“I think it’s time to go,” Willow opens a drawer and begins to put their possessions into a bag. “Not tomorrow morning. Now.”
Oliver grabs his coat from the closet. “No arguments here.” He goes to the window and peeks behind the curtains. A few blocks from the inn, a group of Plux’s Champions march with black and purple flag standards. He can’t see any supporters from the other two factions fighting over Danglawan, but he suspects they won’t be far behind them. “We’ll need to be stealthy.”
She fastens the bag. “If we use the drainage pipe, we can head towards the Nimble Outpost.”
He grimaces, remembering the overwhelming stench of sewage. “That’s probably the best route. Sorry if I throw up though.”
“Pinch your nose, dear. I rather not have that kind of bodily fluid on me too.”
----------------------------------------
Without much to do before the meeting, Elle takes the long route back to the Hunter’s Guild. She heads farther east and finds the crafts district where crafting guilds offer their various services. None of them are open at this hour, but she sees places selling weapons, armour, enchanted items, and daily living materials like shoes and cutlery.
If only she had more money to buy potions… Elle resolves to save up for an emergency bottle.
To her lack of surprise, she returns to the guildhall to find she’s the first arrival. Tiami managed to persuade the receptionist to return to work, and the twitchy man gives Elle a nervous smile as she enters. He looks ready to bolt at an unexpected sound.
In the guildhall lobby, she finds a shelf of books and maps provided for mission preparation. Elle brings a map centred on Mt. Aspirash and The Beginner’s Guide to Fauna in Vinayre Post-Calamity over to a table and pores over them as she waits.
The topographical map shows a rocky landscape of high elevation as she expects for the area. At the base of the mountain, a marker denotes the Grand Arcanist’s memorial located in a relatively safe, secluded area. It also marks the entrances of three tunnels and notes their location in terms of elevation.
Unlike the flowery and dramatic history logs in the Temple, The Beginner’s Guide to Fauna is sarcastic and colourful in its description of monsters and alarmingly intelligent animals in Vinayre. It reminds the readers to not blow up the acid-spitting squirrels unless they have means to prevent face-melting. A warning about the icekoons’ clever uses of ice mimics also catches Elle’s attention.
Termites in the forests by Mount Aspirash serve as both food and predators for monsters, having been corrupted by the Hunger as well. The additional food source likely also pulls attention away from Vinayre, boosting the security of the area.
Half an hour before eight o’clock, she sees a flicker of movement in the corner of her eye. She glances up to see Serena coming down the stairs, and they share a surprised look. Elle didn’t hear anyone else in the building last night, but she might have been sleeping at the time.
Wearing the same tattered cloak and outfit from yesterday, Serena sits down at the table. “You’re up early.” She sounds different, and it takes Elle a moment to realise she’s speaking another language.
She sees no point in pretending not to understand, so she responds, “Might as well get some extra prep in. Do you feel ready for the mission today?”
“Yup!” Serena glances at the map. “I’ve taken jobs in the area. You said you’re new to the area yesterday, right? How long have you been in this world for?”
“This is my third day.”
She raises her eyebrows. “You picked up a scouting mission for a monster who’s killed multiple hunters on your second day here?”
Elle shrugs. “I needed a job. And this should be dealt with or nothing else would feel safe.” Agreeing with Serena’s belief on the hunters’ ultimate fate, she doesn’t deny the comment. “Where did you travel before Vinayre?”
Serena’s gaze lingers on her for slightly longer as if trying to read her without being obvious about it. The blonde breaks eye contact. “Fair enough. When the Calamities happened, I ended up in Ballaturne the city of bards.”
She thinks back to the map in Fort Kernstone but can’t recall seeing that name. “Oh, and where is that? I’ve never heard of it.”
The woman jabs a thumb behind her. “Not surprised, it’s way up east past Lerabell and a tricky jaunt. You have to duck through a bunch of mountains and ruins. I’ve heard that some people here want to build a ship and head over there, so it might get easier in the future though.”
