by Turtle Me
The old seer was sitting in a wicker chair with her feet held to a weak little fire that burned within a natural alcove along the far wall of the cave.
She turned as I stumbled through her door, one brow raised. “Ellie, dear, what are you—” Elder Rinia stood up with surprising swiftness, peering at me with concern. “But what’s happened, little one?”
I tried to speak, but could only sputter. “I—I—c-can’t—”
The old seer was next to me in an instant, her rough fingers prodding at my neck, my lips, pushing me head back to peer into my nostrils, prying my mouth open to stare down my throat.
My panic only grew as Elder Rinia tsked, then rushed over to a tall cabinet that was pressed against the rough wall of the cave and began pushing aside the clutter of items within. “Where is it? Where is it!”
Then my breathing stopped being painful, because I stopped being able to breathe at all. I stumbled toward the old elf and fell to my knees, one hand raised toward her pleadingly. My lungs were on fire and it felt as if my eyes would burst from my skull.
“Hah!” Elder Rinia hooted from somewhere above me, though she sounded very far away. Then something shoved me roughly from the side and I toppled over, rolling onto my back.
A blurry face hovered over mine, and something cool was pressed against my lips. Thick, icy liquid filled my mouth and began to slide unaided down my throat, and it was like someone had cast a spell to freeze my insides solid.
The liquid, whatever it was, wriggled within my lungs and throat, but when I gasped, sucking in a lungful of frigid air, I was still able to breathe. The sensation of drowning in the slime was too much for my body, however, which immediately began to try and remove the cold ooze by forcing me to be sick.
Rolling over and pushing myself up on my hands and knees, I began to heave like a cat coughing up a hairball.
Bright blue sludge splattered against the ground between my hands, pooled thickly, congealed back together like patches of slime mold slithering across the stone, then shriveled, blackened, and was still.
I wiped spittle from my trembling lips and turned, horrified, to Elder Rinia.
The old seer smiled kindly and patted my back. “Alright, alright. Right as rain, now.”
I sat back on my hands and took a deep breath. The air still felt as cold as a frosty winter morning and tasted slightly of peppermint. The burning pain and the lingering smell of rot were gone.
“What—what was that?” My eyes flicked toward the black goop, then back to her.
She turned and walked slowly back to her chair, settling into it carefully, suddenly the very picture of a frail old woman. “Frost snail blubber. Works a treat for burns. Doesn’t last outside of its casing, though.”
Scooting away from the pile of black ooze, I looked at Elder Rinia in disgust. “So you shoved slug snot down my throat? But I wasn’t even burned… there was some sort of gas… I thought I’d been poisoned.”
“Chemical burn,” she said dismissively. “The elder who taught me was also a gifted healer. I don’t have the ancients’ blood, though, so I’ve had to make due with more mundane remedies.”
I’d never heard Elder Rinia speak of her past or how she’d learned her magical arts before. For a moment the excitement of learning more about the mysterious seer was enough to put the cave rat and my near-death experience out of my mind. “Was that the same person who taught you about the runes and aether and stuff?”
“Aye. You could say they were singularly talented. It’s taken me a lifetime to learn even a portion of what they knew…” Elder Rinia trailed off into thought.
She jumped, then smiled warmly when I said, “I can’t imagine anyone more knowledgeable than you.”
“Perhaps. It’s truly unfortunate that the ancients’ wisdom died with them…”
The ancient mages had built wonders that we still didn’t fully understand: the floating city of Xyrus, the flying castle, the teleportation platforms that connected all of Dicathen. I’d read about them a little bit, but there wasn’t very much that we knew for sure.
“By the way, Ellie, would you mind calling off that great beast of yours before he tears down my front door?” Elder Rinia asked in amusement.
“Oh, sorry!” Shaking slightly, I jumped up and ran back to the crack that led back to the tunnel. Boo was still scratching at the entrance; he had forced himself into the gap up to his shoulders, but that was as far as he could go.
