A little while became a long while, and soon enough, the devoted cultists grew irritated at their beloved master’s absence. The servant girl, Lindei, would not speak. Neither in regards to from whence her broken arm and three cracked ribs had come from, nor the more pressing issue, namely where Antenora had gone. She was punished harshly for her defiance of the Gods and thrown out into the cold to either starve to death or allow a Beast not to.
The small town of Nihil Hinc was almost burnt to the ground, every single nook and cranny rummaged for the nine-meter tall abomination. The other four evil gods, Caïna, Ptolomea, Judecca and Diabolus, were very well aware that if Antenora so desired, he could simply cast Anonymous forever and be less than a spectre passing by, but something told them that Antenora wasn’t the kind of guy who would do that. Unlike Caïna and Diabolus, he actually had some dignity, as odd as it may sound. He wouldn’t simply disappear, especially not without reason. In the way he acted, he was almost… human.
Which he was, but they didn’t know any of that. After a particularly nasty experience linking with Caïna, Antenora had only made brief mental links with his personal servants, which was always a single person. He had kept this special link for the past 150 odd years, allowing only a total of five people(humans, nevertheless!) to hear his voice. That is, until now.
“A mental link?” Adam nodded. “Well, I’ve heard that parties who have a constant mental link have better co-operation and such, but are you sure? I mean, if one of the first things you tell someone is that you don’t want to be touched, shouldn’t a mental link be, you know, a bit too personal?” Adam thought for a second, before nodding resolutely. Tiftos chuckled in resignation. Even after all these months, he could still only barely understand this kid. This Adam fellow was small, pale-skinned and had bright green eyes, his hair was long and charcoal in colour yet glistening like polished metal. Over this surprisingly long time, they had grown quite close, and Tiftos figured this was probably due to their ability to communicate, which had improved to the point of them being able to understand each other without any sort of language to help.
Adam was, definitely, a powerful sorcerer. Yet, he never seemed to have too much raw Magick, and would always grow tired from the smallest amount of physical exertion, and in that manner, he was very much like a child. But otherwise, he was knowledgeable to a terrifying extent. Any question that Mirim could ask, he could answer. And, if his Master Pellons hadn’t been so much against modern sorcery, he might have also had some interesting questions answered. But, like the stubborn old fool he was, all he could do was gnash his rotting teeth and pretend he didn’t care.
The first thing they had done once they got back to the magnificent city of Mittens was to get Adam an identification since he didn’t have one. And, like most things about him, this lack of id would remain a mystery, no matter how deeply Tiftos would dig and ask. The second his identity was verified, several great sorcerers would try to come to visit him or offer him various prizes, certificates and acknowledgements. Apparently, the previously unknown author had actually received several of these in his absence. But due to his identity having been anonymous to the point that people questioned whether he was actually a singular living soul, most of these prizes simply sat on a wall in various city centres all over Lutum.
Adam, at these proposals, would not accept them, his face heating up at the mere mention of whatever he had written. Most people would not make notice of the tiny, subtle shifts in his facial expressions, but at this point, nothing was able to pass under Tiftos’ radar. Apparently, the “Great Scholar” Adam B. Windsley, was a surprisingly shy guy. Tiftos had even now been unable to find a good explanation as to why Adam had been able to publish studies, books and research for about 250 years straight. It was a peculiar case, but Adam was a swell guy, so Tiftos was okay with him keeping his secrets.
Right now, they were sitting in the Eye of the Cockatrice, a small pub in the very centre of Mittens, that was known for two things: excellent shrimp-in-a-blimp, and tons of security. The security in question being the myriad of adventurers and fighters who used the bar as a sort of gathering place. Therefore, the two did not stick out, despite their odd appearances. Tiftos had grown to 15 years of age, meaning that it was legal for him to get piss-drunk. It wasn’t alright for Adam, whose age was still a mystery, but people trusted Tiftos as a member of the “Randomized Bunch” party. The joke in the name was that it wasn’t a joke, and they had literally just been assigned to each other, and that was that.
