Before Edellan switched off the light, they heard Mikell mutter from the top bunkbed, “Eddy?”
“Yeah?”
Mikell propped himself up with his arm. “When all of you go to Vinayre tomorrow, do you mind helping Elle find Van? Or at least, get started on finding him? It’s super important. If she asks, you should stay in Vinayre for a few days.”
Edellan studied their second best friend’s expression, observing the worry in his eyes. “Of course, no problem at all.”
Mikell grinned with relief and flopped back onto his bed. “Thanks a lot. You should catch some shuteye before your glorious six a.m. hike tomorrow.”
They snorted, “I was about to turn off the light before somebody interrupted me. Good night.” With that, Edellan flicked off the light and settled into the bottom bunkbed.
----------------------------------------
Pushing open the Hunter's Guild’s doors, Edellan braces themself for an onslaught of noisy chatter. They rarely need to visit the Guild, but they remember the social situation overwhelming them the first time.
It’s quiet. Edellan and Elle’s footsteps on the tiled floors sound loud as drums compared to the scratching of quill on paper.
Where hunters normally lounge or discuss plans, the wooden tables and chairs in the lobby remain empty. The bounty request board which covers the entire right wall is sparse with only a few tablets hanging off their hooks. Even the bright sunflower and lily paintings on the walls don’t chase away the grim atmosphere.
The director Tiami looks up from her ledger as the two approach the receptionist’s desk. Her amber eyes have bags under them, and her olive skin seems paler than usual. Despite her clear exhaustion, her black coat is immaculate, and her brown hair is pulled back into a well-groomed high ponytail as usual.
When she sees Elle, the thirty-four year old woman speaks with her usual, smooth voice. “Welcome to the Hunter’s Guild. I’m the guildmaster Tiami Winnow. How can I help you today?” She speaks with the native Vinayre accent, her words flowing together with slim pauses between them. Edellan’s grateful that Tiami at least makes an effort to enunciate.
Elle bows slightly, “Hello, Director. I’m Elle Kuang. We’re looking for Van Nguyen if you’ve seen him?” She casts a quizzical glance around the deserted lobby.
Something is wrong, and it might be related to Yimm’s comment earlier. Growing more anxious by the moment, Edellan blurts, “Hi Tiami, is everything okay here?” He speaks in his native language Ankor, knowing Tiami’s fluency in Universal.
She looks exasperated at the mention of Van, but her expression sobers at the second question. “Edellan and Elle, it’s nice to see you two well. You haven’t heard about the disappearances?”
“Yimm mentioned it in passing, but he said it was just a rumour. Are hunters actually disappearing?” Edellan tightens their grip on their backpack’s straps.
Taking a deep breath, Tiami responds, “Eight have gone missing. Two teams disappeared last week, and another disappeared today. Patrols have found no signs of them or any fight that took place. That’s all. There’s no curse or whatever nonsense people have come up with.”
Elle frowns, “Curse? Yimm didn’t mention that.”
The director’s mouth tightens, “Certainly not. The guards wouldn’t spread misinformation intentionally. Regardless, all we can do is stay calm and investigate.”
Edellan catches the small, bitter emphasis and feels uneasy. It sounds like Tiami knows or suspects who’s spreading the rumour.
“Of course,” Elle replies in a concerned tone. “Do you have a list of people who went missing?”
She retrieves a parchment from the desk and holds it out to the two. Edellan reads the list and recognizes none of the names to their relief.
The rift-diver takes the parchment and skims the information. “Thanks, we’ll keep an eye out. So Van isn’t one of them, right?”
Once again, that familiar look of exasperation crosses her face, and Edellan can only empathise. “Who knows? He went off somewhere last week, and I haven’t heard from him since.”
“...and that’s normal for him?”
“Yes. And if his power wasn’t so strong, I’d assume he’s dead in a ditch somewhere,” Tiami answers with the blunt honesty of someone who’s had to work with Van multiple times.
