by Isaac Winter
"Pretty shitty, if you ask me." Tris spoke up. She scowled and spit in his direction, which did nothing to assuage the giant's mood.
"I'll remind you who's in charge here, miss!" He yelled, throwing himself against the bars. Tris didn't waver, simply stared at him with a bored expression on her face. I was scared of him and I was all the way over here. Didn't want to get on this guy's bad side.
Tris didn't say anything else, just stared him down. They faced off for a few seconds, then he turned away. "I'd be careful if I were you," He sneered and turned to face me.
"I've got Alcazar coming down for your questioning soon. Don't think of trying anything funny. Took your items just in case."
Tris groaned. "Do you know how long it took to collect all that?"
"No, and I don't care either. Now be quiet and wait like our other prisoner. He's so much better behaved."
No one would ever use the phrase 'well-behaved' to describe my companion. She merely sat there, fuming.
"I'll be back," The giant warned, and stomped off again.
"Now what?" I asked Tris from across the hall.
"What do you mean, now what? They took all my supplies! I spent ages grinding for that gear!"
At least in that respect, I had basically nothing to lose. "We'll get it back, okay? Let's focus on getting out of here first."
"And how are you going to do that, noob?"
I sighed and rubbed my temples. Clearly, she wasn't in a mood for discussion. If only I knew some spells, or had a lockpick, or even had my hands free...
I pulled up my HUD and looked through the options. No angry guards, stupid giants, or demon skeletons were jumping out at me right now, so it was a good time to look things over. When I opened the section for user preferences, I saw an interesting option:
> Enable Runic Vision
[Yes/No]
What the heck? I hadn't seen that one before. I felt a chill down my spine as I did so, but I chose 'Yes'.
Glowing orange runes circled the floor of the cell, but what they spelled out I couldn't tell. With a gasp I shrank backwards and my heart leapt into my chest. There they were again! I wasn't crazy!
"What are you ogling at?" Tris called.
"The runes...they're here!" I pointed with a shaking finger at the floor.
This got her attention. She sat up straight, as much as she could in her restraints. "Wait a second, did you say runes?"
"Yeah...what about it?"
"It means maybe you're not as much of a noob as I thought. Quick, read them! They might get us out of here!" For the first time, Tris actually sounded interested.
"How am I supposed to know? Languages may be my specialty, but I can't read Runic!"
"Can't." She pantomimed air quotes. "Or won't?"
I growled and railed against my restraints. "What do you want from me? I can't just magically read a--"
"Shut up and THINK!" She yelled.
My fists clenched behind me as I ground my teeth, but I willed myself to take a breath. Then another. The shaky in, out became a pattern. A mantra. Just breathe. Just focus. Just think.
I settled into what I called my 'work brain', the state of mind I often found myself in when working on translations. My work in the past I'd always known at least some of the language going in. This was different, though. But I had seen more than a few examples by now. Maybe there were similarities.
I focused on the curves and angles of the runes. I focused on the way they connected to form what must have been words, and how the spacing differed across the circle. I don't know if it was a leap of intuition or something greater, but words spilled out of my mouth before I could stop them.
"Ancellra alacris," I read, and the runes glowed brighter for only a second, then disappeared.
A flood of notifications appeared as I heard the lock click on the door and my cuffs unlatch.
> Congratulations! You've accessed your first ability: Runecraft.
There are secret messages hidden throughout our world, and only those with the trained eye may see them.
> New Quest: Flight to Freedom
------------------------------------------
Escape the cell without being seen.
Bonus: Take Tris with you.
Rescuing Tris will result in increased reputation and alignment.
Accept?
[Yes/No]
"Yes, of course," I mumbled.
"How did you do that?" I heard Tris call. "How the hell did you do that?"
"Shut up," I hissed. "They'll hear us and come back. Come on, quick."
I repeated the incantation and her door unlocked as well. She could only watch me, agape. Who's the noob now? I smirked. I'd have to rub it in later.
