by Sarah Lin
"Hmm, I suppose. I remember how the boxes were accurate for Gharavi breaking through to a new level of magical stuff." Danniah tapped her chin thoughtfully as she considered it. "I don't know how much I can really do to get tougher, though. Beyond all these marches and training."
"You could try to focus on it exclusively. There is..." Bloodwraith hesitated for a moment with a strange expression, then just pushed forward. "Whatever his failings, Raigar did seem able to manipulate strength. He spoke of 'grinding his stats' which I take to be the way he focused exclusively on physical characteristics. In addition to focusing on developing a new attack, you might want to try 'grinding' Vitality."
"That's an interesting idea... do you think it would really work for me, though? I don't exactly obey the same rules, after all."
"I'm less certain about that. I wouldn't recommend that you do anything foolish just to manipulate the boxes, but consider focusing your training."
Danniah did consider it, but she still wasn't sure. As her gaze wandered, she noticed that Meara was also walking away from the camp. Strangely, she bent down and picked up a large rock, then deposited it inside her cloak. After watching her repeat it several times, Danniah chalked it up to Meara doing weird things and waved to get her attention.
"Hey, Meara! Bloodwraith was just telling me about a weird thing that Raigar tried, do you thi-"
"That it would work for you?" Meara finished her sentence, apparently having heard their conversation. Danniah wondered if she had been watching while they were kissing and blushed, but pushed down her reaction.
"Yeah. Since we might not have a lot of time before Elleane gets to wherever she's going and we probably have to fight again, I don't want to waste any time."
"I think it's worth trying." Meara approached them and stood with her arms crossed, no trace of all the rocks she had picked up. "You have connections to the box system, such as finishing quests that Bloodwraith gets credit for. Even if you don't directly benefit from the system, it's probably an accurate measure of your strength. So experiment with it and see how it feels."
"Thanks, Meara! Umm... so why are you picking up those rocks?"
"I'm testing my own limits - you didn't think you were the only one training, did you? I have trouble with larger objects, so I'm picking up rocks to accustom myself to it. With any luck, in the future I'll be able to transport even larger objects for us."
Danniah couldn't help but smile at the thought. "So your internal inventory is just filled with a bunch of random rocks? That's pretty silly, Meara."
"Keep talking like that and I'll shove you in there."
When Meara came toward her as if to pull her into the cloak, Danniah laughed and danced away. Since Meara went back to her own work, Danniah settled into a training routine.
Though it was strange to have Bloodwraith there watching her, she didn't mind so much. She actually liked his eyes on her, though more often they were focused on her box, which was more useful if less romantic. While she tried different training exercises, even hitting herself or defending against blows from him, he kept examining the numbers, finding those that seemed to help her improve.
She had no idea if it was working, but at least it was kind of fun. Danniah almost wished that she had boxes of her own so that she could see how she was improving, but all she could do was try her best. Maybe with the help of the others, she could both improve her defenses and find a way to strike with fire. That way she could be an even more valuable part of the team.
But whenever she paused, she found herself hoping that it would be enough.
Chapter 5
The further they went, the more obvious it became that they were headed in the direction of Manascas. Meara had no desire to return to the city, but she had a feeling that her desires weren't going to count for much. Whatever Elleane was doing, it was tied in with all the rest.
Usually Meara didn't like to reflect on memories of her old life in the Forest of Beginnings, but now she found herself combing through them. She knew that she had seen Elleane before and had a sense that the other woman's role was to help new adventurers decide which moral path they wanted to take. All their encounters had been random and incidental, so they hadn't interacted at length.
But who exactly was she? One of the Outsiders who created the system? Another critical question was if Elleane knew what had been done to Meara, over and over. Though Meara wasn't inclined to trust the other woman no matter what, if she had known...
Turning aside from such thoughts, Meara focused on another important question: just how long Elleane had been fulfilling that role. Unfortunately, all of Meara's memories were filtered through the still timelessness of the Forest of Beginnings. Surely it must have taken many years for all the threats she remembered to have occurred. If Elleane had been around for that entire time, she must have been impossibly old. Yet Meara couldn't be absolutely certain about how long she had been around, plus she needed to entertain the idea that Elleane was also trapped in a timeless loop just as she was.
None of it really mattered. They were going to track her to Manascas and find out what she was doing no matter what.
Even if she avoided thinking about Elleane entirely, Meara still found herself drifting into troubling memories. Specifically, the enemies that Bloodwraith had dubbed Fellsilvered. The moment when she had touched the fragment, she had felt as though she was coming apart. Her collection of her identity was a bit tenuous in the best of circumstances, but that had threatened to blow her into fragments.
If Fellsilvered enemies could harm her just by touching her, then she could easily become a liability. Her modestly improved abilities and a few special potions didn't seem like much compared to enemies like that. She had a feeling that they'd be seeing a lot more of them in the future.
"Meara, do you have a moment?" Gharavi came to walk alongside her, so Meara shrugged.
"I don't know, I'm pretty busy with a lot of walking."
"I'm trying to pin down more information on the exact nature of the various powers involved - until recently, I just cared about detecting Outsiders, but now it seems like it will be much more complex."
