Chapter 09 : Recruitment

Three days later Nikolaï was waiting in front of the Tower. He was playing with a string from the canvas bag he was holding. While waiting, Nikolaï looked at the horizon. The day was clear and despite not having rained, the air was damp. Nikolaï was surprised by how far they were in spring. He knew the date but his coma and isolation had made him lose his sense of time.

Spending most of his time in his underground room didn’t help to readjust as quickly as he had should but he was getting there. Since his comeback, he had been so focused on his progress that he didn’t pay attention to most of the rest. It was probably not going to change in the near future either. Nikolaï was moving quickly but he was still far from his objectives. He often got slightly light-headed when he was thinking about the path that he still had to walk but he had a sense of hopefulness that helped him focus on the present tasks.

Today it was a hunt. He had decided what creature he was going to use for the next absorption. Finding the right one had been mainly a matter of being able to procure it. The gardens had a lot of creatures with the proper criteria for the method so the real choice had to be practical. The creature he intended to hunt was not the perfect one for him but he knew where he could find one and more importantly, survive the battle.

Even with precautions, Nikolaï had concluded that hunting all alone would have been an error. That was why it had taken him 3 days to act. Recruiting another Aspirant to participate in your hunt was not hard, it was only a matter of price. Sharing the benefits of the excursion could be tricky. Nikolaï had only interest in the eyes and heart of the creature but they were often the most valuable parts of weak creatures.

To find a partner, Nikolaï had offered 8 tenths of the rest of the creature and some tokens. Not aiming to take any new class for now it was better to trade them rather than cash. An Aspirant had responded to the message Nikolaï had put on the board and he was currently waiting for him.

“_ You must be Orwood. I’m Enrick Kain.”

Nikolaï turned around and looked at the guy who had approached him. He was taller than Nikolaï and in a better physical state. He had dark hair and a small beard under two piercing blue eyes. Nikolaï stood up and performed a small salute.

“_ Yes it’s me. Nice to meet you Aspirant Kain.” Said Nikolaï.

“_ Nice to meet you too.” Responded his interlocutor while saluting too.

In the face of Aspirant Kain's friendly tone and sympathetic attitude, Nikolaï decided to not say a word about him being late. It was not worth the risk of alienating each other before walking into a dangerous place. Seeing that his comrade was properly equipped, Nikolaï believed that they didn’t need to lose any more time.

“_ We should go.” Said Nikolaï before leading the way. “We are lucky I found a gathering mission that will be on our path to the mangrove.”

“_ What kind of mission ?” Asked Aspirant Kain suspiciously.

“_ Just gather some flower head, very easy and not worthy of an expedition but being on the way it’s all beneficial for us.”

Aspirant Kain's suspicions disappeared instantly, what Nikolaï had done was common practice. Some missions were not worth of doing when you compared their risks to their salaries. Aspirants often took those missions as a secondary objective to one requiring more preparation, especially if it was on the way.

Nikolaï and Aspirant Kain's mission was a perfect example. They were on an unofficial one so the only benefit that the Tower could give them was the money from reselling some of the parts from their hunt. Even if the creature was rare and precious they would not gain any token. Depending on his situation, tokens could have more value than gold for an Aspirant.

Nikolaï was relieved that Aspirant Kain didn’t argue with taking an extra mission. He seemed to know the practice which meant that he was not a complete amateur. In the case where he had been, Nikolaï had compiled a list of arguments to explain his decision but was glad to avoid that, especially because they needed to do a little detour.

While walking they chat a little or at least Aspirant Kain tried to. Nikolaï wasn’t really in the mood and was a bit embarrassed by some of the questions. Aspirant Kain has been here for 1 year and a half and was an Aspirant of the 1st Circle. Even before his incident Nikolaï and he would have been equal despite the fact that Nikolaï was his “senior”.

Like many others, Aspirant Kain would surpass him in no time. Nikolaï had felt this kind of shame so many times in the past that it was still affecting him. Even if he now had the chance of catching up with his peers, thanks to the potential of his eyes.

Aspirant Kain brushed a little on the subject of Nikolaï's incident but with no result from his interlocutor. Nikolaï wasn’t supposed to talk about and Orsana was respected and/or feared enough to prevent any harassment on the subject.

Nikolaï led the way and used his Third Eye at different moments to avoid unnecessary danger.

“_ I think it’s the place.” Said Aspirant Kain while showing a patch of bluegrass.

“_ Yeah but I’d rather avoid young shoot. I don’t want to give them an opportunity to skim our payment.”

“_ Agree with that.”

Nikolaï and Aspirant Kain walked a bit further and looked for the flowers. Nikolaï had a jar in his bag especially to gather flowers and avoid them being squished in his bag.

“_ Here ! It looks promising !” Yelled Kain.

Nikolaï crunched next to him and gathered the flower with a knife. Kain was using a small sickle which was more efficient but that didn’t mean he was to do things alone. The quicker they finish the quicker they would head to the real mission.

Nikolaï didn’t like to stay in high grass and Kain also was careful. Some creatures didn’t need to be big to be deadly dangerous. Nikolaï was regularly using the active state of his Third Eye to look around him. Revealing more elementium could create confusion but seeing Ether was an asset because only creatures could have it.