Elle blinks, “What’s his power? You sound pretty confident that he didn’t go missing with the others.”
“Gravity manipulation. He can crush things under their own weight or drop them from afar. Most monsters don’t live long around him.”
Her dark brown eyes widen for a moment. “Oh, that is handy.”
Edellan interjects, “That doesn’t mean it’s a good habit to go wandering off on your own without telling anyone though. No matter how strong or prepared you are, life has a way of surprising you.”
Come to think of it, they don’t know Elle’s power. During the fight against the icekoon, they only saw the clone being decapitated out of nowhere. Maybe it’s telekinesis or wind magic? That doesn’t fit with her strange inventory skill, but they have seen people grow to have multiple powers.
Elle purses her lips, “That’s true. When was Van last seen? We can’t be absolutely certain he’s hasn’t been affected by the disappearances.”
Tiami pulls a familiar tome out from the desk and places it on the counter. “Luckily for us all, we’ve made a point of reminding him to record his visits every time he’s at one of our establishments.” She then mutters, “He still forgets half-the-time unless one of us stops him from leaving.”
Edellan wonders if Van’s aura didn’t entirely heal the concussion from his fall into this world. That feels kind of rude to say though.
She opens the tome and it starts flipping through the pages by itself. “This is the Visiters Log, and it’s connected to similar books owned by frequently visited places in Vinayre. You can ask to view one if you’re looking for someone. Here’s Van’s last entry.”
Elle peers at the log and reads aloud, “‘Van Nguyen. 16 days, 5 months, 0 years after First Calamity. Visited the Hunter's Guild. Will be around Vinayre for the foreseeable future.” After a moment’s pause, she asks, “What’s the date now?”
Tiami replies, “25 days and 5 months after Calamity. Seems like he hasn’t recorded anything in the meantime.”
The rift-diver flips through the other pages. “You said that people remind him to write these entries. Is writing logs mandatory?”
“No, it simply helps the people who were separated during the Calamities. People who want to be found or find their loved ones. On the other hand, Van frequently wanders off without even a goodbye. This is our way of pre-empting any search parties.” Despite her brusque words, Edellan can hear the undercurrent of worry in her tone.
“Well, can’t stop people from making bad decisions. The log moved on its own earlier to the page you were looking for. How did you do that?”
“I touched the book and thought of his name. You can think of any word or phrase actually, but it’ll always flip to the most recent entry containing it.”
“Cool.” Elle touches the book, and it flips to an earlier page. She appears excited for a moment but then deflates. “Oh, this is Mikell’s entry. Guess his sister hasn’t stopped by.”
Edellan adds, “Most people look up their own name first to see if anyone is looking for them.”
“I see.” She waits for a moment but the book remains still. “Mind if I add an entry?” When Tiami shakes her head, Elle retrieves a pen from her inventory and writes in the log.
Edellan tries to read the log over her shoulder, but they can’t understand the language. While the script looks similar to Wardian from home, it reads as gibberish to them.
After she returns her pen, the rift-diver steps back from the log and looks at Edellan. “You can go ahead.”
They nod in thanks, touch the tome, and think, ‘Edellan Wervana.’
The log flips backwards, past Van’s entry. ‘Edellan Wervana. 14 days, 4 months, 0 years after First Calamity. Visited the Engineering Department. Please visit or send a message to Fort Kernstone if you’re looking for me.’ No one has mentioned them since.
Used to the disappointment, they think of their father’s name. ‘Ressa Wervana.’ Flipping through many pages, the log finally stops at their first entry in Vinayre.
‘Edellan Wervana. 27 days, 3 months, 0 years after First Calamity. Visited the Crooning Loon. I am searching for my parents Ressa Wervana and Bell Wervana. If you have any information, please contact me at the Engineering Department or Mikell Drukinn at the Hunter's Guild.’
