Alex woke early the next morning feeling refreshed and ready to challenge the new day.
The fact that she was in her own bed was definitely a part of that feeling. The beds at the old Blue Rider dorms weren’t bad, but they had been sterile and unfamiliar. Her other recruits had occasionally murmured in their sleep, or tossed and turned after a day full of training. It had been enough to keep her up, seeing as she was a light sleeper. Having the chance to just relax in her old room, after so long, was unexpectedly nice.
She stretched luxuriously, rejoicing in the feel of the soft mattress beneath her and the warm duvet on top. Her room, at least, didn’t seem any different to her eyes as a Surveyor, aside from the addition of her axe and shield leaned up against the wall next to the door. An old poster of her mother, before the ambush, took up a part of one wall. Alex had wanted to take it down, but Muriel had insisted she keep it up. ‘For old times’ sake’, her mother had said. She’d pinned up a few news articles that covered fires that her father had fought next to the poster in a glass case, along with a few about her mother when she’d been a notable Surveyor.
The rest of the room held a small desk and a set of shelves that her father had built into the wall opposite the poster. A few knickknacks from school and the occasional youth camp were scattered across the desk, along with a few books. Her reading tastes had run from technical manuals about the portals and their effects on people, to stories about famous Surveyors, to the extremely occasional romance book. She tucked away those last ones tucked away where her parents couldn’t find them, if only to keep them from teasing her about the whole thing.
Alex spent a few more quiet moments just relaxing into her mattress, and then threw off her covers and stood. A few too-quick strides brought her to the closet door; she actually had to bring herself up short before she hit the door. Her new level of Speed was going to take a little getting used to.
She changed from her pajamas into a set of workout clothes, just an exercise shirt and some shorts. Alex had left her best running shoes in the dorms, but she still had her second-best set here, so she put those on, grabbed her official Golden Swallow Survey Group identification, and headed out. Even if the Group didn’t need her for the day, she had every intention of putting in some work on her Skills.
Her mother was working on breakfast in the kitchen; there was already a plate of eggs and bacon waiting for her. The smell alone put a smile on Alex’s face, and she once again thanked her good fortune that the Group had given her the day off. “Thanks Mom!”
“No problem at all.” Her mother eyed her workout clothes. “Headed out for a run?”
“Yep. Figured I would try and get my Running Skill going. They shouldn’t give me that much trouble over it, right?”
Muriel had already turned back to the sausage she had sizzling in the pan. “No, I imagine not.” Then she paused. “Alex, I mean what I said. Keep your eye out for whoever starts giving you too much attention. Golden Swallow has a reputation for being particularly cold-blooded at times. If they see a way to use you to their advantage, they will take it.”
Alex started digging into the eggs, chewing thoughtfully for a few moments. “What do you think they would do? Just start marketing themselves as the one who recruited your daughter?”
“Maybe.” Muriel seemed unconvinced. “Either that, or they may decide that you are too risky to have as an employee. I did make quite a few enemies while I was working, and if they think you are there to investigate them….”
One of the sausages popped a little, and she used some tongs to flip it over in the grease. “Once you’re a bit stronger, I won’t be as concerned, but as an E rank you are at the very bottom of a very tall ladder. If the higher ups decide to sacrifice an E rank for some kind of corporate objective, there’s not much you can do about it.”
“I’ll keep an eye out, Mom.” Alex crunched her way through some extremely delicious bacon. “Where’s Dad? Did he get a call?”
“No, just had to head out for his shift at the firehouse. Nothing major.” Muriel chuckled to herself. “I guess I’ll be the only one without an emergency to prepare for now.”
Alex felt a twinge of sympathy. For years, her mom had been a dynamic force of nature, always sweeping out to handle problems that threatened the whole state, if not the country. Seeing everyone else working to do the same thing, and not being able to help—of course it would make her miserable.
She gulped down half a glass of orange juice and then hit on an idea. “Hey, after I get back from the run, do you want to spar for a bit? I’m still kind of getting used to everything.”
