[participant in the Royal Road Writathon challenge]
Stockpiling imbued glass items for the business venture that Ezio and I are running takes me nearly two months of hard labor. I’ve barely had any time for combat training with the team, but Ember seems satisfied with their progress, so that’s good enough for me. At the urging of Nicanor, of all people, I forgo advertising the pseudo cores and keep that ability hidden a while longer, selling to the Royal army exclusively. True to his word, his fellow officers pay a premium for them, giving us enough seed money to fund the rest of our ventures.
For our partnership with Ezio’s cousin, I stick with glass daggers imbued with sharpness and then treated with [Strong as Stone], thanks to my new deal with Avelina. In addition, I make a variety of calming vases and soothing candle holders and pedestals—they’re boring, but we’re trying to target our wares to appeal to a specific audience: namely, one with more money than sense. Ezio’s [Merchant] cousin plans to only release a small amount of items at a time to keep prices high, which sounds shady to me; he insists that it’s sound financial practice, however, so I let him call the shots.
As much as I want to travel the world with my friends, investigate the truth behind the Wraiths, and come up with an actual plan to free Tem, I resist the urge to leave right away. Kirsi and Reijo just got used to having me around again. I can’t run off just yet. Plus, if I take Mikko with me, then they’ll lose two sons at once. That feels overly cruel. Still, now that we have more than enough inventory to cover my absence, it’s hard to justify my lack of progress to my new employer: the [Inquisitors].
Sure enough, my reprieve is soon over.
Casella comes to visit me early one morning at the start of the work week. I’m still wiping sleep crusts out of my eyes when he arrives, but I open the door to his insistent knocking. One look at the solemn expression on his usually-friendly face tells me that this is more than a fun social visit. Something is weighing on his mind.
He inclines his head politely. “Mind if I join you for breakfast? Might be easier to discuss business over food. Bad news and an empty stomach are a bad combination.”
“That sounds ominous.”
“I wish I could deny the accusation,” Casella says, following me inside the house. He shuffles over to a chair at the wide kitchen table, eases it out from its spot, and settles into it with a creak and a contented sigh. His eyes light up. “Kirsi made scones again? How fortunate!”
“Help yourself. Plenty more baking.”
He takes two, one in each hand, and finally smiles. “Nuri, I don’t know how else to put this. Central is, well, how shall we say? They’re strongly encouraging us to make use of your unique talents.”
I grimace. “You mean they’re trying to put me to work. I figured it was only a matter of time. Xharrote isn’t the type to leave resources unspent.”
“Good. You understand the urgency, then,” Casella says, then devours his scone in two bites. With a soft hum, he picks up an oblong purple fruit that Reijo likes and continues with his breakfast. “I wish it were different, but I don’t think either of us are in a position to dictate terms.”
“We lack power,” I say quietly.
Casella chuckles wryly. “Among other things. There are plans in motion that are well above my paygrade, which means they’re definitely above yours. Dragging your feet is a good way to get us both in trouble.”
“What do they want?” I snap.
He holds up his big, square hands in a placating gesture. “This will be good for you, too. Remember we discussed the possibility of looking into fixing your cracked channels? Things will go easier for all of us if you’ll agree to investigate the Menders sooner rather than later. There’s some sort of conflict brewing, and they’re more likely to let you in as a patient than abide the presence of an [Inquisitor].”
“Stop pressuring me,” I say, more sharply than I intend. I snatch up a scone and chew on it to cover my irritation, but my face still flushes with heat. I’m not even sure if I’m talking to Casella, or to myself. I’ve only been back home for a few months now. I should enjoy my time with family, not eagerly consider traveling halfway across the country. My guilt over wanting to leave again so soon is eating at me, and it’s making me crabby.
Casella frowns, and his entire face creases in thought. He clicks his tongue. “I’m on your side, Nuri. Don’t take out your frustrations on me.”
“Sorry,” I mumble around another bite of my jellied scone, which is delicious enough to almost make me reconsider the thought of leaving. “It’s not you. Lots on my mind lately.”
