“... What?” Christine asked as she noticed Kite’s expectant look as the doors to the conference room closed behind them, Ryker and Linger having just changed shifts with them as part of Sir Ilmaril’s entourage.

  “I was just waiting.”

  “For?”

  “Senior sister, that was the end of our last shift. So far, each time we’ve emerged from these doors, you have served me a brand new metaphor for the tediousness of it all. Watching paint dry, emptying a lake with a spoon, witnessing a mountain eroded down to nothing by the wind, listening to the grass growing,” Kite said, ticking off each example on his fingers. “I had hoped to add another to the collection today, as you may have saved the most spectacular one for last.”

  “Well, perhaps I found this particular meeting to be of actual interest?” Christine retorted nonchalantly, before almost immediately caving at Kite’s raised eyebrow. “Fine…” she muttered. “Today… Today was worse than being the silent witness to a single glacier reaching out to swallow the world, every single thing ground to dust beneath its passing with agonizing slowness.”

  “That’s my Senior Sister for you,” Kite noted, satisfied. “On another note, what are your intentions for the rest of our time in the city? It is noon now, meaning that we have a full day of freedom here in the city until tomorrow morning when we’re portaling out.”

  The last was in part a question to make small talk, and in part for Laevyeth’s benefit. Kite could feel her restlessness where she was slung across his back, and he empathized. The past two days had been slow. Calm, but slow. And the time seeming to crawl by had worn away at what little patience the nervous spear could muster.

  “Me? Well, I’m going to relax. Good and proper,” Christine replied, her normal casual tone back in force as she stretched, arms behind her head. “The city apparently has some really good high-end bath houses, so I thought to seek one out and not emerge until it’s nice and dark outside. Want to join me, Glint?”

  “This young mistress finds the prospect most pleasing,” the familiar replied, peeking her head out of her bottle at Kite’s belt.

  “You’ve spent all of these days sleeping languidly, and you’ve still got room for more leisure?” Kite asked the familiar, amused, only getting an indignant snort in return.

  “It seems like your company is handled then,” he continued, turning back to the elf walking beside him. “Could I perhaps interest you both in lunch before you’re off to the pleasantries? I’m looking to spend the rest of the day meditating and browsing the trade halls after that.”

  “Sounds like a plan. I saw this interesting place yesterday in passing that served some kind of pie that smelled amazing-”

  As they exited the building, emerging out into the crisp air and brightness of day, Kite sent a comforting pulse of aura to Laevyeth while keeping up with the spoken conversation.

  “Soon,” he thought, hoping that the spear would catch his meaning. “We’ll soon be taking our leave. And once we’re back in Hua-Xi, you’ll hopefully feel safe enough. Eventually.”

  “All this food. It just seems so… odd.”

  It wasn’t the first time Laevyeth had considered this particular practice, having been silent witness to many meals of which Kite had partaken during the days since their meeting. But even with the knowledge in her head, confirmed by the vague memories given by her creator which Laevyeth still held, to ingest parts of the physical world like that using their mouths…

  “But… Now I should be able to do so too, should I not?”

  Now there was one unsettling thought, added to the long list of things that made Laevyeth ambivalent of this new, alternate form of hers. Hands and being able to move around were definitely a distinct advantage, opening up a world of possibilities. But eating? It joined the grouping of other activities which the people of this world seemed to be most fond of but which Laevyeth felt were most alien to her sensibilities. Some particular ones involving the bodies of chosen others even seemed to be considered very enjoyable if Kite’s knowledge was to be believed.

  “I suppose I shall have to withhold judgement for now. Perhaps partake in the future, at least once. To experience what all that excitement is about.”

  As for Kite’s companions, Laevyeth was still trying to figure things out. This Christine was part of his previous knowledge, yet she knew of many others who the human was a lot closer to. Her creator had imparted knowledge of a vast cosmos, but it was one thing to conceptually know of it and another thing to experience it. Laevyeth had already felt dizzy upon considering the number of people her current wielder knew, further aggravated by the fact that it was but a miniscule portion of this world. And that the world itself was almost insignificant before the wider cosmos as a whole.