Below their entry, they see Mikell’s familiar handwriting and can understand or guess at pieces of the language. ‘Mikell Drukinn. 27 days, 3 months, 0 years after First Calamity. Visited the [Crooning Loon]. I am looking for my sister Nola Drukinn. If ------------------------------------- to me at the [Hunter's Guild] or Edellan Wervana at the [Engineering Department]. If you -------------------------------------------------, ---------------------- me or Van Nguyen.’
Although Mikell has taught them some words in his native language, Edellan has mostly stuck to learning Xanam (pronounced like Sha-nam) and Common which are the most common languages in the area. They long for the time before the Calamities where they could download languages into their mods.
While Edellan checks the log, Elle continues talking with Tiami. “Thanks for helping us look for Van. I might be able to help with investigating the missing people’s case if you want?”
Edellan startles at that declaration. “You what?” Placing the log back on the counter, they find that Elle looks serious.
Tiami leans forward on the counter. “We don’t know why they’re disappearing. You could be next if you help.”
“I didn’t come here just for Van; I want a short-term job as a hunter. Sounds like I’ll be in danger in this situation anyways,” she retorts.
She raises her eyebrows, “So you need some quick cash?”
“Well, I won’t object to a normal hunt, but money will be useless if I disappear. More importantly though, monsters are the biggest threat. I think it’s in everyone’s best interests if Vinayre stops losing capable fighters.”
“I agree,” Tiami settles back in her chair. “Some have lost sight of that. If it were up to me, I’d be out there with a team to personally look for my people, but I’ve been asked to stay in the city until further notice.”
Edellan winces at the scowl on her face. She must have had an unpleasant conversation with the mayor. Privately though, they think it’s for the best. The loss of her combat and leadership capabilities would be a harsh blow against Vinayre.
Elle straightens her back, reaching her underwhelming full height. “Right, so you need people to investigate on your behalf. My power sometimes lets me pick up on things that others don’t. There’s no harm in letting me help.”
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Tiami meets her eyes for a moment before taking a deep breath. “I can’t in good conscience involve you without due diligence. Edellan, have you seen her fight? Do you think she’s strong enough to have a reasonable chance of walking away?”
Edellan hesitates, “...I have. From a distance.”
While Elle lacks melee combat experience, her ranged attacks did a lot of damage. They saw one attack decapitate the icekoon clone in one blow. She’s also displayed creativity by dropping that bowling ball and turning gravity to her advantage.
However, Edellan’s biggest concern isn’t her fighting skills. Mikell won’t tell them the details, but they can infer that Elle will help Van progress on his obscured goal. From their interactions with Elle, Edellan has observed her distant, mission-driven demeanour.
She reminds them of Van. He might soften it with his air-headedness, yet it’s deeply familiar. Edellan fears that Elle will keep everyone at a distance, wander off alone, and bite off more than she can chew one day.
However, if she can actually help Tiami…
Edellan sighs, “I’ve seen her destroy an icekoon clone with one blow.” When Elle perks up, they add, “...but I recommend she’s put on a team. She needs people to keep the heat off her.”
Tiami nods, “Not a problem. I already have two people who have offered to help. Elle, do you have problems with working in a team?”
Elle shakes her head, “No, I’m fine with it.”
“Great, I appreciate your assistance. If your team is successful, you’ll each be rewarded with eight hundred Lymm.” She glances at a clock on the wall. “It’s a little early, so why don’t you come back here at five o’clock? The other two should be arriving then, and we can all make introductions.”
“Sure thing,” Elle steps back from the counter. “One last question though, why aren’t you concerned about a curse at all? From everything I’ve seen, Vinayre has a lot of magic. A curse doesn’t sound impossible.”
Tiami closes her eyes for a moment before adjusting her lapels. “As I’m not overly familiar with magic, I can’t say whether or not a curse like that is possible. However, I do know that the rumour started west of the amphitheatre -- well known for its questionable repute.”
