Adapt (A Touch of Power Book 2)

by Jay Boyce

  Marcelle looked a little surprised at her question, then said thoughtfully, "I didn't give them. Ammon might have, but there is one other possibility…" She trailed off, looking thoughtful and glancing around to make sure others weren't listening.

  Jade nodded, her suspicions confirmed. "Alright. I know a little of who else might do it." She'd thought their little talk yesterday had meant something, but plainly she needed to reiterate it. Then again, he could just be jumpy that she'd nearly died last night. She sighed, realizing she should probably cut him a little slack. Stephen was just trying to look out for her, whether it was what she needed or wanted. It was his duty, and at least part of that was to keep track of her. She'd figured that part out all by herself.

  Marcelle still looked a little surprised at her statement. "You do?"

  Jade grinned at her, saying softly, "In my world, there were many stories about people in jobs like that. If you know what you're looking for or at, it can be easy to put the dots together." Marcelle nodded thoughtfully in contemplation of this new information. Jade spoke again, "Well, I'd better get going. I have a few more things to get done this morning, unless you have something else you need me for?" Marcelle shook her head, so Jade nodded and finished, "Then I’ll go. Stay safe." She kissed Marcelle on the cheek in farewell, the older lady returning the gesture before she turned and walked over to her three guards.

  She smiled innocently at them and Christopher immediately looked like he’d raised his hackles, which made Dalton and Logan confused. She asked blankly, "Did your orders to escort me come from Count Ammon?"

  Dalton was the one who replied, a little confused, "No, why would you ask that?"

  Jade smiled at him, while Christopher looked with a little consternation at his companion. "I was just checking. Marcelle told me that if she or Ammon didn't order you, then there was only one other organization that would have the ability to do so. Since I'm rather fond of Stephen, I understand him setting you as guards for me after last night. But I'm going to leave you at the gate again, and I would appreciate if you'd let me do it without having to restrain you. He already knows I don't like being followed."

  Christopher gave a low laugh, shaking his head. "No, our orders were to follow you if you allowed, but not to push it. Apparently, he is aware of your temperament and wishes."

  She smiled. "Oh good. My talk with him yesterday wasn't for nothing then. I'm glad I'm not going to get you in trouble!" She was beaming now, happy she didn't have to pull a trick on Christopher again. She hadn't liked doing it the first time because she liked him as a person and didn't want to cause trouble, but she also didn't like having to have an escort. It made her feel like she was in the hospital again, incapable of making her own decisions. Absently, she called her little fellacai back and they came winging over from all corners of the room to settle on her braid like living ornaments once more.

  Logan shook his head at this, muttering softly, "They're so…tame. I never thought I'd see the day they were used as hair accessories." Jade chuckled and they followed her out into the sunshine where she put on her sunglasses.

  Dalton asked curiously, "What are those?"

  Jade laughed, taking them off and handing them to him. "Try them." Curious, he put them on, then started looking around, obviously startled. She grinned. "It's not much. It just makes it easier to see in the sunlight for me. My eyes are still a bit sensitive to natural light." Though now that she was outside without them, she realized she was less sensitive than before. Obviously, she was adapting. Eighteen years without direct sunlight, and she was getting used to it in under a week! Well, her improved stats probably helped too. She heard a bell ringing, and the three of them stiffened. Curious, she asked, "What exactly does that bell mean?"

  Christopher ran a hand through his hair. "Orcs trying another raid on the wall."

  She looked at him thoughtfully, then at her pocket watch. It was still only eight. She'd been making good time. Nodding, she asked, "Can you take me to the top of the wall? I'd like to take a look." She wanted to see it for herself, from more than just a tower window.

  Christopher grimaced, then nodded. "I suppose since we're here, it should be fine. Come on. This way." He led them through the streams of people moving in an orderly manner towards the wall, where they entered a tower with a spiral staircase inside and joined the ranks of people going up. At the top, people began dispersing in an orderly manner, as if this was quite common or had been drilled into them. Probably both. Christopher took her to where the edge of people was trailing off, but she still had a decent view.