“Huh, both routes sound kind of dangerous.” Considering the challenges of aquatic combat, Elle feels zero desire to brave the monster-ridden waters. “Why did you come to Vinayre then? It sounds like you had a rough journey.”
Serena shrugs. “Wasn’t too bad on foot. Caravans and their like won’t make it through the rocks though. Ballaturne wasn’t doing it for me anymore, and I had the wanderer’s itch.”
“I see, hope you find what you’re looking for here. What was the most interesting thing you saw on your journey?”
She glances askance at the wall, and Elle has time to admire the pretty splash of youthful freckles on her face as she thinks. “The ruins of Lerabell looked interesting, but there were too many monsters roaming about for me to poke my nose in. Thermal would probably know.”
Elle blinks. “Is he from the area?”
“His accent sounds like a flavour of Oppnoven — the country where Lerabell used to be. He also looks like a real bookworm and that’s where the smart sort live.”
Thermal did say he was a researcher at the Umere Academy. Elle stores the information in her brain for later. “Oh sorry, I forgot to ask, but what country are you from?”
“Quinlind. Don’t worry about it. It doesn’t exist anymore anyway.” Her expression sours for a moment before returning to her usual easy-going smile. “What about you?”
Elle relaxes at the change in topic. “Ah, I’m from Canada on Earth.”
She might be imagining it, but she thinks Serena’s eyes widen almost imperceptibly. “Oh, what’s it like there? Any magic in your world?”
Before Elle can answer, she hears the guildhall door open. Thermal enters in a brown vest, black pants and undershirt, and the same grey cloak as yesterday. His clothing is neatly pressed without a hint of a wrinkle.
He approaches the table with a polite smile. “Good morning. I am pleased to see the two of you are punctual. How are you today?”
Serena mutters something resembling ‘fine.’ After Elle and him exchange pleasantries, he gestures towards the door. “Shall we be off then?”
Although she brims with curiosity on the subject of magic, Elle finds the flat atmosphere difficult to break. Neither Serena nor Thermal seem eager to speak, making their way through Vinayre with purposeful strides. Both of them have small travelling packs and business-like expressions, leaving her to feel like she’s a kid drifting after them.
Elle pushes aside her personal concerns to focus on her surroundings, trying to get into a mindset more suited for a dangerous mission. Glancing around the town, she sees people also heading towards work in heavy boots and thick gloves befitting construction workers. Quite a few of them go east, walking on a path sloping downhill.
Besides the people, she pays closer attention into the festival preparations. While modest, the lamps overhead show care in the detailed cutouts depicting trees and flowers. The streets are tidy, and the buildings look recently painted and repaired from the Calamities’ ravages. It looks like Vinayre is making a strong effort to appear rejuvenated.
After about a twenty minute walk, they reach the Northern Gate. A caravan prepares to leave nearby the stone entrance with several guards posted at this location. Elle can’t help but to stare at the horses, surprised to still see animals uncorrupted by the Hunger.
The guards glance over the trio but make no moves to stop them. As she walks through the gate, Elle suppresses a shudder as the air seems to immediately warm.
After crossing a bridge, they continue along a path smoother and better maintained than the one leading to the Outlands. The road follows a gentler slope for horses and caravans to tread.
Feeling awkward from the extended silence, Elle finally asks, “Excuse me, Thermal. May I ask how your spell works? Are only you able to see the navigation?”
He glances back at her. “Once I have cast it, everyone here should be able to see it. I wish to find an inconspicuous place, lest prying eyes catch us.”
“Is it really that big of a secret? It’s not like we snuck out of town.” Elle stretches her senses but can’t feel anything suspicious within 100 metres. Or at the very least, everything besides them feels rock-shaped. “If someone is watching the Hunter’s Guild, they’ll put two and two together.”