Edellan frowns. Locally famous for its boisterous gossipers and unhinged nightlife, the Crooning Loon tavern finds its home east of the amphitheatre. Tiami should know this because she lived in Vinayre before the Calamities sent it here.
Recalling the real neighbourhood west of the amphitheatre, they stiffen. The Temple of Eurimas and her followers’ residences are located near the amphitheatre because they helped build it. Considering the Temple’s resources, Tiami must not want to suffer backlash from accusing them.
The line of reasoning still feels ridiculous however. While Fort Kernstone and the Temple have a contentious relationship, the Temple gains a lot of revenue from the Hunters’ Guild. Hunters need the Temple’s preservation spells written on scrolls to stop the monster corpses’ sublimation so they can be harvested for materials.
Oblivious to Edellan’s thoughts, Elle tilts her head, “That’s kind of weird though. I can’t imagine anyone would want to spread rumours about people who are protecting them.”
Tiami crosses her arms. “Technically speaking, it’s the Guards who do regular patrols and culling of monsters. Hunters are the ones collecting resources off the patrol route, so it’s a less visible form of protection.”
Turning towards a window on the right wall, the guildmaster looks towards the staunch glacier as she continues, “Some people have gotten too comfortable with the Ice Shield driving away most of the beasts. They think our work is easily replaced by guards or traders, never mind all the time we’ve spent honing our skills as scouts and fighters.”
Elle raises her eyebrows, “I’ll do my best to dispel the rumours, but I can’t promise anything.”
Tiami waves her hand, “We’ll bounce back eventually. These rumours are from a vocal minority, and people are only avoiding the guild out of fear. They’ll come back once they realise it’s all bullshit.”
Edellan adds, “I’m willing to help as well while I’m in Vinayre. Can’t say it’ll do much, but I’ll see what happens.”
“Thank you both,” she gives them a small smile. “See you two at five o’clock then.”
The two say their goodbyes and exit the guild. Elle hesitates for a moment before asking, “Can you point me to the public library and maybe a place to buy a coat? I don’t want to take up more of your time.”
Edellan rubs their chin. “Actually, do you want me to introduce you to an Archivist at the Temple? I need to talk to one about the disappearances, and the Temple’s library has many historical records. I can point out the public library on the way back here.”
Elle mulls over this for a moment before nodding. “I’d appreciate that, thank you.”
They adjust their pack. “No problem. Let’s go.”
***
Heading south from the Hunters’ Guild, the two walk past the Alchemists’ Guild and down an increasingly busier street. People of various races ---magical and non-magical--- are scattered on rooves, balconies, and the ground level, helping to build or expand structures. They see customers wandering in and out of the many shops lining this street.
On their way to the Temple, Edellan explains the widespread use of the Temple’s preservation scrolls by different fields like hunting, alchemy, and medicine to Elle. They keep the old drama between Fort Kernstone and the Temple to themself though.
During the walk, Edellan sees red and orange paper phoenixes decorating the buildings. Paper has been more expensive due to the area and monster attacks, so the sight briefly confuses them until they remember the six-month anniversary of the Calamities will be next week. Flint said that the mayor invited everyone at Fort Kernstone to attend the festival, but most people haven’t decided to come yet.
Along the way, Edellan points out a tailor’s shop where they’d purchased a decent set of clothing. Elle walks out with a brown, wool jacket designed to camouflage with the rocky palette of the area. Edellan cringes at the stony expression on her face when she needed to spend most of her cut of the profits, but they reassure her that the jacket is enchanted to be quite durable.
After sixteen minutes, they reach the amphitheatre constructed with cream-coloured stone. Although nobody is currently performing on the flat, circular stage below the seats, many people sit and chat on the steps.
Elle observes the amphitheatre with visible curiosity. “Was this here before the Calamities?”
“No, the Temple was mainly responsible for it actually. It’s a public area given to the city out of goodwill.” Privately, Edellan thinks it’s the best PR they’ve done since arriving Vinayre. “They still put on performances every week though.”