  “Still, Kite seems to insist on his trust in them. Perhaps I should…? No. No. Not here. Perhaps in the future, near his home. This place is not safe. Not with those ‘researchers’ still near.”

  Even with her fear once more taking charge, Laevyeth still found herself drinking in the conversations she was listening to. But not just the words itself, but something more intangible. There was something with the interactions that caused a longing to ache inside her. She didn’t know exactly what it was or how to put it into words, but that mattered less at the moment. But perhaps one day, not too far off into the future, it would.

  While they weren’t the most expansive Kite had ever visited during his travels, the Svyatograd trade halls connected to the adventure society campus were definitely among the most lavish. Walking through the pillared great halls among booths, vendors and storefronts felt like entering the foyer to some kind of palace. Many of the more affluent stores even had separate rooms or small wings dedicated solely to them. Arrays of glowstones high above highlighted the fine stone and beautiful wood paneling, and the environment gave a distinct sense of dignity to even the crowded halls filled with arguing, haggling and other voices advertising all kinds of wares.

  But at that very moment, most of it became a simple buzz in the background; muted and distant as Kite’s perception had zoned in on something else.

  “Haven’t I seen her before?” he thought as his expanded vision let him focus on a human woman with auburn hair up in a bun and dressed in what looked like ordinary clothing for the region and season; thick and layered skirts and a jacket similarly insulated against the cold weather. Through the mass of essence-users, Kite couldn’t pick out her aura well enough to get a proper read beyond that she seemed to be a bronze-ranked core user, probably not an adventurer herself.

  As other than adventurers themselves often frequented the trade halls around the world - from servants to auxiliary team members making errands in their respective adventurer’s stead - this particular woman shouldn’t stand out. But Kite had idly noted her many, many times already during the two hours or so he had spent browsing and searching for a potential tracking solution to Laevyeth’s earlier concern. Too many times to feel fully coincidental.

  “Sir?”

  The lone word, the question clear in its tone, brought Kite back to the present where he was standing with a sparkling shield in his hands. It was an interesting piece of craftsmanship, rectangular in shape while looking as if it was made from stained glass. And from the merchant’s expectant look, it seemed as if he was waiting for some kind of answer from Kite.

  “What do you think? A versatile tool for any adventurer, no?” the man continued. “Or do you wish me to go further into the details of its enchantments? My earlier explanation was but an abridged version, and-”

  “No, thank you,” Kite interrupted as politely as possible, handing the shield back to the man. “It does sound very impressive, especially with the different rechargeable runes, but I do believe that it is a bit beyond what I need at the moment. Please convey my compliments to the crafter in question though, as the complexity is astounding.”

  What he didn’t say was that it was an idea of which he would tell Peony upon his return, as the enchantments had some interesting properties which might serve as inspiration.

  Kite soon found himself rejoining the crowds, albeit with a different objective in mind. He went to browse several alchemy shops, a vendor selling one-use projectiles and a jeweller who was all too happy to refer Kite to a multitude of brothers in other fields.

  And as he did, his suspicions were proven true. Because even when Kite made sure to cross the more expansive central hall multiple times, going out of his way to plan an asymmetrical route beyond any simple shopping trip or errand. And all the while, that same woman was somehow always shopping nearby.

  After visiting two more stores just to get confirmation beyond any reasonable belief, Kite decided that he had had enough of the subtle chase.

  “Time to see what this is about,” he thought with an inward sigh, turning on the spot and starting to make his way directly towards the woman instead of away as he had before. “Perhaps I can at least get to know who sent her without making too much of a disturbance.”

  At first, the woman didn’t even glance at his approach, even if she did move further away while putting up a quite convincing act that it was merely her own fancies which made her change direction. But as Kite increased his pace, she soon looked up, eyes widening slightly in alarm as her gaze met his.

  She didn’t bolt though, as Kite might have had suspected. Although something close to it. In a puff of mist, the woman briefly disappeared before reforming a short distance away, gaining a distinct lead on Kite in his measured pursuit.