“I couldn’t tell,” Casella says, rumbling with his deep, quiet laughter. “If it makes you feel better, we’ll give you a pilfered messaging construct so you can send notes back home.”
I pause on my last bite of the scone. “Is it that obvious why I’m delaying? Or is this some sort of [Inquisitor] Skill at play?”
“Ha! You’re not exactly subtle. I don’t need any Skills to figure out that you’re yearning for the open road again. You thrive on adventure.”
“Feels wrong to leave,” I whisper.
“That’s to your credit. Most people like you don’t have the joy of a loving family,” Casella says. He sets down his half-eaten purple fruit, wipes his lips with a napkin, and leans forward with his elbows propped up on the table. His eyes grow soft and distant. “I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen adventurers start off in a blaze of glory. Things go fine for a while, but the urge to explore and test themselves catches up to them. Most end up dying alone. Don’t look at your friends and family as a chain around your neck. They’re a blessing, not a burden.”
I hang my head. “I know. I’m just getting pulled in a dozen different directions. How do I know which is the right way to go?”
“Let me simplify things for you, Nuri. Your pardon is contingent on your employment with the [Inquisitors]. Distasteful as they may be at times, they’re not all bad. Information and truth is not inherently evil, although I don’t always agree with how the information is used at the top. But working for someone you don’t love?” He shrugs his big shoulders. “That’s often just the way of things. Your feelings don’t factor into things. I’m sure that your parents will understand. Besides, haven’t your friends been training hard to join you on the road? You won’t be alone.”
I pick at a knot in the wooden tabletop, digging up a tiny splinter with my fingertip. I stare at it intently, not meeting Casella’s gaze. “You make it sound like a foregone conclusion.”
“Because it is.”
“What if I don’t wanna go?”
“Nuri, don’t be stupid.”
“What’s this about Nuri being stupid again? Let me know if I have to box his ears. He’s not a little kid anymore, but he’s never too old for some tough love,” Kirsi says, breezing into the kitchen with a sprig of fresh-smelling herbs in either hand. She hangs them on opposite sides of the kitchen, grinning at me as she bustles about tidying up the place.
“Not my place to say. Ah, but I must point out that the scones are excellent, as always,” Casella says, rising from his seat and offering a formal bow. He’s always polite to a fault around my family, which makes Kirsi blush and stammer, and that usually causes Reijo to laugh in turn. The pair isn’t quite sure how to act around the [Inquisitors].
“This mean old man wants to kidnap me,” I say, winking at Casella behind Kirsi’s back. “Are you really gonna stand by and let that happen?”
“I’ll get my spoon! He’s no match for the daughter of a [Scrapper],” Kirsi growls, shaking a fist at Casella in mock anger.
“Enough of that now,” Casella warns sternly, scowling back at me. “Be respectful to your mother and stop stirring up trouble for once.”
“Can’t. Troublemaking is in his nature,” Kirisi says, walking over to tousle my hair. She laughs when I try to duck away from her show of affection. Instead, she throws her arm around my neck and squeezes me even closer so she can plant a wet, sloppy kiss on my cheek.
I hug her back, fighting off the urge to cry. “I might be gone awhile. I was hoping we’d have longer before I hit the road again. I’m sorry to spring this on you so suddenly.”
“Nuri, my love, don’t insult my intelligence,” Kirsi says gently, patting my cheek. “I already knew you wouldn’t be able to stay for long, much as I’d love to keep you here forever. All of your muttering to yourself and carrying on lately was a dead giveaway. You’re restless. Agitated. Only one fix for that, and it’s diving headfirst into the biggest whirlpool of trouble you can find. I’ve been baking travelers bread for your team. Just say the word, and I’ll load you all up with dried meat and cheese wheels, too.”
I hug my mother again, basking in her warm, comforting presence. “Thank you, Ma. For everything. I love you,” I whisper into her shoulder. This time, I don’t hold back the tears.