All Meara could do was shrug again. "I'm afraid I don't know much about that."
"It isn't about what you know, but what you are. I've already scanned Bloodwraith thoroughly, but even though you're involved with the same system, I think it would be worthwhile to scan you as well. There seem to be subtle differences between the two of you and also with this woman." Gharavi stopped fiddling with her necklace and glanced over at Meara. "Getting detailed enough readings would require us spending some time together."
"Why, Gharavi, what a scandalous suggestion! But if it's for the cause, I suppose I can surrender my innocent maidenly-"
"How long will it take you to get all of that out of your system?"
"I don't know, it depends on how much tongue you use."
Gharavi shot her a withering glance and Meara just snickered. Before they could say anything else, Bloodwraith suddenly stopped short and raised a hand, instantly silencing all conversation.
"Izzy just sent a request, the one coded for us to follow and meet her immediately. Let's advance in complete silence."
They did exactly that, all levity vanishing. Meara didn't sense any actual apprehension from Bloodwraith, so she was confident that Izzy's message hadn't been a warning. Still, it was the first major development since they had begun following Elleane, so Meara eagerly moved with the others to find out what was going on.
Currently their surroundings were more rocky hills than flat wasteland, which made it difficult to know how far behind their target they were. While she followed the others, Meara looked around at the landscape. As such, she was the first one to spot Izzy, perched on top of a pillar-like stone and waving at them. They headed to her and she slipped down to the ground.
"The lady just met someone!" Izzy spoke in a whisper, pointing over her shoulder. "They're over there and they have gua
rds and things. I didn't get close so I couldn't see more."
"That was the correct decision." Bloodwraith looked over the group grimly, his mind obviously working on the situation. "If we don't attempt to eavesdrop, then this pursuit has been pointless, but being discovered is a primary concern. Gharavi, do you sense any magic that might trigger an alarm?"
"I've been feeling out the situation since we arrived," Gharavi said, "and I don't sense anything like that. There's definitely some dense mana there, but I don't want to risk sensing any deeper and triggering a response."
"Hmm. Do you have any invisibility, silencing, or mana cloaking spells?"
"I'm afraid not."
Bloodwraith was silent for only a short time before nodding. "Then you and Danniah stay back - close enough that we can call for you if necessary, but not so close as to risk being discovered. Izzy, show us the location. Meara, with me."
He wouldn't have needed to say the last part, but she still smiled and nodded at him. As they carefully followed Izzy over one of the hills, Meara wondered about the best way to approach. Normally she could have let herself drift, disconnecting from the world and thus rendering herself fully noncombatant. But if their opponents used similar power, might that alert them in some way? In the end she didn't have very long to think about it, because Izzy put a finger to her lips and began crawling up the side of one of the hills.
When they peeked over the top, they could just see a meeting. Elleane stood on one side, shining as always in her armor despite her long journey through a dusty wasteland. She didn't seem even slightly intimidated by the group facing her, even though they loomed far larger. Worse, from the disturbing sensation in the pit of her stomach, Meara was certain they were all Fellsilvered.
The largest of the group was a troll, its massive body not moving even slightly - it could have been stone, but for the living silver of its eyes. Beneath it stood three human warriors, ordinary enough but rendered eerie by their condition. There were a pair of jackals as well, the over-sized desert monsters showing no doggish behavior and simply standing behind their master.
And the figure in the center was definitely their master. Meara realized that her earlier impression was slightly wrong: the man standing at the head of the group might feel the same, but his eyes weren't silver. Instead he looked remarkably like the Aesidh they had fought in Manascas, though his skin was pale instead of dark.
It was too far for them to hear easily, but they were aided by the fact that Elleane shouted the next moment. "You're mad! You have countless targets and endless damn jackals in the desert - choose any of them and leave the merchants alone."
"Foolishness." The Aesidh spoke with utter contempt, voice ringing off the stone. "Do you think this will end bloodlessly, girl? Far more will be erased before we reset everything to their satisfaction."
"You might be in charge of this region, but you haven't spoken to him. He doesn't want everything reset, he just wants to find the source of the problem."
The Aesidh sneered. "You think you know something just because one of them is using you as a tool? The Mirror Court made the deal with Earth, child. The Earthians will want it all erased in the end. If I must do menial security, I may as well get started."
"That's unacceptable!" Elleane drew her sword and stepped forward, aiming it toward the Aesidh.
When she crossed an invisible line, all of the Fellsilvered creatures lunged at her, bodies flung through the air as if pulled by invisible strings. Elleane looked startled, as if she hadn't actually expected things to turn violent, but still struck back. Her sword tore one of the jackals in half, propelled by some sort of shimmering enchantment.
She couldn't stop the others, however. Two of the humans grabbed her arms, and though she shook them off, that delayed her enough for the troll to push her to the ground. It didn't appear to break through her armor and Elleane glared upward, struggling against it. However, her rage turned to horror as a shimmering silver light began to spread over her.
"Maybe this would be easiest." The Aesidh stepped up to her and stared down with even greater contempt than before. "You might be a fool, but you would make a good servant, once most of you is erased."