  “Curses,” he swore inwardly. Kite had made sure to start his counter-pursuit as far from the exits as he could reasonably manage to make sure that he could discreetly catch up without causing a scene. But if the woman had a short-range teleport…

  “It seems like some subtleties will have to be thrown to the wind.”

  With the thought, a trio of vortices appeared above him and locked onto the retreating woman even as Kite pursued at a brisk walk. Neither moved fast enough to need to shove their way through the crowds, especially not with grace of essence users. And so far, most people in the crowds didn’t even react much to the visible effects of Spirit Singularity beyond casting the occasional glance.

  “Well, one of the perks with being in a city with plentiful adventurers,” Kite thought to himself as he stepped up his silent pursuit.

  The woman with the auburn hair seemed to realize her predicament as she jerked in place a few seconds later, her teleport failing beneath the full attention of Kite’s spirit singularity. He wondered if she would bolt then, but was proven incorrect again as she continued at a somewhat measured pace, albeit changing directions.

  Kite witnessed her cut through a few more crowds than before, earning herself a few scowls and muttered words before eventually reaching one of the more affluent stores of the trade hall, the sign above reading ‘Svarowsky and sons’. It was one of those with a whole set of rooms beyond the walls of the main hall, with huge enchanted windows showing off impressively cut crystals of most shapes and sizes Kite could imagine. Beyond the showcases, heavy drapes hid the rest of the store from the outside world to create that private kind of atmosphere which customers of means seemed to prefer the world over.

  “But apparently I am such a customer these days,” he thought as he entered, the two silver-ranked guards at the door only glancing Kite’s way briefly before looking back towards the crowds. “And unless she works here, it should be a good place to quietly get some answers and-”

  Kite’s thoughts were abruptly thrown aside as his instincts warned him that something was wrong after taking only a few steps into the store. As he expected, the insides were richly decorated with plenty of heavily enchanted display cabinets holding different kinds of quintessence and a plethora of other crystals. Everything was set up just densely enough to give a sense of a rich and varied inventory yet sparsely enough to maintain that clean, exclusive feeling which the whole store seemed to want to emit.

  But what set Kite on edge was the fact that there were currently only two people other than him in the store, and neither looked to be any kind of clerk or storeowner which one might expect.

  Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

  “Thank you, Lana. That will be all,” said the person whose presence was currently dominating the space, in stature and aura both; a powerfully built human man with fair hair and an impeccably groomed mustache who was turning from a counter at the far end to face Kite while giving a dismissing wave to the woman with the auburn hair whom Kite had been pursuing.

  “The bait,” Kite thought bitterly, inwardly chiding himself for not seeing it before as he watched her - Lana - step up with her back to a nearby wall, her posture indicating her to be a servant of some sort, ready to serve her master should he please. She was a bronze-ranker, and therefore not a threat, at least that’s what Kite had thought. And he had also thought the venue way too public for something of actual danger to befall him. Which now left him alone and isolated inside an enclosed space with a gold-ranker. A gold-ranker Kite knew, at least by name and title.

  “Lord Van Sztramm. My apologies if I am interrupting your shopping,” Kite greeted, words polite even as he readied himself for trouble, stance and all. Even a core-using gold was very, very dangerous, and Kite’s lack of instant or easy movement powers made it pretty much irrelevant that he could see the guards outside lean in and lock the door before stepping closer together to block any view through the glass portions of the door.

  “Oh, not at all, not at all,” Van Sztramm replied, leaning back against the counter behind him. Calm, and in control. His attire also hinted that the man did not expect trouble that day, at least not for him, dressed as he was in a fine coat of bronze velvet, with the high boots and ruffled shirt that was the local height of fashion among the wealthy. “In fact, I am most pleased that you came by. I’ve been looking for an opportunity to have a talk with you for a few days now even. A private one. And my dear friend Piotr - Piotr Swarovsky - was even kind enough to lend me the use of his store for an hour or two for this very purpose. A generous, good fellow. I highly recommend purchasing something from him before you depart tomorrow. You’ll not regret it.”