=+=
“All right, listen up, friends. We’ve got a job to do.” I meet everyone’s eyes—Rakesh, Melina, Avelina, Mikko, and Lionel—one by one, as I turn to look across the room at my team. We’re upstairs at the glassworks, using a spare office that Ember loaned us for this debriefing.
I force myself to smile and keep a level tone, but my hand is under the table so that they can’t see how badly I’m trembling. “You’ve all worked hard to get to this point. Now we see if our preparation is up to the challenge. We’ll leave the day after tomorrow, so that gives you time to pack your things and say your goodbyes. We’ve got a long journey ahead of us, but at least we’re in this together.”
“I only hope it turns out better than the last time we all tried to leave town,” Lionel says.
Mikko snorts with laughter. “Couldn’t exactly be worse. I’ve never been so terrified as when they dragged us in front of the [General]. He’s even bigger than my forgemaster.”
“Which way are we going?”
Melina’s quiet question cuts through the boisterous laughter and teasing at the table. Her eyes are sad, as though she knows already that Naftali will have to wait, but her jaw is set, and her gaze never wavers. “I’m with you either way.”
“Look on the bright side,” I say, choking up. “You might finally get a chance to go sailing! I’m sorry, Mel. I am. I wish I could tell you that we’re on track for a rendezvous with Padouk, but we’re more likely to visit Osaria first, if all goes well on our trip.”
“Hm. There’s an ongoing battle on the Eastern front,” Rakesh says. “I suppose going West is smart if we don’t want to embroil ourselves in conflict.”
“Nuri! Look at you growing up and avoiding trouble!” Lionel wisecracks.
I chuckle. “It’s for your benefit, Lio, so try being serious. We’re visiting the Menders. They might be able to help you level and learn new Skills. Think how strong you could become after studying with dedicated [Healers].”
“You don’t have to do that for my sake, Nuri,” Lionel says, looking abashed. “You know I’m only teasing you.”
I chuckle. “I know. And I’m glad you’re coming with us. I wouldn’t trade your jokes for anything. But I’m not as altruistic as you might think. This journey isn’t for your benefit alone. I’ll be working as an inside informant for the [Inquisitors]. Associating with me could end up being dangerous to you. If anyone wants to sit this one out, I completely understand. It’s not going to be a vacation.”
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“Think they’ll recognize you? I saw your face on wanted posters for a while. Maybe you should consider a disguise,” Melina says.
“I’ll get a haircut. I guess I could also shave my beard, but I’d rather not,” I say, my voice cracking at even the thought of getting rid of it. My entire reason for growing out my beard was my connection to my father. Getting rid of it feels like betrayal.
“Don’t worry about it, Nuri,” Melina says. She gets up from her chair, walks over to my side of the table, and squeezes my shoulder. “We’re with you. We’ll come up with a different way to disguise you without dishonoring your father’s memory.”
“Thanks,” I whisper, glad that she’s so perceptive. I don’t know if I could manage to find the words to explain myself. “Keeping such a recognizable identifier is definitely not the smartest thing I’ve ever done, but it feels wrong to part with it.”
“What’s the job?” Mikko asks.
“Right. The job. Thanks for keeping us on track, bro.” I say, coughing and clearing my throat pretentiously. “Believe it or not, I made a bit of an impression on Nicanor, the [Spear Commander] who helped me clear the fire-aspected Rift we discovered. He’s happy with the glass pseudo cores I’ve made for his senior officers. He’s actually the one offering us this job.”
“Way I heard it, your help was just lighting up some square tiles at the end,” Mikko says. His grin deepens. “Does that mean we’re solving puzzles? Maybe lighting a bonfire with Ava’s new firestick?”
“Very funny, Ko. This is a real job. And I helped! I saved their lives on the second floor of the tower. Didn’t I tell you about—oh. I see what’s going on here.”
As the team laughs at my indignation, I can’t help but join in. I guess I have bragged a lot about my contributions to clearing the Rift and saving the [Inquisitors] and [Spear Commander]. It’s only fair if my roguish friends make fun of me for bringing up my heroics nearly every day.
