Rancour backed away from the crowd, scanning the nearby terraces. The balconies looked desolate despite the growing crowd around the corpse. He should leave before their morbid fascination turned into inevitable panic.
He turned and walked off at a steady pace, trying not to draw attention. Rancour didn’t expect to run into this after finishing his daily mission, and his heart hammered against his ribcage.
After the Calamities, he’s no longer a guard, but his mind still raced through several observations.
One, the Governor of Danglawan died. His robes looked torn like he struggled against his attacker.
Two, the corpse had a neatly slit throat. A person killed him, not a monster.
Three, there were no guards present around the crowd. The lack of action couldn’t mean anything good, and Rancour didn’t know if he wanted to be here when shit went down.
----------------------------------------
Elle raises her eyebrows. “Everything disintegrated after he casted that spell? Then why make a rumour about his staff?”
Tiami responds a beat slower, “Only a few people were on the battlefield when it happened. We were trying to cover everyone else’s retreat underground, so most people only know the story by word-of-mouth.”
Thermal adds quietly, “It sounds like he used a high-level technique to extract every bit of energy from himself and his possessions. Only an archmage would have that level of skill, and most people outside of academic circles do not know it is even possible to substitute mana in spells.”
Setting the necklace back on the table, Elle grimaces. “And there’s no other link to the Temple and Mt. Aspirash? Clearly they don’t know the specifics of the spell or they want to pretend like they don’t.”
Thermal looks to the ceiling in thought. “The followers of Eurimas are known more for their scholarly pursuits of history and literature rather than the arcane. Eurimas taught them the method of creating preservation scrolls, so to experiment with time is to dabble in a divine domain. I do not think Grand Arcanist Aspirash’s transmutation would interest them.”
Pouring themself another glass of cider, Edellan concludes, “So the Temple is uninvolved in the disappearances, besides being petty.”
The guildmaster nods. “Seems that way so far. I’ve been doing my own investigations into them, but it’s been difficult.”
Elle frowns. Everything she’s heard about the Temple of Eurimas seems counterintuitive to attracting new believers. Their preservation scrolls make them tolerable not likeable. Tiami mentioned friction with other factions, so it sounds like the Temple has been grabbing for power.
Serena glances at the necklace. “Has anybody tried putting on the necklace? If it’s the symbol of the Moon Shroud, maybe she’ll show us the way to her cleric.”
Thermal shakes his head. “It might work for a worshipper, but I assume that has been tested already?”
Tiami gives another tight nod. “Grand Arcanist Ryne has performed many tests on it. Unfortunately, we don’t have many avenues left to pursue.”
Elle asks, “What about the other hunters who disappeared?”
The guildmaster passes a list of names to her. “Unfortunately, we weren’t able to find any traces of them. It’s possible that they all disappeared for different reasons, but the growing number of missing hunters is worrying.”
Thermal folds his hands. “That is perfectly understandable. Tonight, I shall make the necessary preparations to cast my modified Locate Soul spell tomorrow. We shall trek off the eastern patrol routes and follow the trail from there. I assume the two ladies here will be assisting me?”
Elle and Serena agree. Edellan who has been sitting quietly speaks, “You should remember to bring light and rope with you tomorrow. If you end up going into the tunnels, it’s going to be hard fighting in a dark, cramped space. Or worse, get lost down there.”
“I trust that accurate maps of the land can be provided?” After Tiami gives an affirmative, Thermal continues, “Then I believe the three of us will be enough so long as we retreat if a battle approaches. We are investigators first and foremost, not warriors.”
The Calamities only ended four months ago, so she has her doubts about those maps. Elle asks, “If the previous searches weren’t able to recover them, doesn’t it make sense that they might be in undiscovered areas? Like hidden tunnels?” She’s banking on her power to find secret passages like the tunnel running under the river near Fort Kernstone.
Tiami grimaces, “Yes, that’s a possibility. However, I request that if you do find a hidden entrance, you’ll return for backup.”
“Naturally.” Thermal closes his book. “The maps are appreciated. Can the Guild provide any other support?”
She looks apologetic, “Unfortunately, I’ll need to remain here for security as the festival preparations continue. You may speak with the guards or the Arcanist Guild if you wish, but I can’t promise they’ll be able to provide much more help than they already have.”