The mood in the pub was pleasant and warm, a soft buzzing of drunkards laughing and crying filling the air with the sort of vibe that would make most tired old adventurers feel a twinge of nostalgia. The air outside the pub was cold yet welcoming, the preparations for the yearly “fluffiest cat” festival/competitions already underway. A smile was on everyone’s face, and the latest technology in Magick allowed for the streets to be lit not with regular fire, but with Magick flames that spread into the lanterns from channels underground. Adam, when he had first witnessed just how industrialized the world had become, had grown mystified, like a child with a brand new toy.
“Not everybody, only you,” Adam smoothly signed. His ability to use Movement Speech had improved greatly in the last couple of months, and now, he was pretty much fluent in it. He was still uncertain at times, but it was forgivable. Tiftos cocked an eyebrow at what Adam had said, briefly questioning if Adam had signed it quite right.
“Me? Just me? Why?” he asked, voice full of doubt. Adam looked into his glass of Permafruit juice, contemplating his answer.
“It’s simple. I like you, you’re nice,” he explained courtly, a lucrative little smile tugging at the edges of his lips. Tiftos felt a soft smile rise from the depths of his soul, and he chuckled warmly.
“Alright, let’s do this,” he replied, mentally bracing himself for a sensation he didn’t quite know how it would go.
Tiftos had never had a mental link with anybody, and as far as he knew, those kinds of spells were reserved for people so close they might as well be called partners in life. Not even his adoptive father had ever done that with him. It was the kind of intimacy that frightened him. Blushing lightly, Tiftos stiffened up, as if in preparation for getting a needle shoved in his arm.
Adam nodded, suddenly feeling a bit embarrassed. What was he doing?... He barely knew the guy and yet-... He felt so close to him. Like he was an actual friend. Someone he could entrust his feelings and secrets with, someone who wouldn’t shove him away and sell his soul when his usefulness expired. Nevertheless, the time for truth was now.
It felt as if a leech had wriggled it’s way up to his neck and into his ear, slithering into the very base of his skull and sinking it’s tiny, needle-like teeth into his orbital lobe. Every single inch of Tiftos’ skin was covered with goosebumps. The hair on his neck stood perpendicular, and something in the very base of his brain, in the most animalistic parts of his psyche, told him that meeting this boy, this creature, and allowing it to enter his brain unhindered, had been the worst decision he had ever made, and possibly would ever make.
And then it was gone, leaving behind only a vague feeling of disgust, a slimy feeling, like a slug had slipped down his throat. “Can you hear me?” it was a strong, resolute voice, yet strangely meek and uncertain, and it resonated through his head without stop.
“Huh-, I-, yeah?” Tiftos answered out loud, but shut his mouth when Adam started tapping the side of his head. “Oh-, uh…” Tiftos thought for a second. “Like this?” he thought as loudly as possible if that’s even possible. Adam nodded, and a bright smile, bigger than any Tiftos had ever seen before, spread across his cheeks.
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“I’m so happy,” he heard the not-young-not-old voice mumble in his head.
Happy? Was he? Yes, Adam was happy. This was the life he had longed for all these years. He had gotten a tad bit frightened, worried, really, when he saw the horrified expression twisting Tiftos’ youthful face at the moment they were linked. “I guess, I’m happy too?” Tiftos answered, a wry smile on his lips. But no matter how Tiftos reacted, Adam was absolutely giddy with excitement. A human! He was being treated like a human! Sure, these past months he’d been pretty much starving and could barely use Magick, but it was worth it. It was worth it for this sense of… comradery.
Something about that voice wasn’t human. Tiftos hated the thought, but it all felt so strange. He spoke about as much as he usually did, and the content was about the same, but the voice changed it all. They talked for a couple of hours and then headed to the flat the members of “Randomized Bunch” shared, everything going so easy and swell that it almost felt artificial.
At about ten in the evening the two had finally made their way to the little flat the odd group had rented and went to the bedroom the two of them shared. The room was simple in design, with wooden furniture, and that was about it. There were two beds for the each of them, as well as a small reading corner and desk for Adam and a sheet-stand with matching music sheets for Tiftos, who was surprisingly good at playing the three-winded pipe. Apparently, Master Pellons had forced him to play it solo ever since his Cerritulus awakened, which was strikingly early.