“The Royal army is spread pretty thin lately. Too many Lesser Rifts opening up to close them all. They’re not able to keep up with the influx of requests for fending off monsters and patrolling more remote regions. That’s where we come in.”
“They seriously don’t have anyone better qualified?” Rakesh asks, his voice coming out in a thin squeak. “I’m not exactly combat-proficient.”
“Don’t worry. You’re our master communicator and tactician, Rakesh. You won’t have to fight. We’ll keep you safe.”
“Unless something goes wrong,” Lionel says, frowning. He stares at his hands. “Please try not to die. I can’t do anything for fatal wounds. Not yet.”
“Stop scaring him, Lio,” Melina chides. “Ava will take out threats from a safe distance. She’ll be right beside you, Rakesh. Don’t worry about anything.”
“Yes, but clearing a Rift by ourselves? That’s dangerous. I’m not sure my Skills will be a good match for that kind of task,” Rakesh says, chewing on his lower lip. His eyes dart about, as though he’s looking for a way out.
“You don’t have to go inside,” I say gently. “You can stay in town and sort out our lodging and logistics. We’ll be grateful for your work when we return.”
“Are you all going in?”
We glance around the table, gauging each other’s responses. Everyone nods in turn, and by the time we get all the way around the circle, Rakesh looks like he’s made up his mind. He takes a deep, shuddering breath, and nods. “Very well. Then so am I.”
“That’s the spirit!” Mikko shouts, clapping him on the shoulder and almost knocking him out of the chair. “Just watch. A few missions like this, and you’ll get the taste for violence. We’ll make a [Berserker] out of you, I’ll bet.”
“Uhh, I’d rather not reclass.”
“At least a [Warrior], then!”
“Pass,” Rakesh says adamantly.
Melina claps twice, imitating Ember. Long years of ingrained behavior kick in, and all of the workers from the glass studio sit up at attention. Melina nods and allows herself a slight smile of satisfaction. “Let’s focus on the specifics of the job. Nuri, got any details for us?”
“Thanks, Mel. Our first stop is a small town called Mahkaiaraon, about three day’s journey West of here. It’s not quite as large as Silaraon, but it’s bigger than our sister town, Peliharaon. Apparently, they only have a small militia. The local [Lord] wants to hire someone to clear out his ancestor’s keep that’s fallen into ruin. It’s become a haunt for monsters spilling out of a Lesser Rift.”
Lionel scoffs. “Does he know that the Royal army is planning on sending us instead of a real squad?”
“We were billed as specialists.”
Melina rubs her temples with her fingertips. “That sounds like a good way to start off on the wrong foot. He may not be happy about the bait and switch when he sees us.”
“Technically, I’m a veteran of clearing Rifts. I’m practically an expert,” I point out. “Oh, and besides, Ember said you’re ready.”
“She did?” Avelina asks, her eyes widening and flames dancing across her fingers. “I’m so flattered!”
“Wellll. Her actual words were, ‘they probably won’t die,’ but that’s pretty high praise from her. We’re about as close to low-level [Mercenaries] as the [Lord] of Mahkaiaraon will find on short notice.”
“Adventures for hire. That’s us,” Avelina says, jerking a thumb toward her chest. “I like the sound of that.”
The flames around her blazes hotter, making Mikko lean away dramatically. He puffs up his cheeks and pretends to blow out the fire. “You just wanna burn things.”
Avelina’s eyes narrow dangerously. The temperature in the air surrounding her spikes, but I tamp it back down with [Greater Heat Manipulation], snuffing out the blaze with a flex of my will and earning a grumpy frown in return.
“C’mon. Save it for the monsters.”
Her angry face relaxes, and she laughs at Mikko. “Guilty as charged. Point me at the monsters and watch the show. I’ll roast ‘em to a crisp with my new wand!”
The thought of my friends in real danger keeps me from joining her laughter. The little Crystal Badger was one thing, but what if we face a Rift boss that’s too powerful for our team? We could barely handle the flaming ursine. If Ember didn’t step in, who knows what would have happened? My good mood freezes as though someone dumped a bucket of ice water over my head.