  “I… see,” Kite replied tentatively, mind racing through different outcomes of this most worrying encounter. Because he knew that Lord Van Sztramm was most influential in Svyatograd, both within its magic society and noble circles alike. “And why not just extend an invitation then?”

  “Oh, but I do believe I said that I wanted this to be a private meeting, did I not? Lana here did a most excellent job in making sure to pique your interest enough for you to follow. Because you, little adventurer, have something I want. And in this city, I’m in a position to get it,” Van Sztramm replied, lips quirking upwards in a confident smile. “The spear at your back will be coming with me. You did a fine job in hiding it from us, as it could indeed have been passed by as just another piece of loot. But still, you failed. And now you will lose it, as is the way of this world when one more powerful than you wish for something you have.”

  Seeing that his words made Kite slide deeper into a balanced stance made for quick reactions and footwork, the gold-ranker just sighed dramatically.

  “Please now, none of that. I’m not a brute like you people,” he tutted. “I’m just clarifying the way of the world for you. Sometimes you just lose, and that is that. As long as you are wise enough to see that and adapt accordingly, perhaps you too will reach my position and get what you want in the future. And at this moment, the wise choice will be to thank me for my kind offer, take your payment, leave the spear and be on your merry way. Lana.”

  Van Sztramm called the name with a distinct note of command and a flick of his wrist, which caused the woman in question to step up to the counter and retrieve a stack of coins from a dimensional pouch at her waist, each carrying a distinct golden shimmer.

  “Five gold spirit coins should be enough for you to get a new toy and leave the actual artifacts for your betters who can appreciate them,” Van Sztramm continued. “You should know better than to negotiate the sum, as it is more than you deserve. But if that will make you go back to whatever backwater corner of the world you call home and let us just forget about this little incident, it is money well spent. Don’t make me hurt you, silver.”

  Kite was only listening to the obvious threat with half an ear though. The rest of him was currently trying to project as much calm as he could against the almost overwhelming wave of fear and anxiety which came from Laevyeth who was still his back, their proximity leaving no way to shield himself from the raw, primal emotion. This was her greatest fear, after all, at least of the little she had told Kite. And it was during that time that Kite had an idea.

  “Well, Lord Van Sztramm, it seems that you are indeed speaking the truth of the matter. As things stand, I’m all backed up against a Wall!”

  The barriers of Leyline Warding appeared in the blink of an eye, layered as many times as possible while forming a corridor leading back towards the door of the store. Another blink of an eye had cracks forming across the outer layers as the gold-ranker, core-user or not, had very fast reaction speeds.

  “Laevyeth, take this,” Kite hissed under his breath, reaching into a dimensional pouch and producing a small object which he pressed to the haft of the spear.

  “Theycannottakemepleasedon’tletthem-”

  “Laevyeth!”

  Kite’s next hissed whisper was accompanied by a sharp nudge of aura, temporarily dispelling the spear’s panic.

  “Take this and drop it somewhere once you’ve stopped. It’ll help me find you. I’ll bring help.”

  For a brief moment, Kite was unsure if he had gotten through to her, but then the object disappeared into Laevyeth’s dimensional storage. Sensing the thing vanish, Kite spared no time in turning and starting a headlong rush towards the door. Because even with his improvised contingency, he would very much rather get back out into the public again.

  “I suppose we’ll soon see how well fortified this place is-”

  But he had only managed to cross half the distance to the door when he felt the feedback of his barriers breaking, and not even a breath later Kite found himself yanked backward and up by his neck by a powerful hand, Implacable motion proving incapable of blocking the restraint.

  “Adventurers,” Van Sztramm tutted from behind him as he reached out with his other hand and yanked Laevyeth from Kite’s back, the simple cord snapping as if made of straw. “Always so confident in your abilities. Respecting the tyranny of rank is a lesson you’d do well to learn. Here, let me instruct you.”