He stopped when he saw me. “It’s okay, Boo, I’m okay. You just rest now, I’ll be back out after I’ve spoken with Elder Rinia, okay?”
My bond eyed me, then snorted and began scooting backwards, slowly dislodging himself from the narrow gap.
I patted his snout and went back into the cave, walking carefully around the black ooze to where Elder Rinia sat.
There was only one chair next to the fire, so I sat cross legged on the warm stone at Elder Rinia’s feet, feeling more like a child than I had in years. Despite being there for a reason, something the old seer said had stuck in my head.
“What did you mean, you don’t have the ancients’ blood?”
Elder Rinia scoffed and looked at me appraisingly. “Caught that, did you? Me and my mouth.” Her expression turned thoughtful, as if she were trying to decide how much she could tell me—a look I’d seen many times before on the old elf’s wrinkled face—then she took a deep breath.
“This isn’t something most know, but when I was a girl I was taught that emitters—healers—carry the blood of the ancient mages in their veins. This, in fact, is the source of their aberrant form of magic.”
“So, does that mean that Mom is descended from ancient mages? That… that Arthur and I are?” I wasn’t sure what that would mean. I wasn’t even sure if I believed the old seer. It seemed fantastical, even silly, to consider it. The ancient mages were figures out of stories, like the asura.
But then, the asura were real enough. Arthur had even gone to their homeland to train…
Elder Rinia shook her head. “I’m afraid I’ve taken us quite off track. Perhaps we can speak more about these things later. For now, I think it would be best that you explain what exactly you ran into on your way here?”
She had told me as much as she was willing, I knew. I also knew there was no point in arguing with her or trying to wheedle more information out of her. No one understood the power of simple words better than a seer, and there would be no convincing her to tell me anything she didn’t want to, so I scooted a little closer to the fire and began to tell her about the attack in the tunnels.
Elder Rinia leaned forward in her chair, her hands steepled together as she listened to my story about the cave rats and the strange, sickly mana beast that had nearly killed me with its breath attack.
When I was finished, she leaned back and let out a long sigh. “A blight hob.”
“What?” I asked, having never heard of such a creature before.
“Wicked creatures that are able to disguise themselves in order to live among other mana beasts. Most mana beasts are just that, beasts, but blight hobs are full of hatred and cruelty. Thankfully, they’re not particularly strong, though they possess a mean cleverness that makes them dangerous to underestimate.”
“Sounds like something you’d raise and train to keep people away,” I muttered grumpily.
“Only if you want to be throttled in your sleep,” Elder Rinia said, laughing darkly. “But you’re here to discuss something else, aren’t you? And since you’ve nearly died in the process, you’d better get on with it.”
Caught off guard, I opened my mouth, coughed dryly, then closed my mouth again. Since the cave rat attack, I hadn’t even thought about Virion’s request, and now I realized that I wasn’t sure how to ask what I needed to know.
Nervous fear caused my palms to sweat and my mouth to go dry. Rinia was looking at me expectantly, but I couldn’t seem to order the words in my mind.
�
��Well, spit it out, child,” Elder Rinia said impatiently, though not unkindly. “Tell me all about Virion’s grand plan and ask me for my wisdom, I know that’s why you’re here.”
“If—if you know why I’m here, why do you need me to ask you?” I stared into the fire, pointedly avoiding the old seer’s penetrating gaze. I tried to sound nonchalant, as if I was teasing her, but my words had come out whimpering, like a frightened puppy.
She sighed heavily. “My dear…” There was so much kindness and warmth and tiredness in her breathy voice that I couldn’t help but turn around and meet her eye. “You’ve nothing to fear here. You’re being shouldered with burdens you shouldn’t have to bear, but you need to know you can.”
I want to go fight Alacryans, but I can’t even ask my friend a simple question without shaking, I thought angrily. I am not a child.