Thermal scans their surroundings, but there’s only dusty browns and greys as far as the eye can see. If a monster or person approaches them, they will spot it from a distance due to the open area. “I am less concerned with interested parties knowing our mission and more concerned with them discovering our methods.”
She raises her eyebrows. “Your magic is a secret?”
“No, it is merely a better idea not to reveal too much.” He faces ahead and sounds like he wants that line of conversation to end.
Serena glances at him for a moment before continuing to watch the horizon. Throughout their entire walk, she has been keeping a subtle but careful eye on him.
Elle doesn’t know why Serena is suspicious of Thermal, but she decides to keep her guard up anyway. By this point, she can make out the finer details of Mt. Aspirash. Looming over the trio, the petrified skull of a giant reptilian rests at the peak of the grey-blue mountain while the rest looks like an amalgamation of animal parts all turned to stone. It is a conspicuous barren mass with an ocean of trees at its base.
She asks, “How is the forest not infected by the Hunger yet? Wasn’t this a massive battleground during the Calamities?”
The elvish traveller shrugs, “Maybe the trees have aura.”
“Doesn’t aura come from the soul? Do trees have souls here?” Elle scrunches her brow, in disbelief that this is a serious question.
Thermal replies, “There is no solid proof that aura is born from the soul although it is the prevailing theory. That being said, I am not wholly convinced of Miss Neradime’s theory.”
Serena tilts her head a little, seemingly indifferent to their scepticism. “So then what do you believe?”
“I am piecing together a theory, but you would need knowledge of current magical theories in the academic circle to understand it. If you wish to know more, you should consider reading ‘Ronnus’ Introduction to Magical Theories of the Sixth Age.’”
Since his back is turned, he misses the slight tensing of Serena’s jaw. Elle doesn’t comment on it, recognizing this is a touchy subject for an unknown reason.
Thermal guides them to an outcropping of rock about fifteen minutes from the forest. Pulling a leather-bound book from his jacket, he leafs through it before stopping on an array spread upon two pages.
Elle cranes her head to get a good look at it. In the centre, runes which seem like complicated squiggles to her untrained eyes form a black circle. At the top of the circle, a lone red sigil has a brushstroke aimed upwards, reminding her of a needle pointing north. Surrounding the circle, black lines form rectangles like a circuit diagram, anchored by other sigils.
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“Are you interested in learning magic?” Thermal’s voice breaks Elle out of her reverie. When she jerks her head back, she see that his expression is slightly softer. “While I do not have time to give lessons, I have no objections to answering questions about the fundamentals.”
Realising this prime opportunity right in front of her, she pushes aside her embarrassment at being caught snooping. “Yeah, I am interested, but I don’t really know anything about the basics. Are magic and aura the same thing?”
His violet eyes show a hint of approval, or maybe Elle is reaching for something that isn’t there. “No, aura is a recent development. Everything living or non-living in Arishelm possesses mana; it is a force holding things together. Magic is interacting with that force, while aura is producing something out of nothing.”
“Something out of nothing?” Mana doesn’t sound that different from the four fundamental forces of physics to her surprise. On the other hand, aura sounds like it actually breaks the conservation of energy.
Thermal raises his eyebrows. “It has not been well-studied yet, but aura has appeared in worlds without magic, yes? Where is it coming from? The energy in a human body cannot possibly be enough to perform feats such as summoning lightning.”
Without any other ideas, Elle guesses, “From the soul?”
“But how do you quantify the energy of a soul? If aura comes from the soul, what happens to us when we spend aura?” He casts an expectant look at her, clearly gratified by Elle’s curiosity and listening ear.
“Well, some people get really hungry after using too much aura. So maybe the soul partially draws energy from the body …or something.” Realising that they’ve been ignoring Serena, Elle turns to her. “What do you think? Are you interested in magic too?”
Serena shrugs with a deadpan expression. “I dunno. That kinda thing is for the holy folks or nobles.”