Her mother paused, actually glancing back at her from the stove. Then she smiled. “Sure, I’d love that.” Muriel’s smile went a bit wry. “Even if you insist on using that unsophisticated mess of an axe. Someday I might get you to show some finesse with it, I suppose.”
Alex chuckled. “Yeah, I guess.” She finished off the plate, washing it down with the rest of the orange juice. “All right, I’m going to head out. Thanks again for the breakfast, Mom.”
“Anytime, little one. Enjoy your run, but don’t stay too long.” Muriel raised an eyebrow at her. “I wouldn’t want to have you claiming you were just tired when I beat you later.”
She winced as she realized what kind of training session she’d just signed herself up for, but Alex still headed for the door anyway. There was plenty to do.
Alex caught the bus to go back to the same portal she’d been through. It was a short ride, and there were hardly any people on the bus with her. Most people avoided routes that went near portals, for good reason. Anyone who wasn’t a Surveyor tended to not do well with constant exposure to magic; it was better to catch a bus that stayed clear of a contaminated area entirely.
For that reason, the area as she got nearer to the portal grew less and less inhabited as the bus approached the containment zone. More and more people left their houses vacant or put them up for sale. Those few people still living in the area seemed to be lethargic as they went from their houses to their cars, and none of them looked very happy. She wondered, not for the first time, why the Surveyors themselves didn’t just live in the area. Then again, non-Surveyor members of their family, like her father, wouldn’t have enjoyed it, so…
She was still turning the problem over in her mind when the bus stopped a few blocks away from the containment area, which was probably about as close as the route was willing to go. Alex got off and then started jogging to the fenced area ahead. There was already a hint of magic in the air, which was strange. When Surveyors went into a portal, the magic coming from it was supposed to decrease for a while. If anything, it seemed a bit stronger than it had yesterday afternoon.
When she reached the gate, the guards outside stepped up to challenge her. She recognized them from the other day; both were former low-level Surveyors who had decided that jumping through mystic holes that led to other worlds was not the best career choice. They were both able to deal with being around a lot of magic, though, so that made them ideal for watching the portal and keeping out troublemakers. One of them brought his automatic rifle into a covering position, in case she tried anything, while the other one stepped forward to inspect her identification.
Alex gave the man a smile. “Hey Ron, anything special happening today?”
The man blinked, as if surprised she had remembered his name. Then he broke into a small smile of his own. “Not that I can tell. They don’t really tell us much anyway. Did they bring you in for something today?” He looked over her obvious lack of uniform with a raised eyebrow.
“Nope, just doing something on my own.”
Ron’s face grew a little more serious, and he glanced back at his partner. “You can’t go near the portal on your own. No Surveys allowed without Golden Swallow’s approval.”
Alex held up both hands in a semi-defensive gesture. “I know, I know. Just doing some workouts to build some Skills. I won’t even go near the portal.”
He stared at her another minute and then sighed. “Okay. I didn’t mean anything by it, but they want us to be sure before we let anyone in. Even if they are a pretty decent Surveyor.” His smile came back. “I heard you made level one on your first day! Congratulations, by the way.”
“Thanks!” She took back her identification card and tucked it away in the pocket for her water bottle. “I’ll probably be back in a few. See you then!”
Ron nodded easily to her as he stepped aside; his coworker was busy pulling the gate open for her to enter. He waved her through, and she stepped past him and entered the containment zone.
The area surrounded by the fence was not a small one. Each portal always had a certain amount of space reserved for it, based on the severity of the magic flowing from the portal. This particular portal wasn’t considered all that dangerous, but they had still set aside a five by five set of blocks. It would give her plenty of space to work with, which was all that mattered to her at the moment.
Alex set down her water bottle and other supplies in the shade of a long-abandoned tree. The Group hadn’t bothered to demolish most of the abandoned buildings or uproot any of the vegetation within the containment area—apparently doing so was not a priority now or in the future—so at the very least she wouldn’t be exercising in a totally boring area.
With her stuff taken care of, Alex chose a direction and started off, jogging at a decent speed along the long-abandoned sidewalk. She followed the fence, knowing that she’d get a decent amount of magic exposure by just being this close to the portal. That meant all she really needed now was time.