“Oh, when? And do I need to purchase tickets?”
“The seventh evening of every week.” Edellan is still unused to the seven-day weeks that Vinayre implements. His home planet Kinonn used six-day weeks containing two-day weekends. “No tickets, but they ask for a nominal donation if you attend. Other groups perform too on the other nights.”
The miner smiles at a memory of Mikell and them getting drunk off their asses at shows back when they still worked in Vinayre. They remember giggling non-stop at a dopey horse costume when too many people inexplicably decided to reenact a battle and didn’t have enough roles.
If they turn left on the next intersection, the two will eventually reach the Crooning Loon which has the best drinks in the city. Even in the afternoon, people are likely swapping stories on break there.
However, they’ve got more important matters. Turning right, they stroll into a residential area owned by Eurimas worshippers.
Tall and symmetrical, there are two rows of townhouses is stacked atop another, all uniform in structure. While the base colour is the same creamy-white as the amphitheatre, the townhouses have murals painted on them. The murals tell the story of Eurimas creating the seasons, coloured in shades of sepia.
Depicted with the sun as her head, the paintings show Eurimas enveloping all other symbols and characters. Rays scattering across the wall, she blesses the drawings of people with stories to keep their spirits lifted in winter. As seasons pass, she travels across the wall.
Edellan relays their limited knowledge of the story to Elle who turns her head to absorb all the murals as they walk. After a few blocks, they reach the temple in the centre of a clearing with no buildings adjacent to it.
Unlike its surroundings, the Temple of Eurimas is a circular building made purely from marble. Edellan knows its domed roof can turn invisible through magic, allowing the acolytes to star-gaze. Translucent and cut in triangular patterns, the windows are large and made of white and gold-coloured stained glass.
Statues of cloaked figures line the path to the temple. The left side starts with a child statue while the right starts with a crone. As the statues depict increasingly older figures on the left side, the statues on the right depict increasingly younger ones.
They push open the twin doors and enter the main hall, admiring the soft golden glow cast upon the pews by the stained glass. At the front of the room, a marble statue of Eurimas covered only by a cloak stands with her arms outstretched. Its height reaches the point where the main building meets the dome.
Edellan heads over to a door on the right which has an ‘Archives’ sign engraved above it. Entering the library, they see shelves as tall as the walls filling the space. While the more recent additions are bound books, the older records are wrapped and sealed in scrolls, organised by subject and year in cubbies.
The library extends farther than their eyes can see, relying on magic to expand the room on the inside. To Edellan’s knowledge, the records go back several thousand years with some written in languages lost to the passage of time. They wonder if a rift-diver like Elle can read them.
Upon their entry, a familiar plump woman steps away from her desk to greet them. When she draws closer, she whispers in Xanam, “Edellan, it’s been awhile. How have you been?” Her accent elongates her words slightly, indicating her heritage from the second world.
They smile, “I’ve been well. Panna, I want you to meet Elle Kuang. Elle, this is Panna Greystone, one of the archivists overseeing the library.”
“Nice to meet you, Panna.” Elle dips her head. “The archives are more extensive than I expected.”
Panna’s face lights up. “Well, please feel welcome to peruse our records. The pursuit of knowledge is a noble undertaking, and I am be happy to assist. Are you two looking for anything in particular?”
Edellan subtly scans the room for any eavesdroppers and finds that only two of the distant tables has any occupants. “I’d like to have a quick chat with you if you have time. Elle, were you looking for something to read?”
Elle nods, her gaze darting around the Archives. “Yes, I’m looking for anything on mythology or the Calamities if possible? I heard that the Temple focuses on historical records, so I understand if you don’t have anything that recent.”
“As it happens, we most certainly do possess records on the Calamities.” Panna beams and gestures to a shelf labelled ‘Age of Confluence’ in tiny print. Only two books sit on the otherwise empty shelf. “We Archivists keep extensive records of all major historical events, including ongoing ones.”