Tris stood, rubbing the raw spots on her wrists. She opened the door as quietly as possible, but it still made a creaky metal sound. We both winced, but there was no time to ruminate. "Let's go." She nodded, and we took off at a run.
Our footsteps clattered on the stone floor, but at least Tris didn't have all her metal gadgetry jangling about. Speaking of...
"There's got to be a chest around here," She said, whirling around. We heard voices, not far off. I gave her a warning look, and we flattened against the wall and around a corner.
"No time," I said through gritted teeth. I saw blessed sunlight pour forth from an open window not far away. I squinted at the brightness, used to the cold, dark cell. Freedom, if we could make it. "How bad do you need that stuff?"
Tris gave me a deadpan look. "When you spend ages collecting shit like I did, I'll get back to you."
I huffed and ground my teeth, trying not to voice my irritation. She was going to get us killed. I could still make a break for it, and leave her behind...
It took only a moment to realize that I no longer wanted to. For better or worse, we'd gotten tied up in this together, and I wasn't going to leave her now.
"This way," Tris pointed, and we turned a corner and sprinted away from the light. I just hoped she knew what she was doing. The voices grew louder, footsteps resonating off the stone walls. Any minute now, they'd see us. We skittered to a halt as the hallway came to a dead end. If they came down here, we were trapped. Anxiety flared in my chest as I looked to her for direction. "There it is!" She whispered, and ran over to a chest set against an alcove. Pulling a pin from her hair, she shoved it in the lock and started jiggling it around.
I raised an eyebrow. "You're a lockpicker now?"
"One of my many talents," She smiled as the lock clicked open. There was her bag, all right. And a second bag, too. She slung the bag over her shoulder and waved at the rest of the contents. "All yours."
I grabbed the bag and felt a tingling all over my skin.
> You have found: Bag of Holding.
It's bigger on the inside!
Reduces item weight and decay.
Contents: unknown.
I knew better than to sort through a mysterious bag while we were still in the belly of the beast, so I grabbed it and tied it around my waist. "Let's get out of here," I smiled.
"Right behind you."
We took off at a run toward the open window, but heard voices in alarm behind us.
"They've escaped! Secure the perimeter!"
Shit! I pumped my legs faster, closing in on the window as voices shouted and ran behind me. Using my arms, I vaulted myself onto the ledge and looked back for the first time. Tris wasn't far behind, but our captors were gaining fast. "Come on!" I yelled, extending my hand. The giant and the hooded man were closing, but she leaped toward me. I clasped her hand, bracing myself against the wall as I yanked upward. I nearly tumbled back down with her, but she found a foothold and clambered up.
But our captors were too close. The hooded man, who I could only guess was the mysterious Alcazar, reached out a hand and grabbed her bag, yanking it away from her body. "No!" She cried, losing her balance. I didn't have time to think, to choose. There was only one way we'd get out of this alive, and if I let
her go back for her stuff we'd never make it. I grabbed her by the torso and threw both of us out the window into the world beyond.
8
We hit the ground hard, the air rushing out of my lungs in a whoosh. My health, which had recovered from near death levels, flashed a dangerous red once again.
> DANGER! Your health is low!
God, it was a miracle the fall damage hadn't killed me. I heaved and hacked, trying to regain control. Tris cursed like a sailor and stood, brushing herself off. Then, she grabbed my hand and started running.
I stumbled to keep up, breath still coming in ragged gasps. I saw the lines of pain and fear on her face same as mine, but for now we had one goal. Get to safety. I felt a twinge of regret for making her leave her bag behind. Who knew how much history she'd built up in there. I didn't even want to think about what that was worth.
Tris didn't say a word, just kept running. After a few minutes, trees shot up around us and we entered a grove. A quest notification appeared in my display:
> Quest complete! Flight to Freedom.
+250 XP.
+100 bonus XP for rescuing Tris.
Increased alignment.
Increased reputation with Tris.
> LEVEL UP!
You are now level 2.
You have 3 skill points to distribute.
Get stronger, get smarter, get better!