She kept telling herself that as she moved along the sidewalk, passing vacant houses and overgrown yards. In some ways, the atmosphere reminded her of the way the other world had looked; at least the sky was blue and the sun was shining though. If it had been too cloudy, she might have started looking for Grue just on principle.
Her breathing was easy as she reached the corner of the containment area, and she made the turn easily to continue following it. She getting used to the difference in her speed; at first, she’d been stumbling a little as her steps carried her a little farther than she was used to, but now she was starting to find the rhythm of it. It felt good; the empty homes and wild grass seemed to fly by as her feet pounded the concrete.
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Alex made the second turn a few minutes later, and she was most of the way along the next side of the containment area when her Screen dinged and gave her an update.
[Running has advanced to level 1!]
She grinned and kept going. Part of the reason that she’d taken Page was because Running was fairly simple to level, even outside of missions through the portal. Sparring with her fellow Surveyors might help do the trick, but that depended on having reliable teammates, as well as a bunch that were near her skill level, ready to just show up near a portal during their time off on her schedule. Running was going to be a much more dependable way to increase her Skills.
Besides, it was just a useful Skill to have in general. Every military in history had needed to have some strength in their legs, no matter how advanced their technology had become, and that likely was always going to apply to Surveyors—at least, until some egghead managed to get a Jeep through the portal somehow. Beyond that, she was sure that there would always be some useful ways to Chain it with the rest of her Skills. Her mother had made several hinting remarks along those lines, at least.
She chuckled to herself and kept going. She wanted to at least hit level two in Running before she finished for the day, and that meant she needed to conserve her breath.
Alex stood gasping underneath the tree where she’d kept her water bottle. She’d made it three laps around the containment area. Each time she passed by the guard post, Ron and the other guard—Mitchell, maybe?—had waved and she had waved back as she huffed along. Her fatigue had been in a fight with her steadily improving Skill. Each level in Running made it easier to keep going, but she was still very much human, and it showed as her pace slowed and her muscles burned.
Finally, even her enhanced Speed and Running Skill weren’t enough, and she’d finally slowed to a stop alongside the tree. Alex had managed a few decent gulps of water before going back to trying to suck half the magic in the area into her lungs. At the very least, she had a burning sense of satisfaction along with the agony in her lungs. Running had hit level two, and she was certain that the next time she came to the area, she could get it to reach level three or four easily. If the Group gave her enough time, she might even manage to get it all the way to five before her next mission—which would mean she’d be able to use it to Chain to another Skill, giving her access to more advanced abilities.
She was still congratulating herself on the fruits of her hard work when she heard engines revving. Alex turned to look towards the guard post, seeing a small convoy of vehicles arrive. She watched as Ron trotted out to talk with the people in the first vehicle, and then as he made a cursory check of the rest of the vehicles. A moment later, he was waving them all through the checkpoint. The cars drove into the containment area and headed straight for the portal, which wasn’t all that surprising. It wasn’t like there was a whole lot else for anyone to come here for, anyway.
The third car in the convoy slowed as it passed where she was standing, and Alex felt a little surprised when it came to an abrupt stop. She watched, still catching her breath, as the rear door of the vehicle opened, and a man in a Golden Swallow uniform stepped out.
Her breath caught for a moment. The man wasn’t wearing the grey uniform of a standard Surveyor or the immaculate black uniform of a team sergeant. Instead, the man was wearing the white uniform of a high ranking Golden Swallow Surveyor, one who was at least a C rank. The Golden Swallow Group only had so many Surveyors of that rank, and her mouth went dry as the man walked across the sidewalk towards her. Behind him, the car started moving again, following the other two towards the portal.
He was an older man, with a full beard and mustache. Flecks of white peppered his beard, with streaks of it at his temples. She didn’t see a weapon on him, but judging by the…restrained way he moved, he probably didn’t need any outside of whatever he found on the other side of the portals. His grey eyes weren’t as calculating or angry as she’d been worried about, but he did seem mildly curious.
