“It is self-evident that you do not entirely comprehend the situation. Holy warriors such as yourself seldom do, bloated on propaganda and glory. So allow me to elucidate: the Deepvein Academy of Delving accepts anyone or anything that meets the following conditions. One, it must be intelligent enough to communicate. Two, it must be able and willing to not harm others. Note the wording there; merely because something could go on a murderous rampage does not prohibit it from attending this institution, all that matters is its ability to restrain itself. Three, it must be willing and able to learn and improve itself. So no, we will not be handing over that 'heretical witch' you are pursuing, and would ask you not to use such terms while discussing my new apprentice.” - Professor Qud, on the matter of inclusivity at Deepvein

Kira POV - over two hours later

I can’t help but reevaluate my thoughts on Vreem. In the last few days, he seems to be doing his level best to drive me insane- stealing my textbooks, making a ruckus at midnight, somehow getting blood all over the kitchen; I genuinely started to think that he must be some kind of mercenary, hired by a rival noble family to sabotage me. I can imagine it easily- some street rat, taught secret techniques and magics and tempted with the promise of a better life. Even so…

A quarterstaff moving as fast as a whip crack connects to its target, hitting so hard that a finger sails through the air detached from the hand.

I know that some people have it bad in Solwick. Cripples, beggars and orphans are plentiful in the slums; but I can’t imagine anyone who has it so bad that they’d rather go through Jensen’s ‘training’. Seriously, what kind of teaching is that! Just beating a student until they improve. I suppose I should have expected something like that from Jensen- no matter how well he composes himself, no matter how good his self-control, he is still an orc. The savage joy I felt from them as they shattered Vreem’s bones over and over…

“Finally, you’re starting to get it! It was shoddy, obvious and poorly executed, but I’m certain that you just tried a feint. It’s slow, but you’re learning!” Jensen speaks excitedly, while Vreem drags himself over to where his finger landed and picks it up, holding it to the stump left on his hand.

“Kira? Are you alright?” Mark pulls me out of my contemplation with a question.

In some ways, it’s reassuring to know that at least one of my Triad members cares. In other ways, it makes me feel so alone; especially given how me and Mark are walking alone down a stone corridor, making our own way to the elective fair. Vreem chose to walk with Jensen, discussing tactics and such. Most students split off into their Triads, scattering through the hundreds of paths in this labyrinthine academy.

“In all honesty, no I am not alright. I just witnessed a respected war mage and professor beat a member of my Triad into a bloody pulp for over an hour nonstop; and all I could sense from either of them is that they were loving it! What kind of person does that?”

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“I don’t think Vreem is a person in the same way we are. I don’t think he’s even human.”

I stop in place mid-stride, almost tripping over myself. And yet Mark says it so casually, as if he was discussing the weather. In an uncharacteristic manner for them, they don’t seem to notice or care about giving me time to process before continuing to drop verbal fireballs.

“I talked to Healer Ashtrunk in between sparring matches, and they confirmed that Vreem isn’t using biomancy either, unless he’s secretly an archmage with godlike mana control using spells far beyond what modern biomancy can do. No biomancer on the planet can heal brain damage like Vreem had sustained when we first met them, especially not if they were the one that had received the damage.”

“What… what do you think he is then?”

“I was hoping you’d be able to help with that. I’ve only noticed reasons he’s not human: his joints don’t quite bend right, his blood is a few shades too dark, his pupils change their shape rather than dilate; I could go on, but that’s beside the point. I wanted to get you alone for a bit to ask if you had any idea what he could be?”

I force myself to calm down a bit; a touch of psychic pressure to the right part of the mind and an icy focus envelops me, washing away even the memory of my parents warning me about the dangers of psychic self-manipulation. What kind of creature could Vreem be? If I take Mark’s word for it and accept that he’s not human, which would be silly and absurd if it didn’t make the dots connect so well, then I can define two main features to Vreem. He, or perhaps it, has a human form either naturally or via shapeshifting. He also has absurd regeneration, which narrows it down even more than his form.

“Only a few things come to mind… and it’s always possible that he’s some kind of unique aberration. Still, I think the possibility exists that he’s a Fleshthief of some kind, except-”

“Jensen, or certainly Hoplix, would have sensed the necromantic energies and put him down. Deepvein is inclusive, but I doubt they’d let a Fleshthief attend.” Mark interrupts me, connecting the dots faster than I can explain them.

“Please don’t interrupt me Mark, but you’re right. The only other possibility that comes to mind is that he’s some kind of golem. Do you remember how Hoplix described our triad? ‘A human, a ‘human’ and a human.’”

“That theory has even more problems- even if you could make a golem out of meat, which you can’t, Hoplix would have noticed.”

“Unless.. What if Hoplix was the one who made him? She’s an archmage; if anyone could make a meat golem it would be her. And didn’t she say she was interested in seeing how we would interact with each other? What if she’s testing out an experiment? Mark, what if we’re fucking test subjects?”

There is a long, contemplative silence. It lasts nearly a full minute, until Mark reaches some kind of resolution.

“We do the only thing we can. We play along, and hope that the experiment is a success- otherwise we’ll end up exploring the Beneath with two thirds of a Triad, best case scenario.”