“Shit like that happens,” Agent Sah said when I told him about my encounter with the merchant on the road from Esulmor. “You’re not the only shifter under the sun, and sometimes some have fun messing around with ordinary folk, Grey. You could get arrested for that, by the way. Good thing you reported it, though.”

I merely nodded, as I felt highly uncomfortable with the way Sah paused. He may have seemed calm, yet I knew a storm was brewing and was about to hit me. At least, that was the best way I could describe what my instincts were telling me.

“Unlike your trip to Esulmor, Grey,” he remarked, still in a calm manner. However, my instincts told me otherwise. The man was pissed. “Imagine my surprise when only Deckard came out of Fallen’s Cry and told me - not so readily, if I may add - that you were long gone out of the city, and there was nothing I could do about it.”

“Yeah, sorry about that. It was kind of a spontaneous decision...”

“One you should have informed me of, Grey!” Sah cut me off, his voice raised. Yeah, he was pissed. “I’m here to see that nothing happens to you, that no one will get to you, and I can’t do my fucking job if you disappear on me like that!”

“Look I...”

“What if it wasn’t a merchant you met on the way here but a mind mage, huh? What then? What would you do? You got lucky with them a couple of times, and you think it’s gonna work that way every fucking time?!”

“No! That wasn’t...”

“Correct me if I’m wrong, but you’ve never dealt with a mind mage on your own, right? You never faced them to the bitter end?”

“No, I didn’t, and yes, I am aware I’ve been lucky to have help. Don’t worry, I don’t want to count on that being the case next time, either. That’s why I train so damn hard!” I growled the last line far harsher than I intended, but he wasn’t the only one who was pissed.

“Good to hear we’re on the same page then, Grey. I'd hate to have to put a leash on you.”

“A what now?”

"Forget it, just a figure of speech."

“It better be!” Seriously, I had no clue what better thing to say. The leash sounded too close to a collar to me.

“So what was your plan if you met a mind mage? You had one, didn’t you?”

Of course. I didn’t just spend the whole journey running mindlessly through the wilderness. “I’d call Idleaf and get myself teleported back to Esulmor.” It was the last resort solution, but the safest. Fighting a potential mind mage, if they were alone at all, was too risky, and there was no guarantee that I would be able to outrun them.

“Nice plan.” There was so much irony in his voice that my ears twitched. “Do you think they’d let you do that?”

“It’s just a matter of sending mana to the guardian mark, rune, or whatever.”

“Well, try doing the whatever when your mind is under attack. Correct me if I’m wrong, but mind mages aren’t after your mind. What they’re looking for is your unique body, right?” I understood what he was getting at. Why try to take over my mind relatively intact when they could just crush it, right? If all they cared about was my twisted body, they couldn’t care less if I ended up a drooling husk. There was the if, though.

“I would think they would want to get the Guardian...you know, kind of whole?”

Oddly enough, Agent Sah nodded. “Hard to tell how much their agenda has changed when we don’t even know for sure if they are aware of the fact of you being a Guardian of the World Tree. Or whether they even know about Idleaf, for that matter.”

“Yeah, about that. I think they at least know about Idleaf. First, they knew about the seed of the World Tree being in Esulmor. Admittedly, they had no idea it had long since grown into a tree. With her waking up, they had to put two and two together,” I said, a smirk on my face. "After all, mossbears already killed several of them and people controlled by them, trying to get in." Bam! ‘Not what you expected, huh, Imperial Agent Sah?’

The big shock I expected from him did not follow, though. No gasps of surprise: ‘What?’. He simply nodded. “The Empire has increased surveillance around Esulmor since the awakening of the World Tree. Considerably.”

“So, you let them in?”

“Some, yes. We wanted to see how the locals would react to them.”

Ah, if the mossbears would leave them alone or...dispose of them. “I told you Esudein doesn’t like them very much. He calls them the Thought Fuddlers.”

He smiled, giving me an understanding look. “We needed to verify. Plus, we wanted them to think they could slip through our surveillance.”

