by Sarah Lin
The broker raised her eyebrows, but not as far as he'd feared. "That's the old calendar... I guess your source got out just before things started going bad, hmm? Your information is, hmm, roughly 108 years out of date. Closer to 109 now, not that it makes much difference."
"Ah, that's a pity." He pretended to be mildly disappointed while the bottom dropped out of his stomach. Though he had more questions prepared, Theo still found himself hesitating as he absorbed the realization that he'd been gone for over a century.
That meant nearly everyone he had known before was likely dead, even aside from the disaster at the end. Some species on Aathal had extraordinarily long lives, and immortality or something close to it was possible through soulcrafting, though he didn't know enough about that. All the knowledge in the world did him no good now that all his allies, all his friends...
To avoid the worst of the thoughts, Theo instead refocused on something he could more easily understand. All his years in the Nine Worlds during the first visit had been contained within three months in a coma on Earth, but he hadn't been certain if he could extrapolate from that. Time ran smoothly between all the Nine, so it was something about the gap to Earth. Unfortunately, this didn't match the former ratio, so he had no way of knowing if the time ratio was changing or even completely random, frustrating as that might be.
"I'll have to look up the Ditchdigger's Era, but I won't trouble you for that." Theo's mouth began working automatically, since a long pause would give the wrong impression. He caught up to his words and chose his next question. "Can you tell me about this region? I think the manuscript spoke of an entirely different part of Deuxan."
Though it was absurdly basic for her, the information broker seemed amused enough by him that she gave the information gladly. As he'd feared, he was on a continent that he'd never even visited before, in a court far from any centers of civilization. Unlike the local nobles, she didn't pretend that Anguedan was any more important than it actually was.
"If you're here for soulcrafting, the only truly exceptional material we have here are the rainhorns." The old woman shook her head and stirred her cup of tea with a needle, though she'd never taken a drink from it while he was present. "That hunt is our claim to fame, but I'm sure you've heard of it."
"I've heard rumors, but I'm sure that you could assist my ignorance."
"Oh, but that's the most valued information in the city at the moment, with the hunt so close. I can't give that away so easily, I'm sure you understand, hmm?"
"Of course." Since it would likely involve soulcrafter business, he could probably learn more about the hunt from others anyway. Theo adjusted to his next priority. "What can you tell me about the families of the local court?"
"That's relatively simple." Though the information broker rattled off a series of names that he dutifully committed to memory, it sounded as though Nauda's information had been correct. Few of them were actually important and the Armeau family had a strong grip on the region.
"Thank you. What of the Tatian family? Would they be open to accepting new members, or willing to provide compensation for those who might help them?"
"Possibly, but I wouldn't recommend it. Most of them want to leave their history behind and be accepted as Deuxan, so they'll keep their distance from anyone who smells new."
"I understand."
The information broker ran a finger around the edge of her cup, regarding him thoughtfully. "I've given you information because you're less dull than the young nobles going on about trivial court matters, but I think I've been more than fair, so we're nearly done. Any minor questions you can't keep bottled up?"
"Well, if you're being so generous..." He didn't expect to get a real answer, but he couldn't stop himself from trying to ask about Brigana's family. "There was a family mentioned in the manuscript... do you know anything about the Teraeves family?"
"Hmm..." The old woman hesitated as she gave the matter thought, then she shrugged. "I'm sorry, lad, but that one doesn't even sound familiar. Many of the old families perished when things got bad, when the Silverbraided Court started falling apart. If you want to know about that, you'll need to afford a library."
"No trouble at all. Thank you." Theo gave her a polite smile and departed the bloodhouse, disappointed in the truths he'd discovered, but at least far more confident in his knowledge of Deuxan.
There was no hope of any massive advantage from allies or leftover supplies, but that had always been an extremely low chance given the sheer scope of the Nine Worlds. He was separated from his experience on Deuxan by over a century, but the world hadn't changed so radically that his experience was useless. Though he had no interest in getting invested in petty local court politics, he could quickly figure it out well enough to handle himself.
The question, then, was how best to spend their time in the city of Anguedan. This hunt event would be their best chance only if they had managed to avoid any undue attention, otherwise simple jobs that allowed them to continue soulcrafting would be the optimal path. He headed toward the central fountain where they'd agreed to meet, hopeful that the others had learned more as well.
He never made it to the fountain. While Theo was still walking through the streets, he noticed a crowd and realized that they were gathering around a dueling circle... where Fiyu stood opposite a soulcrafter, surrounded by jeering Deuxans.
Chapter 12
Fiyu was doing her best to give Deuxan the benefit of the doubt, but it was still a blinding hellscape during the day.
The sun itself was abominable, though not as bad as the one on Tatian and rendered tolerable by Companion Theo's shielding chamber. What truly offended her was the way every surface was constructed from such bright materials, all of which conspired to redirect the sunlight directly into her eyes. Fiyu readjusted her mask and pulled the curtain within her soulhome tight, but it was always going to be miserably bright.
What frustrated her more was that the city was clearly ruled by complex social rules and no one would explain them to her. Tatians were simple: they would smile too much and surround you and try to touch you. It was distressing but not particularly malicious. But here on Deuxan, every detail of clothing and stance held great meaning and they seemed offended if someone didn't understand.