  With a half-hearted swing, the gold-ranker then threw Kite back into the store. Even so, the force was enough to cause Kite’s world to become but a blur for a brief moment before the impact - and accompanying pain - struck him. As it turned out, the internal defensive arrays protecting the walls of the store were strong enough to withstand the adventurer-turned-projectile.

  “Know your place. Luminous lance!”

  “War-”

  Before the pull of the earth had even had the time to start pulling Kite downward and the short chant left his lips, a beam of light shot from Van Sztramm’s hand and struck him square in the chest. Even though the disrupting force damage was not the best at piercing armor, it came from a gold rank spell. Kite’s breastplate crumbled and another burst of pain jolted through him as the damage registered, leaving a deep, charred hole halfway through his chest as he was allowed to slide to the ground.

  “Ward.”

  This time, the chant did come out in time even though it was more like a croak. The barriers of Heaven-and-Void Warding formed between Kite and the gold-ranker, but as a thought struck him, Kite remained slumped against the wall as he let go of some control of his aura while shoving the very real pain he was suffering to the forefront of his consciousness and spirit.

  Van Sztramm regarded Kite for a moment from across the room, but no more attacks seemed forthcoming.

  “Well, I suppose that wisdom in hindsight is at least better than complete absence of it,” the gold-ranker said casually, his disdain clear. “Remember this, little silver, and make better choices in the future. And please, by all means try and go complaining to your superiors. It will be another good lesson for you in how power speaks the loudest.”

  With that, Van Sztramm gestured for his servant who appeared at his side in a swirl of mist to open the now unlocked doors of the store for him, exiting without another glance towards the still slumped Kite.

  A second passed, then another. When none returned, Kite sprung to his feet. The pain in his chest was very much real, but the beam of light had at least been a weak spell. And with a silver-ranker’s body, such a wound wasn’t nearly as bad as it would have been for a bronze. But even expected pain was still equally painful, and

  “I’m sorry, Laevyeth,” Kite murmured, worry clouding his heart and spirit.

  His plan was sound, at least he hoped, but it was also thought of in the moment. He would need to act fast to not risk losing the potential trail. “I should have seen it. I really should. People like them don’t just give up like that. I… still have a lot to learn.”

  But as auntie Crow was fond of saying, regrets were vain feelings. “They will gladly devour as much attention and time as one gives them, ever demanding more” Kite could almost hear her say. “Only by looking to the future and moving on could you hope to put them in their place.”

  So even with the emotions gnawing at his mind, Kite still straightened and made to leave the store after donning a cloak and drawing it close around him to hide his injury. He needed to make any observer left to think that he had indeed been beating and was slinking away to lick his wounds. Even if the truth was anything but.

  “And I am sorry again, Laevyeth, for what is to come next,” he thought, joining the crowds of the trade hall and making for the exit. “Because if I’m to have a chance at rescuing you, I will need help.”

  “What? He didn’t? And what did Monsoon - sorry, Young Master Monsoon - do next? Because surely he wouldn’t just take that lying down?” Christine asked wide eyed, leaning forward in the tiled pool of steaming water.

  “Oh, this young mistress assures you that he did not. The Young Master of the Monsoon family is very determined, something both a virtue and a detriment at times,” Glint replied where she sat, a dignified counterpart to Christine’s casual lounge in the private bathing suite the pair had rented. “Young Master Cinnabar is a crafty one, but tends to underestimate the lengths which his contenders will go to. As such, he almost lost his composure when Young Master Monsoon came gliding up alongside his pleasure barge in but a small skiff piloted by a single wielder of a water essence, serenading me. In a most pleasing way, I’ll admit.”

  “Hah, I can imagine. What must a woman do to get that kind of treatment, I wonder. Except being a ridiculously pretty draconian who's literally sparkling in the light,” Christine mused, smiling wistfully.

  “This young mistress will not apologize for being admired. It is only the natural state of things for beauty to be witnessed,” Glint stated matter-of-factly. “Even so, I would imagine that Senior Sister Christine would have little trouble finding suitors, should you wish.”