Okay, that made sense, a bit. “Should you say something like that to me out in the open like this, though?” I mean, it was good to know, just that anyone who walked by could overhear.

“Don’t worry, Grey. Skills. It’s just you and me; no one else can hear us.”

“So, something like the Silencer?” I once used that tool when I didn’t want others to hear what I had to say to Squad Four.

“Better, much better, Grey.”

Well, I guess he was right and wasn’t just boasting. With the Silencer, the outside world was sort of blurred from you. You could still hear it, just sort of from a farther distance. With his skill, I couldn’t tell the difference.

“Haven’t you tried interrogating some? You know, the ones you didn’t let into Esulmor.”

The Agent chuckled. “Who do you take us for? Of course, we tried. However, mind mages use the same old tricks. Every time we attempt to get something out of them, their brains get fried.”

“Ah, like Hal’s.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Who? One of ours?”

I immediately realized my mistake. “Stanley Morton, the Mind Weaver, who attacked the barracks.”

“Oh, yes. Captain Rayden spared him the agony by beheading him. Not what I would have done.”

Swallowing dry, I remembered the attacks on my mind. You wouldn’t find any sympathy in me for mind mages. However, thoughts of having your brain burned by magic didn’t sit well with me. As a shiver ran down my spine to the tip of my tail, causing my wings to shudder, I quickly banished those thoughts.

“You didn’t really get anything out of them, though? Not even from their...minions?” I was still searching for the right word, the right way to think about the people they controlled. They were victims, mostly.

“While our ways of dealing with mind magic have gotten better, and believe me, we haven’t grown stale since the wars, as one might think, the mind mages didn’t stay bogged down in their magic either.”

I understood that. At least, I thought so. I could be wrong, but I always felt like the defense was never a step ahead of the offense. Either the two things were evenly matched, or the defense was reacting to a new type of attack. After all, it was easier to come up with one innovative way to attack than to prepare a defense for all possible options.

Anyway, Sah and the rest knew about the mind mages and were prepared for them as best they could, I guess. Honestly, I should have thought of that. My mistake, but there was more news I could catch him off guard with. And so, savoring the moment, I asked: “What about the elf? Did you know about that one too?” Now show me the face, Imperial Agent Sah.

“Of course we did.”

Damn!

“That guy was no scout, Grey. He had no idea how to conceal himself.”

“So, you just let him pass...” Ah, to see how the mossbears would react.

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“Yeah, you get it. You see, elves aren’t that rare here on this continent, Iaweles, or in the Sahal Empire.”

“They’re not? I thought they were keeping to their kingdoms.” At the very least, I didn’t meet any in the city. Supposedly there were half-elves, but I had trouble distinguishing them from half-gnomes like Freyde.

“Most do, but, like everywhere, there are those among them who are not happy with the politics there or just have adventurous souls and either travel around Eleaden or simply settle outside the Elven Kingdoms. That doesn’t mean they don’t pose a threat to the Empire, though, as it turned out with this guy.”

Was he some kind of sleeper agent or shit like that? “What about him?”

“He had a family and lived an orderly life in Granhill. We don’t know how yet, but they got to him, threatened his family, and you already know the rest.”

Shit! He became fertilizer for the woods. “And his family?”

“Alive, if that’s what you’re asking.”

Well, he could have elaborated a bit. “Will you protect them?”

“We’ll keep a close eye on them.” That was not exactly the answer I was hoping to hear. Instead of taking them into protective custody, they were going to keep an eye out to see if the Elven Kingdoms would approach the family again. I kind of understood it and was aware that this wasn’t Earth, but I still found it to be cruel for the family that lost their father.

To push away the dark thoughts, I decided to pull out the ace information of my sleeve, and this time I was sure I would get more than a mere nod from Agent Sah. “So, I guess you also know about the northern eagles and Miros moving to Granora Mountain Range, right?”

This time he stopped in his stride and looked at me, not sure he heard me right. “Can you repeat that, Grey?”

I did, having a great time doing so. The bastard was finally thrown off guard.

“That’s... troublesome news. When do those beasts migrate here?”

