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CYRUS
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“No,” she said coldly. “I’ve never seen or heard of it.” Cy growled, and he walked away from the table in frustration.
“Where can we go?” Cy asked Jules.
“Please don’t go.” Evelyn grabbed Cy, and he shoved her off again.
“How can you do this to your son?” Jules just watched.
“He’s not human, so he’s not my son. It’s too late for him now, anyway.”
“It’s too late for Cy, too,” Jules said flatly. “He’s my accomplice. He said he attacked the military. He also has a small window to escape. If you won’t help your real son, then help your adopted one.”
Evelyn gaped at them both. Shock and grief finally hitting this old bag?
“Aquilantis is my obvious choice,” Jules said.
“Lustris Haven’s mine,” Cy said. “We can hop to another nation easily from there.”
Evelyn walked over to the book and fanned its pages.
“Aquilantis—”
“Is too obvious a choice, Jules. It’s the closest city. Obviously you’d run there. I can practically see it from here.” Cy pointed out the window toward the shimmering island-city in the distance.
“It is the obvious choice. And it’s also the simplest choice, and the right one. Odds are high that there’s another Sin there. I give it four-to-two.”
Evelyn tilted her head at one of the pages.
“You mean two-to-one, but how’d you reach those odds?” Cy asked him.
“Simple. Only two Virtues weren’t identified at birth, Patience and Diligence. And only two Sins were found, Greed from Hinomura and Sloth from Zenithoria. Then there’s me, from…” Jules flashed a look at Evelyn, who silently scowled back. “Who’s probably not from Aquilantis. That leaves four Sins to two Virtues. Of course, we fled home. These odds are only that he was born in Aquilantis.”
“Or she,” Evelyn said. Shocked she didn’t say ‘it.’
“Not great odds, and for too large a gamble,” Cy said.
“Jules is right. You need to go to Aquilantis, if you want to find this author.” Evelyn spun the open book around on the table and pointed out the publishing house. “Sylvan Publishing House is in the heart of Aquilantis. We came across it when finding a new…home. It didn’t take long to hear the rumors that another column of light had appeared there, so we quickly left, but that place has always stuck with me.”
Is she up to something? Seems convenient. Maybe she wants Jules to get captured in Aquilantis. “What was so memorable about it?”
“Because I could see it, but Liam couldn’t.”
Cy and Jules looked at each other. "Just like Isolda’s bags."
“That can’t be a coincidence,” Jules said. “Cy, pack our crap. My head’s still groggy.”
"What coincidence?" They both ignored Evelyn.
“OK Jules. By the way, we had some help getting here. Well, a lot, actually, but one of your saviors is standing guard outside.”
“Who?”
"Don't bring her inside," Evelyn snapped. "I just kicked her out again."
“Guess you’ll have to see for yourself.”
Jules hobbled outside, and Cy packed their bags with provisions, rations, arrows, and medicine. He walked over to the hearth and removed a bow from a mount. Sorry Mr. Tideshaper…Liam. Cy approached the front door when Evelyn called out to him one final time.
“Wait. Stop.” He paused but didn’t turn back.
“Sorry, Evelyn, but there’s no time for goodbyes.” He took a step forward.
> « Stop »
Again the sensation gripped Cy. His leg halted mid-step. Anger flared within him. Did she do this before? No, it feels different, much weaker. He couldn’t move forward, but he could turn around. She at least allowed me that much. Definitely different from before.
Evelyn avoided eye contact with him. She retreated back to her room. Cy tried to wrench himself free of the spell, to no avail. Evelyn returned and gave Cy a final parting gift.
“Jules will need this. You…will need this. Give it to the fox.” She handed Cy a collar, and the Script released its hold. Finally helping Jules, though maybe it’s just for my sake.
“Thank you.” Cy opened the front door, then stopped. “I hope it works, by the way. The medicine. Farewell.” Cy shut the door behind him. Evelyn sobbed on the other side, all alone.
This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it
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JULES
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Cy was right. They really are all frozen. Jules couldn’t believe what he saw as Cyrus supported him through Coralhaven. Still weak and recovering, Jules wrapped an arm around his friend’s shoulder. The little white fox walked on his other side, and the trio strolled through town like a wide wave. An absolute menace to society.
Every part of town still had a few stragglers left behind from the townsfolk’s mass pilgrimage to the Shrine that morning. A man and a woman embraced, a child cried into the sky on the streets, a lone Merchant exchanged Ryoku with a customer.
Jules recognized everyone except a homeless man. He sat on the dirt and leaned against a crate in an alleyway that peered into the plaza. Wonder if he came in for the Shrine? A demon had struck it, and Coralhaven had become a somber ghost town. “Do you think they can see us?” Jules asked.
“I could move my eyes when I was stuck. I’m sure they can, too. But then again, I was allowed free.” Cyrus scanned from left to right continuously, and each time it strained Jules’ internal injuries.
Jules inspected the lingering wounds. He rubbed his stomach and winced at the damage still Regenerating. Ah, that’s right, I changed. My clothes were ripped to shreds. Usually I heal my insides first, then my skin. Whoever took control of me went for the opposite. I wonder why—
Oh. I’m being selfish. “Fox,” Jules said. “Have you healed your injuries?”
The fox transitioned its march into a happy canter. It wagged its tail and made a low, sweet sound, similar to a purr. Jules smiled.