Thermal replies, “Hardly. So long as one has the aptitude for it, they can start learning magic from a book. I started learning magic before I had a tutor, and several of my classmates had no notable lineages. If you wish to begin your foray into magic, the Temple of Eurimas’ Archives has an adequate beginner’s selection.”
The flatness of the seasoned traveller’s voice matches her face. “I never said I didn’t know magic.” To Elle, she adds, “Also, I wouldn’t learn from the dicks who don’t let poor people into their precious Archives.”
Considering she saw that haughty attitude this morning, Elle believes her immediately. As much as Edellan vouched for Panna, she doesn’t trust the archivist’s colleagues to not be small-minded.
Thermal’s gaze lingers on Serena’s weathered cloak and patched trousers. “Far be it from me to defend a rival, but perhaps they had concerns about bringing soil into the Archives. Their collection is priceless, after all. A thorough bath and laundry might have solved the issue.”
Elle can’t help but to cringe. Her team mate’s outfit has seen better days, but she isn’t dirty. She sat next to her this morning and couldn’t smell anything but the faint scent of soap on her. “That’s a little presumptuous…”
Serena’s hazel eyes narrow into slits. “Yeah, what do you mean by that, prick? I went to a communal wash.”
He shakes his head. “I think you mean a bathhouse. People are more inclined to trust individuals who look reputable, so your wardrobe might be a good investment for the future.”
Serena’s scowl turns thunderous, and Elle interjects before the situation becomes tenser. “I think the Temple just isn’t a very welcoming place, but this isn’t the time to discuss it. Don’t we have people to find?”
Thermal straightens and takes a step back from them. “Yes, forgive my digression. I will begin casting the spell.”
Although she makes no further moves against him, Serena doesn’t stop glowering at the man. Elle averts her gaze, uncertain if she should speak with her later about it.
With renewed focus in his violet eyes, Thermal lifts his book to chest-level. In his other hand, the array arcanist carries Fesper Bleck’s pendant. He speaks with a quiet voice, “The Shaper breathed the first breath, and all life followed in their fashion.”
The centre rune glows purple, and the light seeps into the other sigils forming the circle. However, the red sigil pointing north stays inert.
Thermal continues, “A soul is the transient breath. Though it must depart one day, its traces — its memories — linger in the world.”
Upon those words, the light streaks down from the sigils into the lines making up the circuit. As the lavender light passes through the anchor runes, each one glows white.
“Oh, Aris — Shaper of the material realm — guide us to the soul known as Fesper Bleck.”
The red sigil glows and lifts off the page, swivelling to point towards the left side of Mt. Aspirash’s base. Right as the sigil leaves, an ember burns orange in the vacant space, consuming the rest of the array in seconds. None of the other pages caught fire, leaving only a faint wisp of smoke as evidence to her wide eyes.
Serena lifts her chin slightly in acknowledgement but overall seems much less impressed than Elle.
Thermal tucks the tome under his arm, nonchalant about the whole affair. “We have three hours. Let us make haste.”
They set off towards the woods in an uncomfortable silence. Elle scans the trees around them nervously, unable to make out any moving shapes in the shadows, clenching her javelin Pointy in her hand. Even if they say the trees here can’t be corrupted by the Hunger, she can’t shake off the paranoia.
She still remembers roots bursting out of the dirt to ensnare a fellow jogger one morning. Elle managed to kill the tree but had to cut the roots to free the runner’s legs. For a moment, she has to squeeze her eyes shut to force away the image of the barbs on the monstrous roots sunken into the man’s legs.
Serena whispers, “Are you alright?” Despite the shadows from overhead branches, she avoids the roots and walks across the uneven forest floor with ease. While Thermal and Elle occasionally scatter loose rocks by mistake, the traveller moves in almost complete silence.