Elle savours the cider’s sweetness before setting down her glass. “Excuse me, I’m new here. What festival are you talking about?” She recalls seeing paper phoenixes everywhere except for the Temple district.
Tiami walks around and refills everyone’s glasses. “It’s the Festival of Ice and Hearth to mark the six-month anniversary of the First Calamity. We’ll probably have an event for the yearly anniversary, but to be frank, Vinayre can use a morale boost right now.”
Who knows how many people will still be alive for the yearly anniversary? Elle nods her acknowledgement and doesn’t voice that grim thought.
Serena leans forward with one elbow on the table and grins, “I heard that some big-heads from Danglawan are coming. Will we get a bonus if we find everyone before the festival?”
The guildmaster raises her eyebrows. “If the three of you can find them within the next five days, I’m happy to give you any reward within reason and my power to do so.”
She beams, “Works for me!”
Elle swallows. It surely can’t be so easy to find people who have been untraceable by the guards and guilds. However, she should at least try to help. Besides, she doesn’t know Van’s whereabouts, so it’s not like she has anywhere to be.
Edellan glances between everyone. They look like they want to say something but hesitate.
Before she can prompt them to speak, Thermal clears his throat, “Very well then. I will need time tonight to prepare for tomorrow’s casting. I trust everyone needs to make their own preparations. Shall we meet in the lobby tomorrow morning at the seventh hour?”
Serena shrugs, “Yep, I’m good with that.”
Elle agrees. Tiami collects the empty glasses and investigations materials, and the group clears out of the meeting room. As Serena and Thermal wander off to their respective paths, the guildmaster turns to the remaining two. “Do you both have a place to stay tonight? The guild has rooms.”
“How much is a room?” Elle asks. She needs to come up with a living plan once she has the funds unless she wants to crash in an inn every single night.
“First two days here are free, and then it’s one yellow Lymm per night for guild members and six for non-guild members. Rent is subsidised by taxes.” Tiami sets the platter of glasses on the receptionist desk. “Since you’re part of the investigations team, I’ll say the room is free for the duration of the job.”
“Alright, I’d like to stay here tonight then, please.”
Edellan shifts their feet. “Thanks, but I have somewhere else to stay.” They glance at Elle.
She smiles, “I’ll be fine. See you tomorrow morning at the north gate? I’ll send you off.”
They smile back. “Okay, I’ll see you there. Have a good night.” Edellan gives one last look toward Tiami before exiting the guildhall.
The guildmaster leads Elle to the second floor of the guildhall, and the rift-diver realises the palpable silence in the air. Nobody else is in the building, and the wooden floorboards creak under their footsteps. “Where is everyone? Have they all been scared off by the rumours?”
Tiami chuckles, “Only the superstitious ones. Others are away on jobs or don’t want to linger in the building while the investigation is ongoing. The most useful feature of the guild is our intelligence-gathering as our members are more likely to travel outside of Vinayre’s borders.”
“Is this a recruitment pitch?” Elle asks as they reach a nondescript door labelled ‘206’.
“Sure, the guild could use more members. If you’re interested in helping people, there’s more to us than just slaying monsters.” Tiami takes a key out of her black coat pocket and hands it to her. “You don’t need to give me an answer now. Here’s your room, and have a good evening.”
“Thanks, you too.” The guildmaster leaves, and Elle unlocks the door. Stepping into the room, she flicks on the light switch, takes a deep breath and relaxes.
Like the meeting room on the first floor, the austere guestroom has no decorations and mismatched furniture. The bed, small desk, and chair look scavenged from different buildings, bearing scratches and scuff marks. Fortunately, the room smells like clean laundry, and she can’t spot any mould or water damage. That’s already an upgrade from her cheap apartment back in Vancouver.
On the far wall above the desk in front of her, a window shows a view overlooking the main street. Elle walks over to it and scans her surroundings. Directly across the street, she can see residences atop of store fronts. The guildhall sits in a commercial area with the main street running through the trading hub.
To her pleasant surprise, it seems like most of Vinayre has electricity as she notices light spilling from windows -- too bright to be candlelight. Street lamps begin to glow as the sun sets, casting an orange glow on the jellybean-coloured homes.
Elle draws the curtains shut and steps into the centre of the room. There’s no real purpose behind this except to give herself time to think.