I fist pumped the air, even though I knew we weren't out of the woods yet. Level 2! Heck yeah! And I had a bag full of new loot to check out. I sure hoped there was some food in there, though. While I'd been able to put off the pangs of hunger while escaping the fortress, I wouldn't be able to much longer. It was a miracle my growling stomach didn't give us away.
Just as my stamina was about to give out, Tris slowed. A rushing river flowed nearby and she took the time to fill a few vials of its waters after gulping down several mouthfuls. I shoved my face into the stream, thankful for the water. Slowly but surely, my stamina began to rise again.
I sat back on the riverbank, the exhaustion finally seeping into my bones after our adrenaline-fueled flight. I wasn't sure at all that we were safe. They could still be out there, hunting us. I looked over to Tris, who crouched next to a tree with her eyes closed.
"Thanks," She said finally, picking apart a leaf.
"You're welcome," I said. "Now are you going to tell me what all that was about?"
Tris sighed, her gaze far away. She threw the torn leaf into the river and watched it float away. "Fine. I'm wanted, okay?"
My eyes narrowed as my brows pulled together. "Wanted? For what?"
"I'd really rather not get into it right now. Made some bad choices, got mixed up with the wrong sort. That’s not important. But seriously, you don't want to talk about what happened back there? You have a Runic Affinity! I've never met anyone like that before! That's a rare gift."
My brows drew even closer as I tried to make sense of her words. I was just doing my job. Back at the Academy, I was the go-to man for weird dead languages and musty manuscripts, but I'd never seen any magic runes before. Not until Mabel went missing, and I found that stupid book...
"Is it really that rare?" I asked, trying to keep my voice even.
"Yeah," She breathed. "I've only heard of a few with the gift. They say the founder of this world had it too. That's how he made all this." She waved her arm in a wide expanse.
"Well, what am I supposed to do with it? I'm just a noob, remember?" I couldn't resist the chance to direct some of the teasing back at her. Tris stuck out her tongue at me and I smiled.
"Okay, fine. You're still a noob, but we're gonna fix that." She stood, a holographic dialog showing in front of her as she navigated the menus on her HUD.
"We?" I asked, cocking an eyebrow upward.
"I guess we're a team now," Tris said, extending her hand. "You saved my ass, after all. If you hadn't thrown me out the window when you did, I probably would have gone back for my stuff, and who knows what would have happened." She sighed and slumped her shoulders. "It just really sucks, you know? I spent so long building up, and now I have nothing all over again."
I nodded. It wasn't the same, but I would feel just as lost if my book collection suddenly vanished at home. It becomes a part of you, after a while. I reached down into the bag I'd rescued from the chest. I felt almost guilty for taking it now, especially since Tris lost everything. I reached into the bag and pulled out a handful of gold coins. "Here," I said. "We said we'd split, remember?"
She stared at me for a moment, eyes wide. Then with a curt nod, she took the gold and pocketed it. "You didn't have to do that, you know. Being that nice around here is gonna get you killed. Especially for a Drow. Aren’t you all supposed to be evil or something?" She looked away again, refusing to meet my gaze.
I rolled my eyes. Too nice. Not like I'd never heard that one before. But she had a point. This wasn't home. This wasn't the Academy. And if the last day was any indication, I needed to toughen up, quick. "Hey, not all Drow are assholes! Just most of them. Me being that nice is why you're still alive," I countered. "Come on. Let's get out of here."
"I know just the place," Tris said, her lips curling into a grin.
> New Quest: It's a Training Montage!
--------------------------------------------------
In the world of the Veil, nothing is as it seems. To survive, you must find your true allies and progress along your path. But be wary, there will always be those who wish you harm.
Find a mentor for the road ahead.
Accept?
[Yes/No]
I nodded the notification away, and we started walking.
> Tris is now a Companion. She will travel and fight with you as long as your reputation with her remains high. Betray her, and that will be a different story indeed...