“Elder Rinia,” I said seriously, wiping my sweaty palms on my trousers and clearing my throat, “we will be sending a group—an assault force—into Elenoir to rescue a caravan of elven prisoners who are being moved—transported—from Zestier into newly formed holds along the edge of the El-Elshire forest. Commander Virion asks that you share your wisdom and tell us anything you can about this-this mission.”
Elder Rinia had closed her eyes as I spoke, nodding absently. I waited, watching her eyeballs dart around beneath her closed lids. I imagined that she was reading some secret book that only she could see.
Her eyes fluttered open and she leaned forward, resting her face in her hands. Her wrinkled knuckles went white as she pressed her fingertips to her temples. When she spoke, her voice was raspy and strained.
“Before I can give my blessing for you to join this expedition to Elenoir, I’m going to need you to do a little something for me.”
Her answer surprised me. “I’m sorry, I don’t mean any disrespect, Elder Rinia, but I didn’t come here for your blessing.”
The elder gave me a knowing smile as she rested her chin on her palm. “No, but you’ll need it if you hope to accomplish your goal.”
I bowed, acknowledging the truth of her words. “What—what do you want me to do?”
“You’re going to hunt and kill the blight hob for me, child.”
283
The Town Chief
ARTHUR LEYWIN
The brief moment of peace that I had while waiting for the town chief didn’t last very long. I lifted my head from the back of the couch as rapid footsteps approached, quickly growing louder until the door swung open.
I was a bit startled to see the figure standing in the doorway. He was a bear of a man with bulging lumps of muscles for arms and a long white beard that flowed down to his wide chest.
His almond-colored skin had gone a sickly, pale white, and sweat dripped down into his beard. The man immediately fell to his knees with a thud. “This one deserves to die for putting esteemed ascender through such inconveniences! Sembian and Chumorith are ignorant of the ways outside of this measly town and did not mean to offend esteemed ascender. Please forgive them, as I am the one to blame for their lack of wisdom.”
The large elder whipped his head back. “Sembian! Chumorith! Get down on your—”
“It’s fine,” I cut in. “There is no reason for you to ask for forgiveness.”
Locking eyes with the two guards, I allowed a small, teasing smile to play across my lips. “Their antics were… entertaining, especially after having just left the tribulations of the Relictombs.”
I could literally see the chief’s body deflate in relief, but he remained on his knees. “Thank you for your benevolence, esteemed ascender.”
“Please, get up,” I said, gesturing to the couch in front of me. “Chief Mason, right?”
“Yes!” he exclaimed. The big chief used his beard to wipe the sweat from his brow as he took a seat before me. When he didn’t have the look of a man who had been consigned to a public execution, Chief Mason seemed an energetic and kindly man. His body had gone to seed, but once he must have been a formidable warrior, if his trunk-like arms were any indication.
I was interested to notice that, despite his position, the man still had dirt on his hands.
“Ah! My apologies for my unkempt state, I was helping out with the renovation of our coliseum. We’re a little behind for the upcoming events,” the chief explained, looking down at his hands.
“Your guards told me about the bestowment and exhibition coming up in the next few days,” I replied.
“Yes! It’s our town’s turn to host the exhibition. If esteemed ascender wishes to attend, we can definitely set up an announcement and—”
“There’s no need. I plan to leave soon,” I interjected respectfully. “I would’ve left immediately, but there was something I needed anyway.”
“Yes! I will be happy to help in any way I can.” The town chief paused and gave me an embarrassed look. “But, I do need to verify esteemed ascender’s license and belongings. It’s not that I don’t believe that you are an ascender, but as the chief in charge of overseeing this town’s descension chamber, I’m required to verify any ascender that exits the portal. I’m sure you understand…”
I hesitated for a moment. While the fake markings I had received should pass inspection, I didn’t have a license. Meanwhile, the town chief hurried to his desk where he retrieved what looked like an obsidian pocket watch.