Thermal told them to prepare for tomorrow, but she only has ten Lymm left which isn’t enough to buy a potion. She can only rely on her possessions from Earth and her space manipulation powers. Speaking of her powers though, Elle finally has time to privately explore new avenues of inquiry.
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Her inventory seems to be able to purify the corruptive magic inside monsters, and she doesn’t have a way to test if rending space does the same. However, her aura doesn’t have the purification property. A few months ago, Elle tried to drive the Hunger out of her neighbour by pouring her aura into them, but the woman still transformed into a monster.
She previously assumed her aura was solely responsible for fueling her space manipulation powers. Instead, it seems like her inventory is accessing space which removes miasma. Which begs the question: where does her inventory lead?
Elle opens her inventory in front of her and peers into it. As usual, it appears to be a pitch-black void which consumes all light. She now has what might be a spectacularly bad idea, but her aura should be enough to protect her.
Widening the portal, she takes a deep breath and holds it, leaning forward into the darkness. Elle doesn’t know if there’s oxygen in her inventory, and she still can’t see for shit. Her inventory is somewhat warmer than the room with no sound or smell as far as she can tell.
With mental effort, she pushes at the edges of the portal. It widens another inch.
Hairs stand up on the back of her neck. Elle rips herself out of the portal. It slams shut; its edge misses her by millimetres.
She stares at the empty air in front of her, muscles tense and frozen. Her heart thumps in her ribcage. If she didn’t manage to escape, would she have been decapitated like those monsters? Her aura would have been enough… Right?
Elle sits down at the desk and summons her phone and hand-crank charger. She plugs in her phone and starts turning the crank, finding comfort in the methodical motions while she thinks.
She previously assumed her aura created a special dimensional space only she could access. But what if her powers actually connect to an existing plane where miasma can’t exist? Elle resolves to research planes once she finishes the current investigation. Surely this world has more information than Earth.
If she can control where her portals connect, then she might be able to return home on her own. Ever since she first discovered her powers, Elle has always been frustrated with her inability to teleport. It seems odd that her space manipulation doesn’t allow herself to move, so this might be something she needs to engineer rather than expect a miraculous power-up.
After an hour of no new ideas, Elle puts aside her thoughts on teleportation for later experimentation. Some problems aren’t solved quickly, and she needs to make the most of her time to prepare for tomorrow.
In this quiet moment alone, the rift-diver can’t distract herself from the general unease crawling down her back. It reminds her of her first night living by herself where the lack of shuffling and other living human noises made her feel smaller instead of proud and independent.
This time though, there’s no Jay or Maya to text. There’s no internet or books to entertain herself. It’s just her in a foreign city surrounded by fog and monsters.
Elle should get allies. She should use this opportunity to gain favour with the hunter’s guild. However, Tiami’s guarded demeanour and shiftiness only heightens her paranoia. Despite being known as the ‘nice’ city, Vinayre sounds to be the site of a growing cold war where tensions behind the scenes every day.
She prefers academia over politics while not overly passionate about the former either. Elle doesn’t know if she can navigate her current situation with both difficult social dynamics and an ambiguous deity breathing down her neck.
A part of her wonders if this is the reason why Van left.
Besides Tiami, her options consist of her investigative team and acquaintances from Fort Kernstone. Elle thinks it would be difficult to enlist Thermal’s help given his aloof and job-focused attitude. Serena might be easier to persuade, but Elle doesn’t have any benefits to give. Furthermore, she gets the sense that Serena is more cunning than she pretends to be, and it makes her nervous.
Mikell is too busy searching for his sister to help. Out everyone she’s met, Elle trusts Edellan the most. However, their clear dislike of Van would make future meetings awkward, and she doesn’t want to lose a potential lead.
Gods, Elle wishes she could ask Maya or Jay for help. They’ve always been better with people than her.
Aside from long-term plans, she should consider the investigation ahead of the team. Elle will have to keep her spatial sense stretched throughout the search tomorrow. She grimaces, knowing she’ll likely have a headache afterwards. It’s a necessary sacrifice.
She hopes they can track down the monster killing the hunters. Given the amount of passed time, Elle doesn’t believe the missing people are alive anymore. However, she wants to help bring justice to the dead or at least protect the still-living.