“_ Shit ! I think there is something on your right Kain !” Prevented Nikolaï after one of his scans.

“_ What !?”

Aspirant Kain looked to his right, trying to see any danger but he didn’t take the weirdly shaped club on his hip. Some flowers were moving but it could easily be the wind doing. Nikolaï unsheathed his sword as the silhouette of Ether became clearer in his eyes.

“_ Snake !” Alerted Nikolaï.

Aspirant Kain reacted quickly, he didn’t take his club but joined his hands. The snake stood up, ready to jump to his prey's neck but didn’t have the opportunity to do so. A breath of fire came from Aspirant Kain's hands, burning the path of plants where the snake was.

The spell was localised but Nikolaï could feel the sudden heat on his skin. It was a continuous spell but Aspirant Kain interrupted it quickly, probably saving his energy. The snake wiggled, he was not in flames but its skin was showing burning injury.

Aspirant Kain was ready to hit a second time but Nikolaï pushed him lightly on the side and intervened. He stabbed the snake threw its head with his sword and let it in while the body of the snake was having spasms.

His sword had skewered the snake on the ground. Nikolaï let it that way and quickly stepped on the little flames before they started spreading to the rest of the area. Aspirant Kain reacted too and helped him.

“_ Sorry.” Said the Aspirant.

“_ Don’t be.” Concluded Nikolaï as they extinguished the last ones.

The fire was a powerful weapon for a hunter but not ideal for gathering missions. Nikolaï thought about what to say. The sudden heat had destroyed part of what they were trying to gather but Aspirant Kain still had a good reflex. Nikolaï would have preferred that he used his weapon other than a spell to do so, but nobody was injured. Nikolaï took the jar and handed it to Aspirant Kain.

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“_ Collect what could be salvaged, I will take care of the snake.”

“_ Right.”

Nikolaï took a small vial from his bag before taking his sword from the snake's head. It was better to collect the venom before it blended with the blood. Nikolaï did so but one of the glands at been destroyed by his stabbing. After collecting the venom he used a piece of rope and leather to wrap the entire head and enrolled the body around it. The purpose was to create a package of sorts.

“_ I found good ones on your side so we have a full jar.” Said Aspirant Kain after a few minutes.

“_ I’m finished too. I salvaged a bit of venom and the fangs seemed to be in good condition. Better than the skin.”

“_ How do we share it ?” Asked Aspirant Kain.

“_ Don’t worry, we said fifty-fifty on all the extra we collect.” Said Nikolaï while checking his equipment. “Let’s go.”

Aspirant Kain's question wasn’t innocent. He knew that his spell had damaged the snake's skin so Nikolaï could legitimately ask to have a better share of it. Nikolaï didn’t do so because it was not worth it but it wasn’t about generosity either. Being picky would only antagonise Aspirant Kain and they needed to work together as long as they were in the gardens.

They walked side by side in the direction of the mangrove, the part that Nikolaï had crossed with when he was collecting fruits. The target was the water mongoose which tried to bite his hand off the last time they met.

The two aspirant still had the adrenaline from the last attack coursing throw their veins. Which was good, it was better to maintain a certain level of concern when travelling into the gardens.

“_ It was here.” Pointed out Nikolaï while showing his comrades the path in front of them.

“_ You are sure that we will find a water mongoose in this place.”

“_ I saw one a few days ago so we have a big chance that it’s still in the area.”

“_ Do you think we can use the snake to bait it.”

“_ I doubt it. I think we have better chances to find it by walking around the pound.”

After debating if they should split and decided against it, Nikolaï and Aspirant Kain started to follow the pond shore silently and alert.

It had been twenty minutes since their hunt began and Nikolaï asked for a small break. Aspirant Kain was a bit surprised that it was so soon but didn’t argue after Nikolaï had assured him that he only needed a few minutes.

Nikolaï’s global condition was okay but the constant use of his Third Eye was more demanding than he had expected. He had tested before how long he could use it before starting to have a headache but these tests had been done in the safety of his room.

Nikolaï had to spare himself a bit more if he wanted to continue like that. The big difference in using his “gift” in the open was the range of his visions. Nikolaï had realised that the distance of how far he could see elementium and ether was not fixed and was widely dependent on his focus. It was weirdly similar to a normal eye adjusting itself to light except that Nikolaï hadn’t yet developed the reflexes to not let his vision constantly readjust to what he was looking at (rather than maintaining a steady range of perception). This go and forth was draining on a mental level.

The break didn’t take very long and Nikolaï and Aspirant Kain went back to the hunt. Nikolaï was trying to focus on and maintain his vision in a more steady state.

“_ Stop !” Said Nikolaï while grabbing Kain’s arm. “I think I saw something.”

It was half an hour since the break and Nikolaï just glimpsed a small hint of the mongoose presence. Twenty steps from them, he could guess the presence of cleansed stone not far from the shore.

“_ What was it ?” Whispered Aspirant Kain.

“_ Something in the water.” Lied Nikolaï. “Let’s get closer.”