But, at this moment, Adam was not paying attention to that. Instead, his eyes lay wide open and staring on the foot of his bed, where a small, folded sheet of paper was situated with eerie perfection. It was sealed with a familiar, green coloured wax that made Adam want to burn it. He knew the time had come. He hadn’t been back for months, and he had no idea what they were doing, but they were surely searching for him. And now he had been found.
Picking up the letter with trembling hands, he removed the seal with a little too much force, sending it flying across the room. “Hey! Whoa, what-, Adam?” Tiftos said from a faraway place. Adam opened the letter. “Dear Antenora, please meet me by the alley behind Kinterus’ so we can talk,” Adam read gravely, and for a second, Tiftos was unsure if he’d heard that right. Had Adam forgotten they had a mental link? If so, what in The Five Gods had he just said?... “Uh, Adam, you alright? What’s it say?”
Adam quickly crumpled up the letter, and signed “Nothing.” Aha, he had forgotten. “I’m heading out,” he signed. Tiftos nodded, an eerie feeling knotting itself in the pit of his stomach.
Adam quickly put on his classic black cowl, the very same he’d had when they first met, and headed out into the cool night. Tiftos followed his back with weary eyes, but he simply couldn’t let his friend, Gods, his best friend, just slip off into the night. So, without really thinking, he sneaked out as well, and slowly followed the mysterious “child”.
And as the letter had asked him to, he was soon standing in front of a darkened, soggy little alley behind the old Kinterus’ restaurant. Somehow, he was unable to enter. Something deep inside him, some sort of animalistic instinct born from living as a mollusc for more than 600 years, told him that entering that alleyway would be the end of this short-lived human existence. But he had to enter. Whoever sent that letter knew who he was, and if he didn’t do as they asked, they might spread the word around. Of course, if he didn’t especially enjoy whoever was to meet him, he could just dispose of them on the spot.
Inside the alley, Adam quickly spotted his mysterious correspondent. They were taller than him, which wasn’t anything strange considering he was really quite short, and were clad in a cowl identical to Adam’s own. The cowl was quite loose-fitting, but even so, Adam could make out a slender, feminine figure underneath. Adam scrunched together his eyebrows. ‘Her?...’ he thought as recognition dawned on him. She quickly removed her hood and went down on one knee.
“Sir Anteno-!” Lindei was about to say something very forbidden when she suddenly noticed the mild anger on her dear master’s face, along with the finger held up to his lips and shut her mouth before being able to say his full name. “Sir-, I’m truly sorry, last time we met-, you must forgive me for being unable to recognize your true ide-,” Lindei started, but was hushed to silence when Adam quickly shook his head. She swallowed hard. “...I know I’m truly out of line, but-, but! After you suddenly disappeared, I-, I had to find you, sir! You have to return! Everybody’s worried sick!” Lindei pleaded, her eyes full of worry, and… something else?...
Adam could definitely see some hidden, suppressed emotion behind her anxious eyes, but he couldn’t recognize it in the least. He shook his head. Not yet. He had been planning on returning for a while, but he just couldn't bring himself to. Simply being with these humans, these people who actually treat him like an equal, had given him a sort of high, and he was addicted. He wouldn’t return, not yet. “Sir, I-, p-, please, you have to understand, if I can’t get you to return…” she had barely finished the sentence when another, third cowled figure dropped down from the rooftops and joined the merry little gang. “That’s enough,” he said in a hoarse, adolescent voice, before reaching out his left hand towards Lindei and chanting a little verse. “Hii!?” was the only thing Lindei could say in response as a black hole appeared underneath her feet, swallowed her up, and closed, leaving nothing behind. ‘A classic Personal Storage spell, huh?’ Adam though, not really surprised by Lindei’s disappearance.