“Yeah, just don’t like the forest that’s all.” She checks over shoulder but finds nothing but the brighter light from outside pouring in through the trees. “Monsters could jump us any second.”
“The glowing target in front of us doesn’t help either,” Serena mutters. Levitating a few feet in front of Thermal, the red sigil sticks out like a lighthouse in a desert.
He doesn’t respond, his back straight and proper. Elle stretches her senses again but can’t feel anything other than vegetation. “I think we’re okay for now… But can the spell break if something hits it?”
Thermal sighs and looks back at them, “So long as we run into no anti-magic fields or counterspells, the Find Soul array will last for up to an hour. Unless your plans involve situations above our station, we shall be fine.”
Elle grins, “I’ll remove the step where we run into counterspell-throwing monsters, thanks. Never would have thought of that.”
The mage doesn’t quite laugh, but his mouth curves into a small smile as he turns back to face ahead of them. “In any case, I doubt holding conversations will help us hide from the beasts if that is your concern.”
Scanning the woods, Serena keeps a hand on her knife’s hilt. “No offence, but I’d say they already know from the two of you kicking around rocks.”
She gives a sheepish smile, “Sorry, I’ll try to be more careful. Still, I guess we shouldn’t be distracted or things could sneak up on us.”
“Fair enough.”
They continue in silence, and the hairs on Elle’s skin rise at every noise. After about twenty minutes, the trio spot trees with unusual holes in them and slow down to observe the scene. While some have a few holes with small black rings of rot, there are a few trees riddled with holes almost as large as her fist. Those trees appear to be sagging to the forest floor, clearly on the verge of death.
Serena whispers, “Mites. Let’s walk around.”
Thermal nods, and they veer left instead. However, the trail of infested trees continue, cutting off their access to the mountain.
Elle extends her senses for a moment and shudders at the feeling the hundreds of termites lying in the area. “Thermal, can you float us over with magic or something if we don’t find a way to avoid this? There are a lot of termites, and my powers aren’t great at handling them.”
To be honest, swarms of bugs might be one of the worst types of enemies for her due to her limited aura and simplistic attacks. It feels like a waste to use such draining powers on tiny, squishy enemies.
He shakes his head. “I believe that a levitate spell would be excessive in this situation. According to my research, these accursed termite despise fire. A lit torch should be enough.”
Serena frowns, “In the middle of dry wood? Thought you’d be smarter than that.”
“If one is careful and delicate, a quick walk should be an easy task.”
“Wind doesn’t give a shit if someone’s prissy or not!” The traveller’s whisper turns sharp but maintains a low volume. “Besides, there are other beasts in the woods who hate fire.”
Elle sighs, “Let’s keep walking a little farther. If we can’t find a safe way, then we’ll have to figure something out.”
They agree and continue with some reluctance, but the trail of dead trees seems endless. After about another ten minutes, Serena stops and turns to Thermal. “Now would be a good time to show off that magic you’re so proud of.”
Instead of retrieving his tome, he pulls out a matchbook and torch, lighting it with a small fumble. “If we make haste, this should not be a concern.” Thermal strides into the woods without a backward glance.
Elle gives a concerned look to Serena before stepping after him hesitantly. “We shouldn’t leave him alone.”
She mutters a curse under her breath but follows suit. The orange glow from the torch reveals the warped holes in the chewed bark of trees, fading into shadow as Thermal treads deeper in the forest. They can’t see anything moving within in the holes, but Elle’s spatial sense reveals the hundreds of motionless insects inside the wood husks.
With the torch aglow and time pressure looming over their heads, they place less precedence on stealth and pick up the pace. Their strides send occasional rocks and sticks scattering, the sound rattling in Elle’s ears.
Thermal’s sigil bobs ahead of them, shining an emergency-exit red. Elle feels a small animal with a tail move in the trees and looks up. “Something’s—”
A splash of water hits the torch and douses the flame. Thermal screams. He drops the drenched wooden stick and cradles his hand.