We walked silently for a time, keeping off the road and simply enjoying one another's company. There were still so many unanswered questions. I couldn't say I felt great about traveling with a wanted woman, but it sounded like I was about to be wanted too if I wasn't careful. I supposed we needed each other.
"So how long have you been here?" I asked idly as we meandered through the trees. I could see a clearing up ahead, and even though we hadn't run into any trouble, I felt uneasy about being out in the open.
"What do you mean, here?"
"In the Veil."
"Oh," Tris said, stepping over a raised tree root. "I dunno. A while. All that grinding wasn't easy."
I frowned. "It has to suck losing everything like that."
"Tell me about it," She said, trudging along. "But I did it before, I can do it again. I see it as a second chance. Maybe this time, I can do things right." When I glanced over at her, I couldn't help but notice she had a hopeful gleam in her eye. I wished I knew what her story was like. Even though she'd assaulted me, nearly gotten me killed, and had a tongue sharper than steel, she was the only person I'd met so far that even seemed a little interested in helping. In real life, I was accustomed to going it alone, but I knew when I was in over my head.
It wasn't long until a town rose up around us. I took a look at my map to see where we were headed and saw the name Syn emblazoned across the landscape. The name rung a bell in my head. The guards had told me I might have better luck here.
"So...where are we headed?" I asked, taking a few quick steps to catch up with my companion.
"Syn," She said simply and pointed. "It's a little rough around the edges, but if you know the right people, very valuable."
Great. Tris was leading me into the ghetto.
I swallowed my pride and followed her out of the forest and into the grassy meadow beyond. I still felt the tendrils of fear wrapped around my arms, my legs, my throat, but Tris didn't seem to be too worried. "Aren't you concerned those guys are gonna come after us?" I asked her.
"Nah." She waved a hand. "They care about their stupid castle too much to leave it for long. Surprising that they made it all the way out to the dung
eon, really. Never seen them that far afield before. They must have hired some new folks to watch the keep."
"Then that means they'll be free to hunt us down," I surmised. This wasn't making me feel any better, and I took a wary glance over my shoulder.
"Relax," Tris assured me. "I've dealt with these guys for awhile. We're heading into town, and they won't dare ambush us in public. They're more of a cloak and dagger type."
"If you say so," I grumbled, and hoped that she was right.
My health was still dangerously low, but as we walked Tris gave me some herbs to chew on. They tasted like dirt and grass. I hated it. I hated it a little less when I saw how much my health shot up. Not bad.
As the town grew closer in my view, I noticed a stark difference from the city I'd been denied entrance to before. This one had no tall stone gates. No menacing guards. No trellis protecting the perimeter. Hell, they barely had dirt walls. A few blocks of crude mud formed in a waving line around the town’s borders, but that was about it. Within the village, it was much less lively. Instead of towers and well-to-do citizens, I saw thatched huts and hunched backs. Clearly not a rich village, but seemed to be sustaining itself all the same. Instead of the spires of industry, farmland stretched across the hillside, pack animals walking up the dirt trails and drinking from the little stream that wove through the middle of the town.
A fountain marked the center, easily the most luxurious item in the whole town. It was pure white marble, embellished with engravings and spewing clear, fresh water over the sides. Stone paths struck out like spokes of a wheel in all directions.
"Here we are," Tris said, waving a hand.
"Where is here?"
"Welcome to Syn. Like the name implies, it's a hotbed of...sin. But there's some real experts here if you know where to look." She winked and rushed off down one of the spokes of the wheel, the tails of her coat flapping out behind her.
I picked up the pace and followed, taking care not to turn an ankle on the cobblestone path. Short, stooped men eyed me with disdain. Red lamplight gave the land a dreary, throbbing color, and broken glass littered the ground with splatters of something that looked suspiciously like blood. They put a shiver down my spine. Talk about the wrong side of the tracks. I stopped short, stones scattering, as Tris ducked down an alleyway. There, unseen to all but the skittering rats, was a moldy old door. God, I hope she knew what she was doing. Tris knocked three times, and we waited.