“Alright, okay, cool with me if you don’t wanna come home, but you know what Diabolus is going to say, right? He won’t be happy, y’know?” the young man stated casually as if speaking of telling on his little brother or something. Sure, he looked like it, and he should really have gotten used to being treated like a little kid by now, but it still felt weird, especially since this guy supposedly knew his real identity. Adam replied to the strange man by shrugging. He signed. “I knew you’d say that,” here the man removed his cowl, revealing a pimply face, clearly a man in his teens, “so, since me and my buddies don’t really want to face Diabolus’ wrath, we decided to bring you by force, and don’t worry, we’re, like, really persistent, so if you run, we’ll just follow you and stuff, to the end of the world, until you join us, or find your demise along the way,” the teen threatened, a glint in his eye that only Diabolus’ devout followers usually had. Adam shuddered.
He never did like Diabolus himself, and he despised his selfish little devotees even more than the man himself. Sure Diabolus had founded Cultism way back in the day, and he had made Adam a really sweet deal, but other than that, he was just a tad bit too slick, to the point of sliminess. Now, how was Adam to deal with this little runt? He could just kill him, of course, but that would lead to Lindei’s death as well since she was currently enveloped in his Magick, and his death would cause it to crush her, and killing her would probably just leave a bad taste in his mouth. So, how else?...
Ah. A good idea popped up in Adam’s head, and without any further reply to the teen cultist’s words, he ran off into the night, not even looking behind him to make sure the man didn’t follow him. If he wasn’t as starved on Magick as he was, he might have cast Anonymous or some similar spell, but right now, that would have been like a tubist trying to play the Flight of the Bumblebee on the piccolo.
Tiftos didn’t really know what to make of any of this. He couldn’t really hear anything that weird girl was saying, but he did get the sense that, somehow, he was her master. It might have been the tone of her voice, or it might have been the stars in her eyes, but it was probably because she was literally grovelling by his feet. But, suddenly, some other guy appeared, and then Adam just bolted off, leaving the new guy standing alone in the alley, looking a bit solemn. But nevermind him, Tiftos had one mission this evening, and that was to make sure Adam was alright! So, despite knowing that he couldn’t possibly catch up to the charging bull that was Adam, Tiftos started jogging back to the flat, stopping every minute or so to catch his breath. ‘Priests were not made for running, priests were not made for running, priests were not made for running…’ Tiftos chanted to himself like a mantra.
But when he ran up the stairs and came into the common room asking if anybody had seen Adam, both Ramona and Kratos denied it. Kratos seemed a little peeved that Tiftos had interrupted his treasured reading-time, but didn’t say anything about it. With a vague ill feeling, Tiftos slowly pulled open the door to his and Adam’s room, calling out his name just in case.
Nobody there. But, a few things were out of place. Firstly, the window was open, which it really shouldn’t be at this time of evening since there were, y’know, burglars and whatnot about, and, secondly, there was a neatly folded little letter on Adam’s bed. Tiftos picked it up with trembling hands and read it aloud to himself. “Dear Tiftos, I have left for Pteria, please do not come looking for me unless you’re in one heck of a pickle, //your dear friend and ally, Adam,” it read. Tiftos didn’t really understand the last part, it seemed to be some sort of slang, maybe from another language, but it didn’t seem to have survived the translation to Rence.
Nevertheless, this was extremely worrying, especially after what Tiftos had just witnessed. But, in his haste to escape, Adam seemed to have forgotten to sever their mental link, once again forgetting all about it. Mental links were extremely personal not only because it allowed two people to hear each other's thoughts, but also due to some other effects that, if done with the wrong person, could leave you extremely vulnerable. These were its Empathetic and Tracking abilities. Not only would a person perceive any strong feeling the other was feeling, but if said emotion was strong enough, it would even allow for the other to track their current position. The sensitivity involved in these varied from sorcerer to sorcerer, but in general, a climax was enough to trigger it, so unstable relationships might at times use it for devious purposes.
In this case, the sensitivity was unusually high, due to Adam’s status as a very high-level sorcerer. And, so, Tiftos knew exactly where he was. It was just a matter of getting to him.
He had ran on back to Nihil Est. Tiftos and the rest of the party were close behind him, but as far as they knew, he had no idea they were on his tail, and he didn’t. The only reason he hadn’t left them in the dust yet was that he kept getting attacked by cultists on the regular. Of course, he had nothing against killing them, and it did feel quite nice to finally have a little bit of Magick in his system, but it was still quite bothersome.
And, eventually, they reached Nihil Est.