He couldn't talk about his Third Eye so it was better to pretend that he believed that he had spotted the creature.

They approached and Nikolaï confirmed his previous guessings. There was some stone in the water, which meant that they were on a mongoose territory.

“_ Look over there.” Said Aspirant Kain while pointing to an area filled with tall reed type of plants.

The vegetation was moving as if something was crawling in it. Nikolaï powered his Third Eye and saw a shadow of ether walking. He couldn’t identify the creature but the size was right for a water mongoose.

“_ It’s probably it. I will go straight to it and bait him while you go around and flank it when the moment is right.”

Aspirant Kain nodded and went on his way. Nikolaï waited for him to have some head start before moving. Nikolaï unsheathed his sword and moved forward. His heart was beating faster in his chest at each step he was taking.

Nikolaï finally found himself facing the creature. He was lucky it was a water mongoose, actually “lucky” was a term to be debated. Despite his name, the thing was the size of a dog and had a set of sharp teeth and claws. The main problem was the fact that it was a very vivacious creature that knew instinctively where to strike.

If you weren’t cautious a water mongoose would chew your carotid or aim at your femoral with its claws.

Nikolaï focused on the creature which had noticed his arrival and was hissing at him. Nikolaï raised his sword between the two of them, discouraging the creature from jumping on him while maintaining a certain distance.

The two adversaries were watching each other closely but Nikolaï noticed something on his left. Aspirant Kain was approaching and Nikolaï moved on the right. If it worked the mongoose was going to turn and Aspirant Kain could attack from its back.

The strategy was working and Aspirant Kain approached silently. He put his hand on the handle of his club, ready to draw it. It was where things went sideways !

Probably due to the sudden blow of wind the mongoose noticed Kain's presence and started to flee.

“_ Shit !” Sweared Nikolaï.

But Kain was the one with the right reflex. He joined his hands and cast a cone of fire to cut the runaway path of the creature. The creature stopped for a second, confused. Nikolaï jumped on the occasion and tried to strike the creature with his sword.

The creature avoided the blow by twisting its flexible body. Nikolaï tried to strike once again but it moved out of his range. Out of Nikolaï’s range but right into Aspirant Kain’s one. He had stopped casting his spell and was holding his comma-shaped club with his two hands.

The strike was circular, almost elegant and hit the creature on the neck with the round extremity of the club. A cracking sound was heard and despite its weight, the creature flew a few steps away and landed in the water. Just like that, the fight was over and Nikolaï sighted of relief.

“_ Good reflexes.” Commented Nikolaï while putting his sword away.

He cast Spectral Hand and used it to bring back the mongoose body on the shore before Aspirant Kain had the chance to say anything.

“_ Nice ! I didn’t really want to go for a swim.” Said Aspirant Kain. “Let’s load it up and go.”

***

The comeback had been longer than he could have been but they had taken a safer path. Which was welcomed since the creature weighed around 50 pounds (25 kilograms) and Kain and Nikolaï were taking turns carrying it.

They didn’t talk much on the way back and silently went to the warehouse where they could sell their prizes. They approached the area, which was rather empty of people at this late time of the day. An employee of the Tower was here with a thick leather apron.

“_ What do you have here ?” Asked the man, skipping what he believed was boring introductions.

“_ Some snake and a water mongoose.” Answered Aspirant Kain.

“_ Hum… I don’t really have a demand for those.” Said the man.

Nikolaï rolled his eyes, they hadn’t yet discharged the body and the man was already trying to lower the price.

“_ I need a butchering table and tools.” Declared Nikolaï, skipping politeness too.

“_ You want to do it yourself ?” Asked Kain, surprised. “Are you sure ?”

“_ Don’t worry I used to work at one of the tannery not far.” Responded Nikolaï before turning to the employee. “Which means I know the right price for a pelt with no holes or damages.”

Five minutes later Nikolaï was ready to start. It was possible to rent a butchering station and Aspirant Kain offered to pay for it since Nikolaï was going to do it himself. He was currently sharpening a knife. It was a strangely relaxing thing to do and Nikolaï took advantage of it to realise how little he had used actual arcane during its hunt. Except for his Third Eye but its cost and mental charge were different than an actual spell.

Because of that Nikolaï decided he wanted to try something.

“_ Could you hold it please ?” Asked Nikolaï to Aspirant Kain who had been waiting on the side.

Nikolaï joined his hands and cast once again Spectral Hand. The flying hand grabbed the knife and started to open the creature by its belly with precision.

Aspirant Kain wasn’t a big fan of the butchering process at the start but he put it together for a chance to learn a few things from Nikolaï. Even if he would probably never do it himself it was a knowledge that could avoid being ripped off. Still in the middle of the process, he needed some fresh air so Nikolaï offered him to bring the flowers to the other warehouse and claim their reward to the proper office.

Nikolaï didn’t use the Spectral Hand all the time. Mostly because sometimes he needed two hands and while he was casting he couldn’t use his two real ones. Maybe one day he would cast by the simple strength of his mind but right now it was very very far from that kind of prowess. He had reserved the use of the spell for the messiest work but even like that, he ended up smelling like guts and blood.