“Take that as you’re gonna make it, good. I’m growing quite fond of you saving me all the time.” A half hour prior, Jules reunited with the fox outside his home. He'd immediately felt relief, as if a longing void were filled. This fox must be my Familiar, so then. “Why can’t you talk?”
The fox stood on its hind legs and hobbled a few steps ahead of them to put on a show. It pretended to draw a sword from an imaginary hilt and then slay an invisible enemy. Then it grabbed more fictional foes and pretended to rip their throats out. It reached to the sky in victory, but then it grabbed its neck and coughed out choking gurgles. It fell onto its back and played dead, tongue stuck out and all. Jules looked at Cyrus for help.
"You get any of that?"
“Don’t ask me."
“Did you lose a fight, Little One?”
It growled back at him, tongue still drooping out, and furrowed its brows.
“OK, so you didn’t lose, but you were tired? Did magic have something to do with it?”
The fox shot to its feet and responded with a short, low yap. It tilted its head up to the sky and looked away from Jules. Seems I've offended you.
“Well, from what I can tell, you’ve fought well for me several times. Thank you, I really am grateful.” Jules surveyed the plaza. “Cy, why do you think everyone is frozen?”
“No idea. I haven’t seen your dad since early morning.”
“If your sense of time is right, we should be coming up on two hours of this, on a few thousand people. I know he’s not who he appears to be, but there is no way Dad’s past 3rd Rank.”
“The amount of Ryoku this would take… I can’t even do the math right now.”
It'd have to be a 4th Rank. Or—oh shit. “Cy, how much Ryoku do you think I used? Back there.”
“Oh, sorry Jules. I know where you’re going with this. I already thought about it while you were out, I just forgot to tell you. I don’t think this is the work of another Arcanic, Sin or Virtue.”
“And your reasoning is?”
“This has to be a group of people. Not even you, in that demonic state, could fight the Leshen. To be fair, you did fight a small army beforehand, so maybe you could have if you were fresh, but even that monster was paralyzed.”
“I see. So… You gonna tell me what I actually did?”
“I don’t think so. You went berserk, man. That’s all you need to know. Besides,” Cy looked down at Jules, “that wasn’t really you.”
“Thanks, but that’s not going to rid me of this guilt.”
“We’ll talk about it later. The marina’s just there. We need a ship.”
“What, we’re just going to commandeer a ship from the Navy? Or are you gonna steal one from the Navs?”
“Salvos, no, are you mad? We can’t pilot one of those things.”
The little fox growled. I can sense its annoyance. No, not annoyance. What, then?
“We’re smuggling onboard. It’s the last place they’ll look.”
Jules thought about Cyrus' grand scheme for a single second. “Yeah, that's a shite idea. We could be stuck there for days.”
“If you’ve got anything better, now’s the time.”
Nope. Jules wracked his mind for anything to grab onto. “What about my dad?”
Cyrus sighed, annoyed. “Again. I don’t know where he is, Jules. And sorry, but we don’t have time for goodbyes.”
“Isolda?”
"Jules!" Cyrus stomped a foot, stopped, and looked at the clouds. “I don’t know where—”
“No, Cy.” Jules pointed ahead. “Isolda. She’s right there.”
Their teacher hurried from the marina to the schoolhouse. She carried a large wooden chest in both arms. Cyrus yanked Jules behind a stone wall lined with shipping crates. Jules motioned for the fox to join them. It sat down on its butt—quite reluctantly—and pouted.
“We should follow her,” Jules said. “See if she can lead us to safety.”
“No. You’d be crazy to trust her.”
“Why? She gave us our only lead. And she didn’t turn me in to the military. Or worse, the Maidens.”
“Yeah, but we aren’t blindly following that lead. We're gonna inspect that publishing house from a safe distance, and figure out our next move. We’re not going to storm through its doors demanding a welcome party, just like we’re not going to—”
“Sorry, Cy.” Jules removed his arm from Cyrus’ shoulder. “I’m going to see her.” Jules fled their cover and limped a few steps over to the schoolhouse.
“Jules, wait!” Cyrus grabbed him, but Jules shrugged him off.
My Hand-to-Hand Skill is way higher than his, and he knows it. Even in this state, he’d lose. Plus—and I’m ashamed to even think about this—he’s terrified of me right now, anyway.
> « Stop »
When did you learn that Rune? Jules turned back around to his best friend. Break his resolve, not the spell. Make him withdraw it on his own. They locked eyes for a while. Looks like he needs a little push. Jules’ chest lit up, and yellow ember sparked around the edges of his eyes.
“Dammit, Jules. Fine.” Cyrus’ eyes dimmed out, and he released Jules from the spell. "Wouldn't do much anyway, I just learned it from Evelyn." Hm.
Jules staggered across the wide open road, which led to the marina and its docks, towards the schoolhouse. Cyrus and the fox followed in tow. When he got close enough, Jules crouched down and focused on his Stealth Skill. Adrenaline carried him now, and the pain from his legs and back receded. He peered in a window. Isolda shifted her Inventory from one bag to another. Every movement was deliberate, careful, and methodical. “How many bags do you see?” Jules whispered.
“Still just one. The objects she moves over there disappear. You must be right. But Jules, why can she—”
An emboldened Jules headed straight for the door. Cyrus spat hushed curses after him. Jules swung the door open and limped inside.
“Hello, Isolda.”
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