember?” she said firmly back, not letting him get to her. “No further attack came, and a few hours later, reports started coming in from nearby towns and villages about the same phenomenon, so...I figured it had to be something else. Well...does my city really neighbor...you know what?”
Lord Wigram nodded his head slightly. “I’m afraid that is indeed the case.”
“Shit!” cursed Rayden, rubbing the bridge of her nose in an attempt to relieve the oncoming headache.
“There’s actually more to it. May I suggest we move to a more appropriate location?”
My heart racing and my hands sweaty, I expected him to tell her everything here and now. What a surprise when he didn’t. Instead, the Imperial Chief Healer decided to keep it a secret from the common folk and guards for now and let Idleaf wait a little longer.
I didn’t blame him, though. Surely Rayden needed to prepare herself for what my Guardian status and Idleaf herself could bring to her city. On the other hand, when I thought about it, wasn’t she, someone who is responsible for the safety of the city, unknowingly letting a creature of immeasurable power inside this way? What was the Imperial Chief Healer thinking? I’d be pissed if I were her.
But another question came to my mind. What powers did Idleaf actually possess? I mean, her spirit that could materialize in my vicinity. Was she able to make her presence known even here, or was it limited to just around her core?
“Deckard, Grey,” my ears pricked up at the greeting from Agent Sah. Though lost in thought while all the soldiers and guards alike began to move into the barracks, he didn’t catch me off guard as Idleaf did earlier. Needless to say, he made no effort to hide as he weaved his way through the imperial soldiers towards us.
“Sah,” Deckard returned his greeting without making any further attempts to make conversation.
Me? I had no idea where to start, so I did the same. “Agent Sah.”
He didn’t take it the wrong way, or at least he didn’t let it show. “I must say, you’ve had quite an adventure out there. Regrettable that I was forced to stay here.”
“I don’t think you’d be of any use there.” Despite what Deckard said, there was no hint of contempt or anything like that in his voice. It was just a plain statement of how he saw it.
“Oh, I agree. My strengths lie elsewhere than in fighting and negotiating with beasts. However, it sounds much more entertaining than catching petty burglars, muggers, thieves, robbers, murderers, and assassins trying to take advantage of the situation in the chaos of the night.”
“I didn’t find it amusing, running from a level six hundred beast trying to kill me,” I said, in an attempt to convey to him that I didn’t find the adventures he mentioned as fun.
He raised an eyebrow at that. “That was not mentioned in the report. Is that where you got those glowing runes and the look in your eyes? Did the beast do that? Some kind of curse? Jinx? Hex?”
“Nothing like that,” I said quickly to stop him. “At least, I don’t think so. It’s complicated...”
“I can imagine. Aside from the hard-to-believe content of the message, it was rather sparse on details, barely speaking of you. Am I wrong to assume you were more...involved in the events of Esulmor, Miss Grey?”
“Kind of...” I said under Sah’s intent gaze, letting him know with my tone that it was all I’m gonna say here.
He grinned, almost chuckling. “As it turns out, the boring job of watching your ass in a shithole like Castiana is turning out to be quite an interesting task.”
Good for him. Though, I wasn’t quite sure what to make of it. While Agent Sah welcomed all the excitement, I’d rather live my life more quietly.
***
Well, it wasn’t long before I found myself in the barracks in a room shielded from the ears and eyes of outsiders and packed with people, most of whom I’ve already had the pleasure of meeting. That included all the lieutenants of the Castiana City Guards, as well as Baron Egerton, the City Lord, and his two pretty assistants.
Strangely, despite the presence of several master guards and senior imperial soldiers, making it difficult to find a place to stand in the room and the air heavy with sweat, the City Lord kept his temper in check. Even he understood the gravity of the situation.
And so, like the others, he waited for a more detailed explanation.
It was given to him, as it was given to all by Lord Wigram. Of all involved, he had the highest known standing, and his word carried the most credibility. Thus he described to them, in a nutshell, the events that took place on the threshold of Esulmor and in those woods themselves.
I was glad he took it on himself to explain it all, as the questions to him seemed endless. However, when he got over the part where Idleaf woke up and to where she named her first two Guardians, a baffled silence fell over the room.
Baron Egerton was the first to speak up, bearing a complicated expression on his face. A mix of excitement, worry, fear, and anger. “You’re saying that fucking beast in those woods is now the Guardian of the World Tree?”
“He is,” nodded Lord Wigram, unfazed by his vocabulary. “And I would advise you to remember his new name quickly, as well as the name of the second guardian and the World Tree itself in particular.”
“Was it Idleaf?” Janina asked, disregarding the infuriated City Lord.
The Imperial Chief Healer gave her a warm smile. “Indeed. I look forward to sharing with you all I learned there, so many things we got wrong...”
Captain Rayden cleared her throat, cutting him off. “So if I understand correctly, Esu is now named Esudein, and the other Guardian is Miros, one of the eagles from the north, called Zeewet. Is that correct?”
“Why should I remember the names of some filthy beasts and a tree?” The City Lord butted in before the Imperial Chief Healer had a chance to answer her, outraged by what was suggested to him.
This time, Lord Wigram did not take it kindly and raised his voice. “Do you really see no reason, Baron Egerton? Maybe I should make things more clear for you. For one thing, Idleaf named three Guardians...”
“Traiana’s tits,” Marcus, the City Guard’s Chief Healer, swore aloud as he put two and two together, his eyes, like so many, fixed on me. “You, lass?”