“You should have commissioned Mikko to make armor for you, since you have to get in close to do your highest damage. I’ll feel responsible if you leave on my account and end up gutted and gored by a monster because I didn’t take the time to properly outfit the team. Why did I make so many vases instead of gear for us? Stupid, Nuri, stupid!”
Avelina scowls at me. “I’m quite capable of accepting responsibility for my own actions, Nuri. I wanted to come. You didn’t force me to do anything. Besides, we agreed that this wand is the best way to fix my range deficiencies.”
I slump back in my seat and nod. “That’s true, and won’t steal away your responsibility. But you don’t have the mana reserves to use it more than a few times at medium power. I still worry about all of you getting hurt. Let me do my best to keep you safe.”
“How about this? If I get in over my head, then you can jump in and rescue me. Deal?” Avelina says, holding out her hand toward me as though we’re about to strike a bargain.
I pull a face. “You’re the worst damsel in distress of all time. I pity the poor knight who rushes to your aid.”
“Ha! Got that right.” Avelina crows.
I snicker. “Only you would sound pleased over getting called the worst at something. I’m not sure what I expected, though. Either way, I’m glad you’re coming with us. We’re gonna need all of your fire power.”
=+=
Our expedition begins with an air of unbridled excitement. If I’m honest, I’m terrified that things will go horribly wrong—we’ll take a wrong turn and get lost in the forest, or perish fighting off a massive gaggle of geese before we’ve made it to our first destination—but so far, we’re having a grand time. I force myself to lock away my hundred other fears.
It won’t last, I tell myself, but part of me wonders if I’m just lowering my expectations so that disappointment won’t hurt as much if we fail. After all, the last several times I set out on an adventure, I nearly got eaten by cats, found myself sucked into an interdimensional Rift, ran into a swarm of crabs, lost a hand, cracked my core, and ended up imprisoned by a crazy person. Why should this one turn out any better? Well, at least this time I’m with friends. We’ve trained for this moment. Surely it will all work out in the end.
“Ugh. When’s lunch?” Mikko asks.
“Hungry again? How is that possible?”
“Shush, Lio. We’ve been walking for a solid half hour already. A man’s gotta keep up his energy. I’m gonna waste away to nothing on the road.”
“That would take a long time, given how fat you are,” Lionel shoots back, snickering.
“I should have worn a sturdier, more comfortable pair of boots,” Rakesh mutters from behind me. “I’m getting a blister on my right heel. I’m not cut out for this kind of travel.”
“Why all the complaining, everyone?” I ask, putting on a plucky smile. “It’s a bright, beautiful day, we’re surrounded by good friends, and we have a glorious adventure awaiting us. What could go wrong?”
Mikko groans. “Great, now you’ve done it. I thought we had a small chance of success, but now you’ve pretty much doomed us to abject failure.”
“Yeah, Nuri. Way to go,” Lionel says. “Don’t you know anything?”
Melina tuts at the two. “Don’t be so superstitious. Nuri asking a question can’t possibly change the flow of destiny, or the fate of history, or whatever you want to call it.”
“I’ll take that bet,” Lionel pipes up. “Nuri is uniquely talented at creating chaos. You’re just not giving him his proper due. ”
“Yeah. [Chaos Bringer] is practically my second Class now. You better watch out!” I say in low, sinister tones.
“Stop that,” Avelina says, snapping her fingers and hurling a tiny ball of flames my way. “Sorry, sis. I’m with Mikko and Lio. I’ve read enough adventure stories to know how this ends for us if Nuri keeps tempting fate.”
“With a barrel of gold and the adoration of the townspeople?” I ask innocently.
I duck the next miniature fireball, then take off whooping and hollering as Avelina draws her wand and chases me down the road, threatening to bean me over the head with the beast core. Three minutes later, the rest of the team catches up to find us sprawled out in a patch of burnt grass, panting from the exertion of sprinting and flinging fire at each other.