The same question I had on Idleaf, huh? “I don’t know, but the first group should arrive in six days or so, building nests for the rest.”

“Not much, but we have time then,” he said, relieved, sort of. “How many?”

“In the first group?”

“That too,” he nodded, way too serious. “But mostly as a whole. How many beasts will be migrating to those mountains?”

Damn good question that I didn’t think to ask. Was it tens, hundreds, or even thousands of individuals? The consequences of such a migration could have been far-reaching. It was not just the increased danger of beast attacks, but the impact on the local fauna, too. Those birds had to eat something, meaning they’ll be hunting animals that local predators and hunters so far hunted. There was a certain balance to it now, hopefully. But with the arrival of the eagles, local wildlife populations were likely to thin out considerably, and that could eventually impact harvests and so on.

“I didn’t ask. Should I call Idleaf?”

“Nah. Ask her the next time you see her, though. Please.”

“Sure, I will.”

“Another fireball I should know about, Grey?”

Well, I actually thought about it, or more specifically, whether to tell him about the rune. “No, not that I know of.” He didn’t need to know everything. Luckily, if he could tell I wasn’t telling the truth, he didn’t let it show. Instead, he just nodded and fell into thought.

We were almost at the barracks when he spoke again. “Don’t think I forgot the shit you pulled off, Grey.”

“Me?! I figured you letting me have my share of trouble at the gate would be enough payback.”

Sah nodded, sort of, owning up to the fact, and smirked. “You knew about me as soon as you got to the gate, didn’t you?”

I shrugged my wings. “I could if I focused, you know, on the feeling. I had other things on my mind and only found out halfway through. I understand you were and still are pissed about the whole sudden spirited-away thing. Still, letting them shackle me when you know what I’ve been through? That was really sick, man. We’re not gonna be friends like that.”

“Where did you get the impression that I wanted to be friends with you?” Sah wondered, a hint of tease in his voice. Then he grew serious. “However, you’re right. It was inconsiderate of me, and it went over the line. Is that good as an apology, Grey?”

Bastard. He wasn’t playing around pretending to be something he wasn’t interested in being. He said it himself. Imperial Agent Sah was here primarily for my protection. “I guess that’s the best I ever get out of you, huh?”

“If you wanted a heartfelt apology, you asked the wrong guy. Anyway, back to you.”

“What about me?”

“I’m assuming this won’t be the last time you disappear like that on me, so...I’m thinking about putting you through a training I had in mind for you a little earlier.”

The hell?! “Training?”

“Training. That or the leash.”

That shit again. Anyway…”Training from you?” First time I heard of it.

“No, not from me. I’m not the right guy for it. Plus, I already have my hands full just watching over your ass.”

“Are you going to beat around the bush much longer, or will you tell me what training you are yapping about?”

He grinned and tapped his head. “It’s about your mind, Grey. You have [Indomitable Will], not the best skill against mind magic, but good enough if you know how to use it, which I doubt you do, and before you start giving me shit about that, it was the Imperial Chief Healer who came up with the idea first. If I remember correctly, when you came to Castiana, you were level 92 and had that skill at level 108. What are you at now?”

“Class level 122 and [Indomitable Will] at level 135.”

“See the contrast?” I could and was aware of it without him pointing it out.

“While you’ve grown beyond belief in that short period of time, the skill not so much. Hence the training. Although I initially intended to wait a little longer.”

“I’m not against it, only...if not you, who can teach me stuff like that? You hired a mind mage?” It was meant in jest; after all, their existence was banned in Sahal, but Sah gave me a nod. “Are you fucking kidding me? You want me to be trained by a mind mage? Are you serious?! Aren’t they banned from Sahal or whatever?” The idea repulsed me more than I thought it ever would. After all, not everyone with class [Thief] had to be a bad guy, just like not everyone [Guardswoman] was on the right side. Hell, even [Slave] wasn’t always a slave. Still...