As Companion Nauda negotiated trades with others in the market, Fiyu managed to unravel a few details. The Deuxans wore their clothing as carefully as anyone on Ichil, with heavy badges positioned to indicate different positions in society. Fiyu was uncertain about the meaning of the colors, which appeared hazy through her mask, but she thought she understood the beginnings of the system. She had also come to comprehend that they used physical stances differently: she saw embraces that looked appropriate only for family, but both sides held their core muscles stiff, as if engaged in a conflict.
"You truly won't accept any assistance?" Companion Nauda had been attempting to negotiate work with a representative of one of the local groups, who now shook his head.
"The Evigne family cannot afford to look weak now, of all times. Our offer is not open to outsiders."
"But if you truly need to hire rangers, then you need the help more than ever." Though Companion Nauda kept her facial muscles fixed in a smile, Fiyu had come to realize that the back of her neck tightened as she grew frustrated. "We have significant experience at such ranging, and it would benefit us both."
"Your generosity is most welcome, but the Evigne family is not in a position to grant even one side of a deal to outsiders. If you are confused about court politics, there are many books available for you to edify yourself."
Companion Nauda's neck tightened further and her smile broadened. "Even granting your knowledge on fumbling outsiders is generosity I would not expect from such a noble family. Thank you for setting me straight."
Fiyu looked back and forth between them, hoping that she understood the truth beneath their words. Though she occasionally heard the words of others in different inflections, she understo
od that this was a translation in her soul and their languages were troublingly free of inflectional classes. On Ichil, rudeness was performed with clear linguistic signs, but on Deuxan it appeared they preferred to cast dire insults in the form of kind words. It was subtly different from the odd "lyingwit" that Companions Nauda and Theo used at times, and she thought more maliciously intended.
"Let's go, Fiyu." As she turned back, Companion Nauda's hand moved toward her and shifted mid-motion, instead waving for her to follow. Fiyu took hold of Nauda's sleeve to calm her and spoke in a low voice as they walked from the market.
"You are upset. They were insulting in their refusal?"
"It isn't that, it's how every one of these families is focused on themselves above all." Once they got a short distance away, Companion Nauda rubbed her forehead with one hand. "It's my fault, for assuming that their ideas about community or family would be anything like normal. They don't care about anything else."
"Is that so upsetting?" Fiyu tilted her head to the side, shifting her perception to analyze Companion Nauda's signals better. "It is good to help others, but I would risk my life for you or Theo, and I would not go to the same extent for strangers. You are traveling companions, so you deserve more."
"Oh, it's my fault for making assumptions. Wait, where did Senka get to?"
"I... do not know. I attempted to keep her nearby in the market, but she wandered into a crowd."
After a brief pause, Nauda unclenched her shoulders and some of the tension passed from her. "Well, she'll have to take care of herself, if she wants to wander off. Let's go find out if they have any suitable vehicles available."
While they traveled to the next market, Fiyu puzzled over how she should best help Companion Nauda after the angering encounter. An Ichili would need distance and peace, but Fiyu thought that Tatians desired community and warmth. Fiyu considered raising a hand to touch her arm, like Companion Theo did so easily, but she knew that her attempt would be artificial and might make things more uncomfortable.
Fortunately, the vehicle market proved to be a better environment for them both. Though it seemed that the noble families sponsored and favored various workshops that built them, they were not present in great numbers, so Nauda was able to relax. The density of people was still too high for Fiyu, but here she finally found a reasonable market.
On Tatian and even at the earlier markets, everyone yelled about prices, uttering words that should have started wars just to negotiate a slightly lower price. Based on how Companion Nauda had relaxed, it was only another verbal game, but Fiyu would never been comfortable with the process. In addition to that, Tatian had a confusing quantity of different coins.
Here, each of the vehicles was labeled with a clear price on a small card, almost like a good Ichili market. This struck Fiyu as very honest, because otherwise the merchant could tell one price to one person and another price to another, which wasn't fair at all. Here, not only was the price of everything known in a simple currency called Silver Crowns, many of the vehicles were familiar to her, so she eagerly set about understanding the local market.
Though most sold wagons and carts, Fiyu passed by those as inadequate for their purposes. The minimally adequate sledge that could travel on rough Tatian ground cost roughly fifty Silver Crowns, depending on the exact style. Some were cheaply made and others covered in fanciful golden embossing, but she found well-crafted sledges for that price.
However, she thought that her companions wanted a vehicle that could carry them at speed, and without a beast of burden that would require food and care. The very smallest variety she discovered was a toboggan made with sublime materials that would hover, which cost over a thousand Silver Crowns. It was so small they would have to bunch together unacceptably close.
Beyond that, Deuxan seemed to favor more elaborate sleighs, which made her wonder if they could have snow in such a warm place. A floating sleigh with enough room for all of them would cost at least two thousand, with others that had offensive or shielding armaments available for up to five thousand. Fiyu discovered steadily more elaborate and expensive sleighs, but though the prices mounted from ten thousand Silver Crowns to twenty five thousand and even higher, she didn't understand why anyone would spend so much for no functional improvement.