“Oh, that’s wonderful. It must be so helpful for research to have that many primary sources of information.” Elle looks around the room with renewed interest.
Edellan wonders if she’s actually impressed or wants to butter up Panna. Given their limited experience with her, it might be both.
Regardless, the Archivist stands straighter with obvious pride. “Naturally. We encourage everyone to familiarise themselves with history and recognize their parts in its long tale. Small actions can have far-reaching consequences.”
Elle replies, “That’s a good attitude to have. Do the Archives contain any books on mythology specifically or is it all on history?”
Panna gestures to a tall bookshelf farther back in the room. “If you seek encyclopaedias or general knowledge books on gods and their creations, you may check the shelf labelled ‘Gods and Religion’. If you wish to research the Age of Gods, you’ll have to continue walking down the leftmost aisle until you reach a shelf plated in gold. However, I will warn you that some of the scrolls there are written in long-forgotten languages.”
She tilts her head, “Even forgotten by the Temple?”
“Even us. Not all of the records here are penned by Archivists. The Temple will purchase materials deemed to contain reliable information or historical artefacts.”
“Interesting. What about Aura? Any books on how to improve powers?”
Panna’s smile becomes a little strained. Knowing the Temple’s beliefs about Aura being a divine blessing, she probably found the question too blunt. Elle would fit in with people from Nessaprine though. “My apologies, the Archives focus primarily on historical events and achievements. Applied research is best done elsewhere.”
“No worries, I’ll go take a look at the other books then.” Elle heads towards the shelf labelled ‘Age of Confluence’, giving the other two space to talk.
“Let’s speak in my office.” Panna guides them to a plain, wooden door between some bookshelves. Above the door, there’s a grand painting of a religious ceremony, but the office inside is unassuming. Once the two get seated, she leans forward with curiosity. “What would you like to ask me? I’m afraid no new books have arrived on artificing or technology.”
Edellan purses their lips for a moment before deciding to go with the truth. “I’ve been hearing some vague rumours about hunters disappearing. Do you know anything about that?”
Her cheery expression dims. “Oh, terrible news. I wouldn’t have expected Grand Mage Aspirash to take the lives of twelve hunters, but I suppose those who desecrated his legacy deserve his wrath.”
The miner frowns, latching onto the immediately alarming topic. “Sorry, Grand Mage Aspirash? What does he have to do with this?”
“One of the hunters robbed his tomb and made off with the Grand Mage’s staff.” Panna shakes her head with disappointment. “Until the staff is returned, more hunters will continue to disappear if they wander out of the Ice Shield’s sanctuary.”
“That’s upsetting to hear. I’ll look into it further.” Personally, they’re a little sceptical of this claim given it’s ambiguous origins. Edellan decides to switch gears since Tiami said only eight people went missing. “You said twelve hunters? Do you know who?”
She furrows her brow. “Hmm… You know, I’m not quite certain. My apologies, you will have to ask the Guards.”
“No problem, I will do that.” They rub their chin, lost in thought. Grand Mage Aspirash died during the Second Calamity, weeks before Edellan’s world crash-landed here. “Anything else you’d like to add?”
“That’s all I know, I’m afraid.”
“It’s okay. Thanks for the information. How have you been?”
Her face brightens with the change in topic. “Wonderful, thank you! Were you able to find what you were seeking in Fort Kernstone?”
Edellan gives her a weak smile. “Not yet, but an arcanist is helping me.”
They’ve found so many different materials in the mines, but they’re still having trouble piecing Goose back together. However, Edellan is determined to bring their first best friend back even if it means creating the first magical hardware capable of storing an AI.
Speaking of Fort Kernstone, they should inform everyone there about the recent disappearances. Edellan will have Flint inform Mark on his own though.
Fuck that guy for saying Nola is dead.