She straightened up under his study, and he came to a stop a short distance from her. “Ms. Morrison, I presume?”
His voice had a smooth tone to it, as if he was a bit more cultured than the people she was used to hearing. The accent sounded a little off too, like he was visiting from out East. “Yeah, that’s me.”
He nodded, offering her a polite smile. “My name is Dylan Forsmith. May I ask what you are doing here? I was under the impression that you and the other new recruits had been given some leave.”
Alex’s eyebrows had climbed halfway to her hairline. She knew that name. Her mother had occasionally mentioned it back while she was working. Was this one of the people that she’d been warned about? “I’m just doing some Skill training. Is that a problem?”
Forsmith raised an eyebrow. He seemed faintly amused. “No. Not as such. In fact, the Group is always glad to see its Surveyors so dedicated to their advancement. So long as their advancement is along the lines the company deems fit, of course.”
She stayed silent, suddenly sensing she was on dangerous ground. It had sounded far too much like an invitation to criticize the company, and her recognizing the name didn’t mean that he was a friend. He watched her for a moment longer, and then nodded. “In any case, I am glad to see that you are fitting in, Ms. Morrison. Please feel free to take the rest of the day off. I insist.”
The implied hint was a bit too strong to just ignore. Alex stared at him for a moment longer and then forced a laugh. Whatever he was up to, and whatever the company was doing here, it had nothing to do with her. Besides, she was about done with her run for the day. She picked up her water bottle and other possessions, careful to move casually. “Sounds like a wonderful idea, Mr. Forsmith. Thanks for your suggestion.”
“It is no problem at all.” He turned and started back towards the street where the convoy had passed. She watched him go for a little longer, and then headed for the checkpoint. If the C rank said go home, you went home. At least, until you made it to C rank yourself.
Then she could do whatever she wanted.
“Dylan Forsmith?” Her mother frowned. “Yes, I remember him. What about him?”
“He’s working for Golden Swallow now.” Alex paused while she was testing the edge of her axe and then continued in an even voice. “Apparently he knew who I was, and talked to me while I was resting after my run.”
“He did?” Muriel’s frown deepened. She tapped the point of her practice saber against the ground, clearly thinking over what she knew. “That is interesting.”
“Interesting how? He seemed like he wanted me away from whatever the Group has going on at the portal.”
“Probably because the Group wants whatever it is kept quiet.” Muriel swung her sword up and across her shoulders, rolling her head back and forth. There was a series of pops and cracks as she loosened up her neck. “Dylan was known for his discretion. Companies that hired him were typically looking to keep their business out of the public eye.”
Alex made a face. “So he’s some kind of black ops guy? That’s not a good thing at all.”
Her mother shook her head. “No. Not quite. Think more like a sensitive project or delicate research. Something a company didn’t want corporate spies to pick up, or was worried about getting thrown off by public protests.” She smiled. “He was never accused of covering up anything illegal, of course. He’s more just…careful.”
“So you’re saying I don’t need to be worried about him?” Alex watched as her mother’s face twitched.
“Oh no, I wouldn’t say that.” Muriel shrugged. “If Clean-Slate Forsmith is involved, you should absolutely be on guard for something unexpected happening, because I can guarantee you that Golden Swallow is anticipating the possibility. They wouldn’t shell out the money for him for no reason at all.”
“And whatever he’s there to manage, it involves the portal I’m being sent through.” She felt a slight chill.
Muriel nodded. “All the more reason for you to prepare. Are you ready?” She brought the practice sword off of her shoulder and brought it up into a forward guard position.
Alex brought up her own shield and her axe, trying to shake off her own misgivings. Her mother might have been wounded, but she hadn’t earned the moniker Crimson Blade for nothing.
For a long moment, they watched one another in silence.
Then her mother moved, the sword in her hand leaping out in a single blurring stab that seemed to be aimed straight for her.
Alex moved to the left, pivoting to put her shield between her and the practice blade. The glancing impact still had enough force to jar her arm, but she ignored it and lashed out with her axe. She didn’t aim for the sword; instead, she reached past it, so that when she yanked the axe back, the head caught her mother’s sword, trapping it between the edge of her shield and her weapon.