  For the first time, she got a close look at the outside of the wall. To her left, the plain stretched for as far as the eye could see, rolling waves of grain covering it until in the far distance she saw tiny mountains rising up. She was surprised at this, thinking the grain would have been inside the walls. Pointing at it, she decided to simply ask, "Why isn't the grain inside the wall?"

  Dalton was the one who answered, his youth showing as he seemingly tried to impress her with his knowledge. "It's wild grain. Everyone eats it, including the monsters. It was magically altered generations ago so that it grew quickly. All we have to do is check for poison or disease and make sure the perimeter is guarded when we harvest. Otherwise, we don't actually have to do anything to maintain it. It's basically self sufficient."

  She nodded, then pointed at the green creatures that were running through the grain. "And what can you tell me about them?"

  Logan spit over the wall, grimacing. "They're orcs. Nasty creatures, and dumb. They use crude weapons and charge at the wall without apparent reason every few days, despite us killing them. They repopulate like nothing you've ever seen. I think it's a way of thinning out the herd, honestly. They reach maturity in a few months, growing like weeds, and are born in huge litters. Of course, it's only the ones charging at the wall which are stupid, which is why I think their leaders are sending these ones. The ones who live further out in the plains and forest are wily and brutal. They're ruled by the law of strength."

  Jade nodded. Now that she could see them better, the ones charging at the wall seemed to have… She paused, then activated her mana sense. Their eyes were wild, as if they couldn't help themselves from charging. Their bodies were covered in a rich violet haze, something she'd never seen before. Illusion magic was a pretty lilac color, so she didn't know what this deep violet meant for sure, though if she had to make a guess… She sighed, letting go of her mana sense. "I think you're right, and they're being compelled. To my sight, they're all covered in a violet haze." She almost felt bad for the creatures, but they’d lost all reason. Their eyes were bulging and many of their torsos or legs were oddly uneven, making them run at a strange pace. They were dressed only in bare loincloths and their weapons were crude clubs. The tiny tusks growing out of their mouths suggested they were not that old. She agreed with Logan's assessment, honestly. They were being culled. These were the failures.

  Looking at Logan, she asked politely, "May I borrow your bow?" He looked confused by her request. "I don't have archery practice today, and I would like to see if I can hit a moving target." She had steeled herself to do this. She didn't think killing was something she'd ever enjoy, but for the sake of living the life she wanted and for protecting people like Frank, she would learn. Last night was the starting point. Seeing her gaze, Logan mutely handed over his bow and quiver. She smiled wanly at him as she said, "Thank you for this."

  She nocked an arrow easily enough, taking position. Logan moved forward, automatically correcting her grip a little bit, and she sent him a thankful glance. She looked at the approaching horde. No one else was shooting at them, given that they were still too far away to shoot accurately. She could tell Logan wanted to say something to her about it, but had decided to let her learn the lesson herself. Instead, she silently imbued the shaft of the arrow with wind magic, attaching her ideation to it just to see if it would work. Fly faster, fly further. You are a leaf on the wind! She r
eleased the arrow, and much to everyone's surprise, it didn't fall short. Granted, she didn't hit the heart of the Orc she'd been aiming for, but it did hit him in the stomach. What was even more surprising was that it didn't stop, but rather drilled right through him. She winced as his blood and viscera started leaking, the violet haze disappearing from him as he clutched his organs, trying to keep them in as he faltered. She winced. It was not the clean death she'd been hoping for. Oh, he'd still die. Gut wounds were bad about that, but it would be much slower and more painful than she wanted.

  "What on earth?" Many of the men down the line were staring at her, since it was fairly obvious she was the only one holding her bow in position. Logan asked with awe, "How did you do that?"

  Jade shrugged. "I just reinforced the arrow with wind magic."

  Logan turned to the archer next to him. "Hey, lend me your bow." The guy silently handed over his bow to Logan, who asked, "Can you reinforce one of those arrows for me?"