Elle continues to turn the crank as she gets lost in her thoughts.
***
Her mother frowns, “Elle, please fix your collar. You need to stop tugging at it all the time. It’s a bad habit.”
She presses her mouth tight as she fixes it. Elle’s hands get jittery when she’s nervous, and she has to do something. Otherwise, that itch runs down her arms, and her whole body wants to shake. Messing up her outfit is worth soothing the anxiety which won’t go away.
Her father scolds from the other room, “I wish we didn’t have to keep reminding you. You’re almost an adult woman, and you need to look neat in public.”
Elle doesn’t respond, staring at the table while she waits for everyone to get ready. Maybe she should get a fidget spinner or cube instead, but it’s not like she can bring those with her right now. It would be distracting for others at the awards ceremony.
Calm down, Elle. Jerry won’t make a scene at church of all places. As long as she keeps her head down, nothing will happen there on Sunday. He can make all the crude jokes and jabs at school.
There’s a knock on the front door. Her mother goes to answer it.
“Excuse me, Wendy?” A sharp feminine voice sends a spear of cold through Elle’s core. Jerry’s mother Mrs. Evans sounds upset.
Static fills Elle’s brain. She knows. She knows. She knows.
Her hands want to jump to her collar, but she forces herself not to show any hint of fear. Damn it, she and Holly were trying to be so careful; they picked the most secluded part of the woods for their date, but fucking Jerry had to follow them!
“Hello, Jennifer.” Her mother raises her eyebrows. “Is something wrong?”
“It’s about your daughter…”
Every muscle in Elle’s body tenses. She wants to run off the Earth. She wants to turn invisible. All the static in her brain wants to burst from her body in thunder and lightning.
Her heart pounds so hard that Elle wakes with a gasp. Her eyes open, and that awful scene which began the worst three months of her life disappears into ordinary darkness.
She sits up in her bed, taking in deep breaths. It takes a minute for her chest to stop hurting, and adrenaline still buzzes beneath her skin.
The same nightmare appeared again. She doesn’t have it every night, but it tends to reoccur whenever she’s stressed. Her physical reaction to it tonight is particularly bad as she managed to wake herself from the dream earlier yesterday.
It’s in the past. Elle hasn’t had a conversation with her parents in over a year. She’s in an entirely different world than them right now.
Elle pulls away the slightly scratchy covers, shivering as the cool night air seeps through her clothes. She changed into her backup outfit from her supplies, but she’d like to purchase more clothing at some point. Her new jacket drapes across the back of the chair at the desk, warm and hopefully worth the dent in her budget.
She pads barefoot over to windows, using the chilly wooden floorboards to ground her to the waking world. Elle opens the curtains and lets the outdoor light spill into the room.
Only the streetlights along the main street glow this late at night. At this hour, she can’t spot a person walking around from her position. With its own light, the clocktower shows the time 3:19 with an upward arrow symbol to represent the time before noon. Besides the watch tower, every building is dark.
It’s too dark. Maybe it’s because she grew up in a city, but Elle doesn’t feel comfortable with the shadows completely obstructing her view of the remaining town. She looks up at the sky and understands.
There are no stars. Without light pollution, she expects to see unfamiliar constellations at night, but an empty canvas greets her instead. Perhaps clouds or fog obstruct her view, yet the sky looks clear to her. A sudden sense of loneliness weighs down her heart.
Two moons hang above the world. The one on the right appears closer than the other and casts a small amount of light in its crescent phase. The farther one looks smaller and shines as a full moon.
Equinox claimed Sinkpoint to be a Quantum Graveyard where destroyed worlds can be recycled. Elle wonders if this world might be a lonely, spinning mass floating in a space desolate of other planets. To her knowledge, that should affect its orbit, but she’s seen all kinds of magic-fuckery here.
Before she returns to bed, Elle pushes aura into her left wrist, willing the number to glow. It now reads 18.3. The number is lower now, but why?
***
Elle stuffs her hands in her jacket pockets as she walks through the early morning streets towards the northern gate. She managed to fall back asleep after returning to bed, but her eyelids still feel heavy from fatigue. Thankfully, the brisk morning air cuts through her cloudy thoughts.