Elle sees his reddening skin and realises it wasn’t water. “Acid-spitting squirrels above!” She can’t believe the legitimate fear beginning to pump through her blood.
Serena snaps her head up. “What?! That’s what it meant?”
She feels the hundreds of bugs starting to rouse from their positions like a wave of static across her skin. “We have to move!” With a mental grab of the space, she crushes the closest tree trunk into her inventory and kills dozens of termites.
Elle breaks into a run, tugging Thermal’s arm as she passes him. “Sorry but we need to deal with your hand later.”
He grits his teeth but staggers after her. His haggard gasps for air cause dread to soak her bones.
The rodent stops on a trunk. Elle swerves but doesn’t manage to entirely dodge a spray of acid. Her skin burns as her aura evaporates the droplets.
Serena calls, “Go right!” As she dashes ahead of them, doppelgangers appear on their left and veer the opposite direction, all carrying torches.
Although they appear solid, the doppelgangers are a void to her spatial sense. She tears her gaze away from them and scans the uneven ground for roots. The trees and shadows block any hints of incoming beasts.
The squirrel projectile vomits acid at the doppelgangers, but the illusions dodge it easily. Relief washes a layer of dread for a second.
Leaves crackle. Elle looks back. A stream of termites pour out of every wooden orifice.
It’s the worst matchup for her powers. The bugs form a rippling carpet of beige chasing after them.
She has a lighter in her inventory. Would the squirrel target her if she brings it out?
Thermal thumbs through his tome. A gap slowly grows between them as he lags.
Serena scowls as she scans the branches above them. “Damn, should we risk setting a fire?”
“And kill ourselves too?” Elle moves figuring out teleportation to the top of her mental checklist.
Thermal clears his throat, “No need.” He runs the uninjured part of his hand across his tome’s open pages. “Venour the Faithful turned the breath of life to wind. From his crowning glory, we rise.” Once again, those pages crumble into dust.
Her next step hits not ground but air. Winds propel her in an arc through the trees. She winces as branches whack her face and arms.
They break above the tree line, and Elle takes a moment to admire the lush trees below the bombastic mountain. Then she remembers she has no landing strategy.
“Shit!” Elle curses as they hurdle towards the rocks on the other side of the forest.
Serena screams, “I’ll drag you to the hells myself if we die!”
Thermal pulls his hand up as if commanding them to levitate. The winds around them shift from ferocious to gentle, cradling them as they drift back to the earth.
At this distance, Elle can see the unnatural curves of the mountain rocks whose indents and shadows remind her of faces. Archmage Aspirash’s work stands cold and unrelenting, its stone uninviting to travellers.
When her feet finally touches the dirt, Elle needs a moment to revel in the sweet relief of being alive.
On the other hand, Serena wastes no time in glaring at Thermal. “Are you sunshine now? We had to do things your way, and now look at your hand.”
He doesn’t even glance in her direction, rubbing some sort of salve on his injury. “My spells cost rare material. Using only fire was an acceptable risk with the knowledge I possessed. If someone shared the information about the local monsters, I would have reconsidered.”
Elle’s mouth tightens. It’s true that she read about the squirrels earlier, but she had no idea they would specifically attack fire.
Serena’s pointy ears flush red. “It said ‘sharp water throwing up big-tailed rats’! Who’s supposed to figure that out?”
Thermal sighs, “Perhaps I expected too much. Nevertheless, we are here at the base of Mt. Aspirash. Shall we continue?” The sigil’s red glow remains steady despite the earlier rush, pointing southeast towards the distant ground.
Serena scoffs, “Fine then. Let’s get this over with.”
They shouldn’t just leave the conversation like this. Thermal is being too secretive, and Serena is being too aggressive. However, the frigid silence keeps Elle’s thoughts frozen in her throat. As the trio trek closer to the transmuted mountain, Elle can only look up at the slumped mountain head with great disease.