  Nodding, Jade took two arrows, reinforcing both of them with her magic quickly before she handed one to Logan, then took aim herself again. They loosed at the same time. Logan's arrow, to his delighted whoop, drilled straight through the brain of one of the charging orcs, dropping him immediately. Hers hit the orc's arm that she was aiming for, practically tearing it off but not killing him. She winced. She was hitting her targets, but in a manner that was a slow death. She took a deep breath, calming herself. This was why she was practicing. She wanted to be able to give a clean death to the creatures like Logan had.

  Absently, she took all of the arrows in the quiver, reinforcing them at once, then put it between her and Logan. They started shooting down the orcs while most of the rest of the wall watched, the quiet muttering of conversations the only noise on the once booming wall. Her aim slowly and steadily got better until she finally hit one orc in the head like Logan had. She winced at the gore of the scene but sighed in satisfaction. Her arms were strained, and she let go of the bow, handing it back to Logan. She could use it, but not for that long without strain. By this time, the last of the orcs were now in range of normal arrows, and the rest of the wall quickly took care of them. Logan took his bow back, looking at her with new admiration.

  "We've attached fire to the bows before, and many of our bows are actually reinforced with magic. But not many of us use it on the arrows, since they're more disposable. It does have a remarkable effect, though."

  Jade nodded. "I guess it doesn't make as much sense to attach magic to such consumables for common use when it's just as effective to wait and use normal arrows." She gestured at the full scale slaughter that had happened as soon as they got in range. The amount of blood on the ground was soaking the grain. She winced and activated her mana sense, watching as the violet haze slowly dissipated as each orc succumbed to death, the madness leaving their eyes staring glassily ahead. Shaking her head, she said quietly, "They were imperfect. The failures of their society, thus banished and commanded to charge to their deaths. It's…sad."

  Logan nodded. "It's not something we enjoy, just something we must deal with. Squads will be sent to clear out the bodies so they don't taint the grain."

  Jade sighed, nodding. "I see." Glancing once more at the bodies, she realized that she just felt…sad. It was such a waste of life.

  Her guards began escorting her off the wall, and many of the soldiers looked at her with respect and curiosity.

  Her reputation was spreading ever further.

  Chapter Nineteen – Crystals

  They made it to the edge of the compound without any further incidents. She smiled at her three guardians as she said gratefully, "Thank you for escorting me today and taking me up the wall during the attack. Despite my reluctance to have you follow me, I am grateful that you keep volunteering to do it." She smiled at them as they looked surprised.

  "How did you know we volunteered?" Dalton was curious as always, seeming to want to know about all of the random things and knowledge she had.

  Laughing softly, she said, "Because you're here, really. If it was a straight assignment, I believe Sir Tanner would have been sent, since Christopher and Logan seem to be a normal unit with him." She didn't add that Christopher had returned, which she figured was something that normally probably wouldn't have happened after he got ditched the first time since it would have been deemed a failure. She was hoping he hadn't gotten into too much trouble for it, but she'd needed to go out on her own that day for her own peace of mind.

  Dalton looked a little crestfallen, looking at Christopher. "Did I take his spot by volunteering?"

  Logan clapped him on the shoulder, grinning. "It's fine. He said he didn't mind, that you'd earned this spot when you saved her." Jade watched thoughtfully. It was true, in a way. She felt a deeper connection to Dalton than even to Christopher for the mere fact that he'd already saved her life once. Sure, she'd been able to do so in return, but it was an important bond she wasn't about to forget.

  Still, she nodded and reassured him, "I'm happy you're here, Dalton, but I've got to go do a bunch of other stuff today, so I'll see you all later." She smiled, and to their surprise, she gave each of them a quick hug before turning and skipping away. It felt a little strange and she wobbled for a moment, getting used to her new proportions and muscles in the movement. She quickly disappeared from their sight, slowing down to a normal walk as she integrated with the bustling crowd.

  She kept activating mana sense as she walked, trying to nab any pretty colors that she saw, figuring that she needed as much of a boost as possible if she was going to rescue Frank. She'd pretty much figured out what most of the colors meant at this point.