“I figured you’d be more against the idea of practicing that skill than against who’s going to train you. Don’t get your panties in a twist, though. The man is not a mind mage. On the contrary, he specializes in defending against them, their magic, and mastering one’s own mind. That said, you will nonetheless face mind magic.”

Why did he have to be so cryptic? Who else but mind mages could control that twisted magic? “First of all, I’ve been trying to improve my control of that skill for some time now. Lieutenant Blaine suggested I might be able to resist pain through it.”

“And he could be quite right. Many mind skills, if mastered well, make that possible.”

“Right. And secondly. I’m sure they won’t send someone like Morton next time. Heck, if it weren’t for all the chaos around there, that bitch in Esulmor would have got into my head. So I’m all for the training, except… mind magic…is he really not a mind mage?”

“He isn’t. The beasts he breeds are, though.”

Beasts? Not what I expected to hear from him, and it took me by surprise. Of course, I’ve heard of beasts using mind magic. Deckard and Rayden mentioned that there were such down in Fallen’s Cry, and Lord Wigram said that it was speculated that humans learned mind magic from beasts. I just didn’t think anyone would breed such beasts on purpose.

“What if the beasts get away?” There was always the possibility, whether because of simple human error or a deliberate act to cause harm. Even Sah must have known that.

“Breeding of beasts is generally subject to strict regulations, breeding of some species stricter than others. Surely you can imagine that beasts capable of mind magic wouldn’t be bred by just anyone.”

Yeah, I could imagine that. Good to hear, too. “So, this man, when am I meeting him?”

“As I said, it wasn’t a drill meant for you so soon. And since the man’s not local, it’ll take a few days to get him here. Not to mention he’s got to wrap things up there first.” I’d have to be stupid not to notice how Sah avoided mentioning specifics. Whether it was intentional or just occupational disease, I had no idea.

“And he’s...let’s say, content to come here to train me? I’d hate to put my mind in the hands, so to speak, of someone who’s pissed ‘cause he had to come all the way to Castiana from wherever he is.”

“He’ll do his job, and he’ll have more than enough of work here. He’s not just coming for you, but he’ll be working with the master guards, too. Captain Rayden has been trying to get someone like him for their training for quite some time, as I understand it. However, she hasn’t been able to convince the local City Lord of the need for one.”

That sounded very familiar. Problems with limited budgets and not-so-willing Lord Egerton. “I had assumed that’s why they train at Fallen’s Cry, that she herself oversees their mind defense training.”

“Yes, and yes, but there’s only so much you can accomplish with that kind of training. She is not a mind mage herself, obviously, and so can only teach them how to confront such magic, what to focus on, what to avoid, not to actually show them that kind of attack. And the beasts aren’t the best for training, either. While those wielding mind magic tend to be smarter than others, their magic is still more brutal than mind mages.”

He didn’t have to say more. The beasts simply lacked human ‘subtlety’. “But doesn’t the man also use beasts?”

“Trained beasts, Grey. Trained beasts,” he said as if it spoke it all and motioned for me to move and not stand in the middle of the street just outside the barracks.

There I got to meet Rayden, who, like Agent Sah, was not so much surprised by the mind mages and an elf in Esulmor as she was by the migration of the northern eagles and Miros to Granora Mountain Range. From what was known about them, their breeding grounds being there would make the wide area around the mountains, Castiana not excluded, their hunting grounds. Of course, the city itself was still under the protection of the Labyrinth, as weakened and fading they were, not so much the surrounding regions, towns, and villages, though.

Contrary to my reports on eagle migration, Rayden was more than pleased to hear that Sah had decided to push my mind-defense training forward and immediately started making plans for her master guards.

That was it. I returned safely to the city and delivered the information I had.

Might be why my first Guardian skill was what it was.

[World Tree Messenger]

Passive I (Deviant - 30%)

Who better suited than her Guardian to speak her thoughts. There’s simply no one more trustworthy among those roaming the world than you, especially as you found it natural and did so without even being asked. Messengers are what World Trees are not, roaming and fast while carrying the weight of their tree itself.

Thus, your speed is increased by 39%(30%), and so is the credibility of your words.