"I suppose they're a status symbol here," Companion Nauda said as they looked at a particularly expensive sleigh. "Only a noble family could afford something this expensive."
Fiyu shook her head. "I do not understand why they would. They could purchase an equivalent vehicle of similar quality for a far smaller price."
"It's about proving their wealth, not function. You would never do something like this on Tatian, but they still have games of status. The quality sleighs are already too expensive for most, but those who can afford it want to prove even tiny differences between them."
"But we do not need to do that. I think that we could purchase an adequate sleigh for 2000 Silver Crowns. Do we have enough?"
Nauda gave her a strange look, then only some of her facial muscles shifted in an unusual smile. "Fiyu... even after selling what we don't need, we have about seven Silver Crowns. That's enough for food and lodging, not anything like this."
"Oh, I see." Though Fiyu was deeply disappointed, she struggled to find a smile to encourage Companion Nauda. "Now I understand why you have been seeking work at every location. Surely we could find employment as guards or demon hunters."
"We could do at least as well as other first tier soulcrafters, but everything is tied to community politics here. Some of the dangerous jobs require an Archcrafter and wouldn't even consider us. We would have more options if I ascended, but I don't want to risk destroying sublime materials in a failed attempt..."
"How long do you think it would take us to earn enough money by working normal jobs?"
"Half a year? Even more? Too long. Everyone seems to be talking about an upcoming hunt as a way to win money, but I don't know about the rules and it seems tied to these noble families. We might be able to earn more, but it could also draw us into further problems."
"Let us find a place to rest." Fiyu caught the edge of Companion Nauda's sleeve and this time pulled her into the terrible crowd. "We can restore ourselves, find Theo, and do some soulcrafting. Perhaps a better solution will become clear from a new vantage point."
Though Nauda's head shifted after her oddly, she responded with warm thanks and followed her. They left the sledge market and entered another one of the horribly packed streets, but at that moment Fiyu felt a gap in the density of the city. She sought it out and the space became clearer in her senses: a small circle of grass set apart from the rest of the city, with a bench for resting and even a tree for shade. Since it was unoccupied, she guided them toward it.
Fiyu was uncertain why all of the Deuxans were ignoring the empty bench, but they seemed very serious and determined to reach their next destinations. The important thing was that Companion Nauda sat down and the tense muscles in her body began to relax. It was also pleasantly shaded beneath the tree, but Fiyu would have braved even the Tatian sun if it helped her.
Before they could speak again, a small form moved toward them at high speed. Fiyu experienced a brief moment of alarm before the exact dimensions proved it to be Child Senka. The small being ran up to them carrying something, only to trip and fall directly on her face.
"Fenka ftho-" Child Senka spat out a cobblestone and triumphantly raised a filthy sack. "Senka found something!"
"What's this?" Companion Nauda took the cloth gingerly, but her distaste vanished when she began counting the rings of silver within. "This is... almost twenty five Silver Crowns. Where did you find this?"
"Senka found it in the city, silly gurfoop!"
"What I mean is: did you 'find' it in someone's pockets?"
Child Senka stared at them, utterly uncomprehending. It was possible that she had indeed stolen the coins, but Fiyu couldn't find it in herself to incriminate the child. Whatever wo
rld she came from, she radiated an aura of cheerful innocence that Fiyu found calming. For some reason, Companion Theo disliked her, but other than occasional noisiness, Fiyu enjoyed her presence.
"Do you think we need to do something about this?" Companion Nauda glanced over at Fiyu with a sour expression, already hiding the money in the cloth again. "Everyone takes offense so easily here, I could see this getting us into trouble."
"I do not think Senka has any great skill with theft," Fiyu said, "so perhaps she found coins that had fallen on the street."
"Senka did her best!"
No one appeared to be chasing her and the small space remained peaceful, so they eventually accepted the good fortune. Child Senka crawled onto one side of the bench and curled up to sleep, so Fiyu reached over to stroke her hair. It was said that children needed an unnatural amount of touch in their early years, so whatever her origin, perhaps she still required it.
Though Child Senka seemed to enjoy the touch, Fiyu noticed that she almost never embraced back. It made the childcare far less draining for her, but she wondered if something had happened in Child Senka's past to make her afraid of others. Occasionally when Fiyu's back was turned, she felt Senka's muscles shift to an uneasy wariness.
At the moment, however, everyone was at peace. Fiyu had been thinking about her soulhome during all their travels, so she drifted inside to continue her work. The only brute force work that remained was refining the exterior of the tower, so what she truly needed was insight to improve her inner chambers. She thought that she had a new...
She felt heavy footsteps of soulcrafters and left her soulhome immediately, ready to attack.
A group of eleven walked toward them: three Archcrafters, six first-tier soulcrafters, and two others. All wore Deuxan robes, though she noted visually that one appeared to be Tatian. The man who walked at the head of the group had a pair of gauntlets hanging around his neck, heavy enough to be an armament. Many of the others carried weapons, some at their side and some merely hard elements hidden within their clothes.