Lionel quirks an eyebrow. He glances down at the still-smoldering ground, up to the soot on my face, and over to Avelina’s scowl, and promptly bursts out laughing. “Yep. It’s official. We’re all gonna die.”
“What?” Avelina asks, standing and putting her fists on her hips. “It’s never too early to start burning things.”
“In that case, heat up my brunch,” Mikko says, rummaging around in his pack and finding a hunk of dried meat. He shakes it at the [Flameworker], who obliges by summoning an orb of red fire and lobbing it at Mikko’s face.
We break out the snacks while they joke and run around, although I keep an eye on the brush with my [Greater Heat Manipulation] to make sure that I can snuff out any potential fires. At this rate, we’ll be lucky not to burn down half of Densmore. Hunger sated, we’re soon on our way again, and we make good time for the next couple days.
Spirits run high into the evening of the third day, but eventually we all grow tired and silent, too busy focusing on putting one foot in front of the next to keep teasing each other as it grows dark out.
Night falls before we reach the gates of Mahkaiaraon. By the time we finally arrive at our destination, everyone is footsore and hungry. Even Lionel isn’t cracking jokes anymore.
“Well. We’re here,” I announce.
“Thanks. Hadn’t noticed,” Mikko grouses. He taps on the gate with his hammer, but no one appears on the top of the short, crenelated wall to challenge or question us. “Not much of a welcoming committee, huh?”
“Why don’t you just climb up and lift the rest of us over?” I suggest to my brother. “It’s not that high. I’m sure you can make it without much trouble.”
Mikko eyes me for a long moment. Then he grins. “How about I pick you up and fling you to the top instead? You can find the gatehouse and open up the gates for us.”
“Fine. Sounds fun,” I say, far more cavalierly than I feel. Just my luck, Mikko will throw me all the way over the wall. It’s not going up that I’m worried about; it’s coming down hard on the other side.
“Or we could just use that side door,” Melina says, pointing to a dark outline at the base of the wall a few paces down. She strides over and pulls on the chain near the door. A sonorous bell chimes faintly from somewhere in the village, announcing our arrival.
A moment later, the door creaks open, and a helmeted head pokes out, accompanied by a sputtering torch. “Not from around here, huh? Curfew’s in effect, but I ain’t gonna waste my time arresting the lot of you. Hurry, ‘fore I change my mind, hear? Ain’t safe in the streets lately, y’know.” He sighs wearily. “Eh, I imagine you’ll be wanting a place to stay for the night? Inn’s two streets down. Don’t thank me; their food is terrible.”
We exchange bemused glances, then follow the lazy watchman inside. He looks us over once, sniffs, and jerks his head toward the inn he mentioned previously. “Go on, then. Clear out. Back to bed for me.”
We shuffle through the town, all alone on the dark streets. It’s strangely quiet for this time of night; while it’s after supper time, it’s not exactly late. No lights spill out of the windows. No one passes by on the streets. Even with a curfew, I expect a few people to ignore the rules.
No music plays when we reach the inn. No one greets us at the door until we bang on it a few times. The [Innkeeper] gives us a dirty look when he shows up and we ask for rooms. He ushers us inside and tells us to wait while he finds a few spare keys, muttering all the while that times “ain’t what they used to be, with brigands and shifty folk about.”
“Well, it’s not as glamorous as I expected,” I admit, glancing around a table in the main room a bit sheepishly. “But look on the bright side! We made it through the first day without a calamity, and we’re not in jail despite breaking the curfew. I’d say that’s worth a round of drinks.”
“The fact that you’re so giddy over mere survival makes me seriously question my decision to join your expedition,” Rakesh says.
I grin and open my eyes as wide as I can, leering at him while I cackle like a madman. “Too late now. You’re stuck with me.”
Rakesh rolls his eyes. “Technically, since I’m the team’s treasurer, I could leave at any time with the money, and you’d be out of luck. You know, if you think about it, I suppose that means that you’re stuck with me.”