  The deep violet she'd seen on the orcs was most likely compulsion. Before that, the bright white aura and medium gray auras were light and metal. She'd confirmed that the bright blue aura was water, and a very light blue was wind. Lightning was bright yellow, and fire was bright red. Illusion was a light lavender, and dark magic was pitch black. She'd seen a couple light pink, orange, aqua, and bright green auras as well but hadn't yet determined what they were. She figured the dark green was probably nature, and the very common brown was obviously earth. Still, that didn't add up to all of the magics, so she knew there were more colors out there that she needed to find.

  She pondered this as she stopped at a shop that sold various types of rock material. Stepping inside, the smell of fresh earth washed over her and a small bell tinkled above her head. She glanced around as a very well muscled man came out of the back to greet her. "Hello, miss. How may I help you?"

  The shop was divided mainly into two sections: raw materials and polished stone. She spoke absently as she was looking at the raw materials, "I need…" She paused to ponder, looking at the large bin full of coal that she saw to the side. She wasn't superman; she couldn't crush it into a diamond. Aside from that, it had proven to be scientifically impossible. She'd started checking on if you could make coal into diamonds after seeing him do it and had been fascinated by the process that people could literally make diamonds in their microwave. Still, she'd watched countless videos on how labs had created raw diamonds from a little diamond seed. She needed a diamond seed, methane, and hydrogen—plus a bunch more tools, but whatever. She could make those.

  She looked at the coal, then went a different route, "I need a small diamond. Do you have one?" Best to start there, as the rest didn’t work without it.

  He looked confused. "What's a diamond?"

  She winced. Diamonds weren't a man's best friend here? Maybe marketing really didn’t exist. Flummoxed, she finally tried, "It's, uhm...a crystal. It's usually clear, though it can have other colors as well. It's very hard to cut..." She was grasping at straws here, but at least something had made sense to him.

  "Ah, you want a crystal! Not much demand for those, but I've got a box of them that have been pulled out of the stone over the years." The big burly man went back to his workshop, coming out with a two by three foot chest. He was lifting it like it was
nothing, and she stared in awe when he opened it; it was filled with glittering crystals. In a daze, she walked over, looking at the box. Screw making diamonds, he had an entire chest of crystals! She recognized amethyst, quartz, sapphires, emeralds, diamonds, aquamarine, agate, obsidian… They were all shiny, beautiful, and in their raw forms.

  She glanced up at him as she asked, "You said there's no demand for these?"

  He shrugged. "Not really. They're just shiny, nothing practical about them. They're just a bauble to put on your shelf." She nodded, as that actually made sense. Jewelry didn't seem to be a big thing here, and at most, pretty stone was used to inlay weapons. She guessed the war-centric society wasn't all that into fashion. Metal seemed to be more their style.

  Looking up at him, she pronounced, "I want them all, if you'll sell them to me."

  He looked interested in this. "You want all of them? Just like that?" She nodded, and he looked thoughtful. She figured she was probably giving away her hand way too easily by expressing her interest in all of them, but he shrugged. "They're just oddities. What do you want them for?" His gaze was shrewd and she laughed.

  "Mostly for weapon experiments, honestly. In my old world, there was a concept of using a crystal as a means to create lasers, and I'd like to try and recreate it." Her answer was honest. The more things she had to experiment with, the better.

  He was looking at her much more thoughtfully, and finally, he asked, "Old world? Lasers?"

  She nodded as she shrugged and smiled guilelessly. "Yeah, I guess I didn't introduce myself. I'm Jade, a traveler. Lasers were…basically a sort of light beam that could cut most things." He looked thoughtful at her admission, then took her hand as he bend over, kissing it.

  "It's a pleasure to meet you, Lady Jade. I'm Keenan Grant." He seemed to be convinced that she was the traveler rather easily, which she was surprised at. Some of that must have shown on her face because he grinned wryly. "I've heard of you, as have most people in the city by this point. They're calling you the Mesmer Bane." Her smile had frozen stiff at his words. Mesmer bane? She supposed it was better than zombie healer, if only marginally. He gestured to her hair. "Aside from that, I've never heard of anyone having a crown of fellacai on their head, so it's obvious you're not a normal person." She sighed, smiling ruefully. Her fellacai had been so quiet and peaceful, she'd almost forgotten they were there for the moment.