"You wouldn't dare." Elleane let out a grunt and to Meara's surprise, she actually managed to send the troll stumbling back. Yet as she pulled herself to her feet, the shimmering silver was covering more of her body. "Stop the infection at once, or you will face their wrath!"
"Do you think I fear you, child? You are nothing to me, a single peon in a backwater-"
"I think you fear them."
The words were spoken softer than the loud conversation, so quietly that Meara barely heard them. After a long silence, the Aesidh turned away irritably and waved a a hand. All the shimmering receded from Elleane's body and she straightened her back again, glowering at him.
"I do not fear them." The Aesidh's insistence seemed hollow, so he redoubled his contempt. "They are merely a convenient alliance for the Mirror Court. Never think that you have the right to tell me what to do."
"Maybe I don't have that right, but the Earthian wants to meet with you. We are to gather in the town of Kahhar in three days time - all of us. Apparently we are to coordinate our efforts from now on."
"A meeting? How terribly dull." The Aesidh sighed theatrically and turned away, his Fellsilvered minions moving along with him.
"Don't walk away from me! Do you give your word that you'll be there for the meeting?"
"See you in three days." The Aesidh waved over his shoulder without looking and departed with his entourage. Meara was very glad to see their strange lurching movements disappear and looked to Elleane instead. After fuming for a while, the woman slammed her sword back into its sheath and stormed away, again in her original direction.
Not toward Manascas, but most likely toward this Kahhar. Meara was curious about the exact location, but it still seemed unwise to speak. When she looked to the others, Izzy was staring, eyes wide with curiosity. Bloodwraith simply raised a finger to the mouth of his helm and jerked his head for them to return.
When they got back to Danniah and Gharavi, they explained what they heard briefly. After that, all of them were silent for a while before Gharavi ventured to speak first.
"So our suspicions were correct: the Aesidh are involved in addition to the Outsiders who manipulated this entire world for their sake."
"It seems to me," Meara said, "that the Earthians don't like to get directly involved. We already knew they used Elleane and others to run the Forest of Beginnings. Now it seems they have an alliance with this Aesidh Mirror Court as well, presumably to do more of their dirty work."
"But one of them is here." Bloodwraith clenched a fist so tightly that his gauntlet ground together audibly. "One of the box gods is here in person... and I do not think he will be a fool like Raigar. We must go to this meeting and learn more."
"Do you think it could be a trap?" Danniah asked. "I'll admit it's a bit of a stretch, but is it possible that they knew we were there and either wanted to lead us there or throw us off?"
Meara shook her head. "The fight between them... I don't think that was faked. There's serious unrest between the sides of this alliance and I can believe they need a meeting to sort it out. Besides, we can have Izzy track Elleane and we'll be able to approach this Kahhar place early to check."
"Assuming we can get there easily. Anybody know where it is?"
"I do," Gharavi said. "It's a mid-sized town not far from here. Less than three days travel if we hurry."
Bloodwraith immediately slammed his fist down into his other hand. "Then we leave at once."
Since he'd decided it, they were definitely going. Yet since she had nothing she needed to do to prepare, Meara simply drifted while the others got ready for a long trek. She had many things to think about: the fact that the Aesidh controlled the Fellsilver, the factions within their enemy, and the strange powers on display. Yet Meara found it difficult to think about anything e
xcept for one thought:
There was a very good chance she was going to meet her creator.
Chapter 6
A pathetic little town called Kahhar did not seem like an appropriate location for such an important meeting, but Bloodwraith reluctantly accepted that there weren't many other options. It would have taken tendays of travel to reach Manascas and there was little else in the blasted wasteland. He drove hard to arrive there first and didn't need to push anyone, because the entire group understood the urgency.
Though he kept up suspicions for a time and sent Izzy to scout Elleane, she only confirmed each time that the woman was heading toward Kahhar. Presumably the Aesidh had his own methods of traveling - they'd lost track of him and his Fellsilvered minions after the meeting. The question, then, was whether the others had already arrived.
If they had, what would he do? Bloodwraith seriously considered trying to kill them while they were separated, but discarded the idea. Satisfying though it might be to take revenge on a box god, what he needed most of all was information.
When they reached Kahhar itself, it was just as unremarkable of a town as he'd expected. Unlike Manascas, which contained travelers from many different lands, the inhabitants of Kahhar were mostly local folk and traveling merchants. It was large enough that they wouldn't draw too much attention, though Bloodwraith still had them prepare carefully.
Izzy had her usual cloak to hide the fact that she was a ghoul, of course. Meara could make herself exceptionally unremarkable. Though he wanted Gharavi to hide herself, she said that might look more suspicious and instead opted to wear her false barbarian outfit of fur strips. Knowing that it was a brilliant sorcerer dressing like that irritated him, and he struggled to salve his conscience with the thought that it was a deception.
There was little he could do to make himself less conspicuous, but hopefully he wasn't too notorious. When they entered, he was surprised to see more people look at Danniah. Her helm struck him as comfortingly ominous, but it did have some sort of fear enchantment. Too late he recalled how she had obtained a dangerous reputation in Manascas, but he wasn't sure if rumors had spread far enough that the people of Kahhar would recognize her helm.