She heard her mother give an approving grunt, and she grinned as she pivoted even harder, binding up her mother’s weapon and trying to tear it loose from her mother’s grip. It took a decent amount of strength, but she sent the practice sword flying across the yard. Alex shouted in victory and turned back, ready to swing at Muriel’s torso.
Her mother wasn’t there, however. Muriel had ducked past her daughter, leaping for her lost sword. Alex yelped in surprise and ran after her, axe still ready to come down on Muriel’s back. She was too slow, still; Muriel recovered her sword and pivoted in a crouch. Her sword came around, moving like the head of a viper.
Alex had just enough time to crouch low and bring her shield in line before her mother exploded out of the crouch in another stabbing lunge. The impact hit her square on the boss of her shield, jamming her arm back against her chest and physically driving her back a pace. By the time she’d regained her balance, her mother had withdrawn a step, and was smiling at her.
“You really are faster now. A little bit.” Her mother started to circle her, her stride a casual, predatory gait. “Stronger, too. That weapon bind wouldn’t have worked on me before.”
“Happy to show some improvement, Mom.” Alex tried to keep her breathing even, watching her mother’s stance. Muriel had been more than happy to help her daughter learn to stay on her toes. She remembered the bruises well enough that she had no intention of lowering her guard. “Do you think it would work as well against a spear?”
“A two handed version?” Muriel looked away, as if thinking it over. Alex wasn’t even close to being fooled by it. “Maybe. They’ll have a bit more leverage with a second hand on the haft, but at the very least, you should be able to make them stumble. Given how weak they are, that might have been enough to finish them off before the—”
The attack came with blinding speed, and despite her careful watch, Alex nearly took the slash in the face. She brought her shield up just in time, and it still drove her back. Her arm went numb for a moment, and Alex gritted her teeth as a pulse of pain began to beat its way through the haze. “Good block! I’m not sure you’d have been able to stop that before.”
“Thanks.” Alex gritted her teeth against the pain and then shifted her stance. Staying on defense all the time might be safer, but it wasn’t the way she liked to play such things.
Her mother began to circle again, and Alex let her get three steps before she charged. Muriel responded immediately with a counterthrust, hitting Alex’s shield nearly on the very edge of its left side. Alex grunted as the blow forced her shield to pivot out of its defensive position. She continued her charge, though, bringing her axe around in a flat cut.
Her mother spun in front of her, and Alex let out a shocked oomph as Muriel performed a brutal back kick straight to her sternum. Her breath went out of her in a rush, and Alex’s feet left the ground. She flew a couple feet backward before landing flat on her back, coming to a stop short of the garden that lined a part of the fence.
Alex lay back, staring up at the bright blue sky, and focused on breathing. Mentally, she berated herself for leaving herself that open, but another part of her grudgingly admitted that her mother was still just as terrifyingly competent as she had been before Alex’s transformation into a Surveyor. Just because her mother was wounded and Alex had reached level one, it didn’t mean that the Crimson Blade was any less dangerous as a sparring partner.
Muriel’s face came into focus above her, between her and the unclouded sky. Smug satisfaction and motherly concern warred for prominence on her face. “You all right, Alex?”
“Y-yeah. Just got me pretty good.”
Muriel stabbed her wooden sword into the dirt and reached out to help Alex up. Disgruntled, Alex grabbed her hand and Muriel pulled Alex to her feet without any appreciable challenge on her mother’s part. She spent a few moments still heaving and gasping for breath, while Muriel patted her lightly on the shoulder.
“You need to watch for that when you’re in a fight. It might not happen that easily when you are one on one, but if you’re facing two enemies, one could pivot your shield while the other one takes the opening. Be willing to dodge or block with your axe instead of continuing the charge right into their trap.”
Alex nodded along, still recovering. It took her a few more minutes—which her mother helpfully filled with other advice on her stance, her angle of attack, and how to breathe after taking a hit—but eventually she hefted her axe and gave her mother a nod. They withdrew a few paces, ready to begin again.