  “Oh I agree Glint. You go, girl! Keep doing your thing. Especially that thing you’re doing with the water. It feels like my back is getting a proper massage while relaxing at the same time. If you ever wish for another job, being the Mistress of a bathing house would probably earn you renown throughout… Glint? What is it?”

  Christine sensed the change in the familiar’s aura even as she saw Glint stiffen, sitting more upright as she closed her eyes as if focusing on something distant.

  “It is my bond. He’s hurt. Fighting? No. Or yes, in a way,” Glint murmured, eyes still closed.

  While Christine had none of her own, she knew of the special connection between bonded familiars and their essence-users, able to sense each others’ directions and states of mind, among other things. And as far as she knew, this wasn’t a sense which one could easily misinterpret.

  “What? Where is he? How far? Let’s go!” the elf called, rising from the bath as stone armor adorned with geodes of crystal formed over her naked form. Christine had needed to perform such a stunt several times before during her training and career, and was most thankful of her silver-ranked body these days. Back at iron, the chafing had been in a league of its own.

  “Hold.”

  Glint’s reply was surprisingly calm given the situation, a single palm held up to forestall the elven woman from storming out that instant.

  “My bond is… in control. At least in a way. I sense no more pain. A bit of fear, a lot of chagrin and regret. But I believe that the most immediate danger has passed.”

  “Still, we need to get to him-”

  “Which we shall. After getting dressed,” Glint replied calmly, manipulating the water to carry her out of the pool and instantly drying herself as each and every drop slid back into the pool as of their own volition. “One should only abandon dignity when it is absolutely necessary, after all. Let us get on with it and go to his aid. Both of us,” the familiar finished, giving her companion a pointed look.

  Despite her words though, Glint donned her fashionable robes with a distinct efficiency. Local fashion would view them as more exotic than the height of style, but with how the familiar-turned-draconian looked and comported herself, Christine doubted that anyone with eyes would be able to deny that the end result was immaculate. The elf matched her pace, throwing on the more utilitarian pants and blouse which she wore most days, and just to be sure she re-conjured her stone armor as the pair exited the bathhouse.

  “If Senior Sister doesn’t mind, I believe that flight will be more expedient. Allow this young mistress to carry you.”

  As Glint spoke, she was already transforming on the side of the street, the shimmering spectacle causing some of the passersby to stop and gawk as her long and sinuous dragon-carp body stretched out over the street while carried aloft on a floating stream of conjured water.

  Christine just grinned in response and gave off a happy “whoop!” as she leapt onto the familiar’s back. The pair shot up into the air and joined the vague lanes of flying traffic, following Glint’s instinctive sense of where Kite was currently located. Svyatograd was rich enough in essence-users that it had some basic rules for flying within the city limits, and the shimmering familiar drew more than her fair share of looks even while they were in transit, the evening light most flattering to the coloration of her scales.

  “There,” Glint spoke after only a minute or two of cruising above the city. The familiar swerved downward, making a controlled spiral towards the one of the streets below close to the adventure society campus. It didn’t take long for Christine to spot Kite either, wearing his distinct conical hat and cloak drawn closely around him. He must have sensed them as well as he stopped and looked upward before promptly starting to skip upward into the air, leaping lightly between panes of conjured force like he was skipping across stones in a river.

  “Heavens, am I glad to see you,” Kite said as he landed on Glint’s back. His motions were controlled and he didn’t wobble in his seat, but Christine could immediately sense the pain in his aura, warring with some other emotions. She also noted that the spear which he had been constantly carrying since their strike against the order was missing, an oddity which she hadn’t yet asked him about.

  “Kite, what happened? Glint felt you being hurt,” she asked, looking about for other signs of trouble. “Are you being followed? Do you need healing?”

  “No and… Well, not immediately,” Kite replied, voice tight.

  “What happened then?”

  “It…” he said, hesitating. “I’ll tell you some of it on the way back, but most will have to wait until the team is gathered. There is something you all should know. And… I need advice on how to best proceed. Because there is someone I will need to rescue.”