Turning around, I lifted the teal cloak that I wore over my otherwise black outfit to show the chief the markings engraved over my spine.
Chief Mason inhaled sharply. “Amazing. I recognize some of it, but I’ve never seen such complicated markings, esteemed ascender. Three distinct imprints, and judging by the complexity of the top marking, it has to be an emblem.”
“Please, stop referring to me as ‘esteemed ascender’.” Lowering my clothes, I sat back down. “As for my license, unfortunately, I lost my dimension ring carrying all my belongings in the Relictombs. But I do have this.”
I took out the white dagger in its embroidered sheath. The Denoir medallion swung from its cord, catching the light.
“This…” The town chief’s eyes bulged as he carefully held the dagger, acting for all the world like he held a newborn baby instead of an instrument of death. “If I’m not mistaken, this is Highblood Denoir’s insignia. Is estee—are you an ascender under their blood?”
“Yes,” I lied.
“This is more than enough verification of your status, esteemed ascender,” the town chief said, handing the weapon back to me with both hands. “It’s an honor to be in your presence.”
“I may not be here for much longer, but please keep this information to yourself.”
“Yes, of course!” The chief nodded furiously. “My inquirer shows that you have no relics on you, so you are clear in all sense!”
“Wait. So that artifact can sense relics?” I asked, leaning forward to get a closer look.
“It has a very limited range, but yes,” the town chief said with a furrowed brow. “Have you never been checked by an inquirer after your ascents?”
I cleared my throat, feigning embarrassment. “To be honest, this was my first ascent. I made a blunder and lost the simulet that was in my ring, separating me from my team fairly early on.”
“Oh no,” the chief gasped. He leaned forward with his elbows on his knees and one hand combing through his beard unconsciously. “That’s horrible. Thankfully, you came out alive.”
“Yes. I got lucky to be close to a portal in the next zone,” I said.
I explained my situation using as much Alacryan vocabulary as possible, nervous that my ignorance of little things, like the inquirer, could give me away. “But anyway. I know we’re in a town called Maerin, but I’m not exactly sure where that is in Alacrya. Do you, by any chance, have a map you can part with so I can be on my way?”
“You’re in luck! A travelling merchant came by with copied maps several weeks ago, so I actually do have some,” Chief Mas
on said, going back to his desk. “Might I ask your destination?”
His innocent question left me stumped. I didn’t have a specific destination in mind, aside from my obligation to return the dagger and medallion to Caera in the central dominion.
“Aha! Here it is.” Chief Mason unrolled a large parchment that spilled over the oval tea table. On it was a piece of land that oddly resembled the side-view of a horned skull with its mouth open and a large curved bump protruding from the northern end. Alacrya was segmented into five parts with a thick line, separating the north, east, west, south, and center.
“How far is the journey to the central dominion?” I asked.
“Well, seeing as we’re at the southern tip of the eastern dominion,” he answered, pointing to a small dot on the map, “it would take around five months on foot, or about sixty or so days in a carriage.”
My eyes widened and I glanced up from the map to meet the chief’s eye. “That long?”
“This is the normal way, of course,” the town chief replied. “There are teleportation gates available in the major cities. The price is hefty… but what am I saying, I’m sure you’re familiar with all that. No doubt flashing around that dagger lets you move with ease, eh?”
I didn’t want to show off the dagger too frequently in case I attracted unwanted attention, but it was nice to know it gave me some additional security if I got stuck somewhere.
Studying the map, I pointed to the city closest to the town we were in. “How far is Aramoor from here then?”
“It’s just a short two weeks by carriage, if conditions permit,” Chief Mason answered with a weary chuckle.
I let out a sigh. “We’re… really on the outskirts, aren’t we?”
“Aye. Truth be told, settlements with descension chambers that don’t get used often, like ours, don’t get dimension gates built for fast travel.”
Piecing together what Loreni had said and what the chief confirmed, the portal I had stepped through only allowed ascenders to leave the Relictombs, not enter.