Just before 6 o’clock, she has only spotted some guards and other early hour workers awake. True to Tiami’s word, a few hunters dropped by the guild to pick up jobs away from Mt. Aspirash before hurrying out of the building.
Ida, Mark, and an unfamiliar man stand by the gate. As she draws closer, Elle begins hearing a hushed argument and slows down.
The man wearing white robes embroidered with a golden sun hisses, “Do not feign ignorance. The tunnel network extends into the Outlands. Your group had the means and opportunity to steal it.” He has combed-back black hair and pale skin like he hasn’t stepped into the sun for years.
Two steps away from him, Ira stands with her arms crossed and her back to the gate. Her flat expression speaks more of annoyance than any sense of danger. “Fuck off, we’ve got better things to do than deal with your dick-measuring contest. If you really think we did it, then come to the fort with a warrant from the whole council.”
He leans closer to her. “Once we make them see reason, we certainly will. You heathens have been given too long of a leash.”
“Luckily for us, the council has more brain cells than your entire temple.” She makes eye contact with Elle and grins. “Morning Elle, how’s it going?”
The sudden increase in volume causes both Elle and the man to flinch. She walks up to the group and forces a smile, “Good morning, Ida. Everything okay here?”
“Yep, we’re just watching the gate for Yimm who had to step away for a minute. We’ll be ready to go once he’s back.”
Mark greets her as well, tension easing off his face.
The man straightens, “There’s no need for concern, young lady. I had only a few questions.” He steps away from Ida, and Elle can see his gaunt face more clearly. “May all of you walk wisely towards the future, away from decrepit Systems and outdated teachings.” The man bows and leaves with purposeful strides.
Once he’s out of earshot, Ira mutters, “Yimm owes me a drink.”
Leaning against the stone gate, Mark finally speaks up, “You really shouldn’t have taken his spot. It’s irresponsible for him to leave while on-duty even if he’s putting it in the hands of someone he trusts.”
She shrugs, “Eh, nothing happens over here anyways. Didn’t expect Ferrum to slither out from nowhere as soon as we’re alone. What a creep.”
Elle looks between them. “What was all that about? Who was that?”
Ira uncrosses her arms, her expression nonchalant. “That was the Head Archivist Ferrum. He was just being bigoted like usual, so don’t worry about it. More importantly, have you seen Edellan?”
She shakes her head, “No, I haven’t seen them since last night.” Elle recalls that he’s the history log’s author and frowns. “Is the entire temple so disrespectful towards your religion?”
“Not everyone. Maybe half of the congregation under High Priestess Biront. Ferrum is definitely one of the worst though.” Ira grimaces and then looks past Elle. Relief crosses her face. “Yimm! Edellan! Took your sweet time.”
Yimm appears sheepish, “My apologies, I had an unexpected delay. Thank you for keeping watch. I’ll pay you both back in the future.”
Edellan rubs their face, still looking bleary. “Sorry, I overslept.”
“I should have known. Can’t expect you to wake up before dawn two days in row,” Ira smiles and claps them on their back. “Ready to go?”
Edellan turns to Elle. “Will you be okay? The job you’ve picked up seems pretty dangerous…”
She smiles, “It’ll be fine. We’re only scouting ahead.”
“Still, things can go upside down fast.” They grip the shoulder strap of their pack and glance at their compatriots. Edellan steps closer and speaks quieter, “The Temple is meddling, and Tiami has her hands tied. Something’s up. I can stay if you want help.”
Elle meets their serious, grey eyes and thinks. Edellan is able to basically tank blows and seems to have knowledge about the tunnels. They would be an asset to the team comprised of people relatively new to the area.
However, Van left the area, and Equinox dropped her suspiciously close to Fort Kernstone. Perhaps Van doesn’t trust the people here. After all, Mikell knows about the presumed deity and isn’t helping beyond directing Elle to him. Edellan dislikes Van, and Vinayre seems wrapped up in its own issues.
She can’t muster enough trust in them. “Thanks, but I think we’re fine. Besides, Mikell needs help finding his sister.”
With a slow nod, Edellan steps back from her. “Alright. Send me a message if you need anything.”
After a round of goodbyes and well wishes, the Fort Kernstone party departs from Vinayre, and Elle lingers at the gate. The ex-university student gathers her courage and goes to meet her team.