Chương 22: Chapter 23: Still More Discoveries

I spend the next two days reading through books and practicing my Recovery Acclimation. Getting stronger is the only way to keep myself alive in the event I have to use my magic again. Taking walks or jogs through the forest allows me to experiment without prying eyes. Add to that, I've been trying desperately to keep my own skills a secret while sniffing out others, and I've never been busier. There's no other mention of the Blood Sect in any of the other books. Nor is there anything on blood magic.

There's nothing in the library; there's nothing in Lennick's ancient books. But they exist. It's just whispered words in back alleys. Aarron hasn't asked to speak to me about the incident in town. My frustration is growing. I killed that man just after he mentioned the Blood Sect. My guilt around the killing centers more around the fact he may have been able to tell me something. Does that make me a monster? I can't waste time thinking of that.

I've accidentally run into Aarron three times to see if I can sense any type of magic usage on him. But, considering I'm new to this and stumbling blindly, I can't even get a whiff. My only reason for thinking it's something I can even do is that I can sense it on Lennick and others. I even discovered one of the Novices has a light earthen gift. A bit weaker than Lennick. Now I've just got to figure out how I'm going to let them know that. And get them to train that.

"Shit," I mutter to the walls as I walk down the hall toward the alchemy lab. Why hadn't I thought of that? There are other types of elemental affinities. Maybe Aarron is one of those? I wouldn't be able to sense someone with an air or fire affinity, right?

"Talking to yourself again? That's starting to be a habit." I look up, having known someone was leaning against the lab wall. I didn't check who it was. The smile on my lips is involuntary, and I raise an eyebrow.

"Xan," I say, inclining my head. They're standing there, arms crossed, one leg bent as they prop themselves up against the wall. Probably trying to look cool. A part of me admits that it's working. The other part withholds that information from them. Their dark blond hair looks like it's got mud interspersed, and I can see the tiredness reflecting in their brown eyes. The bloodshot veins dull their shine.

"You haven't slept," I say, not wanting to address the whole talking-to-myself thing.

"Observant. What gave it away? Was it the dirt or my sheer lack of will to use my own strength to support me?"

"I think I actually missed you." I laugh despite my best efforts not to.

"It was all of the above, and your eyes. You look tired."

"Perfect. My plan is working." Xan leans over as I edge toward the door.

"You'll know me better than you know yourself soon."

"Unlikely," I scoff. Never better than myself. Perhaps better than they know themselves, though. The lab is a bustle when I enter, and I let out a groan. I'd forgotten today was Lennick's testing day. Every single student has a time slot allocated to them, a specific alchemical test with a set time to complete it in. There are ten kids in here, all of them flustered. It reminds me of Xan, Minx, and the rest of my yearmates. My own unruffled approach always annoyed them.

Alchemy isn't about studying; it's about doing, about creating. Knowing what plants and herbs work best with each other. Sometimes it requires trial and error to produce a better possible outcome than those salves, tonics, tinctures, and potions already known. Alchemy is like the magic of the land. Even without actual magical power. There's a humming in the air in here, tugging at my awareness, wanting me to help it all grow, to help it all flourish. To help it become stronger, faster, quicker.

The plants can feel me now, and they want that energy. I sigh, push that sensation down, and move myself to the scrying room where Ellir is on watch again. Surprisingly, the room is filled to the brim. I need refine my ability so I can feel the number of people and not just that someone is there.

"Testing, testing everywhere, and not a drop to drink," Xan murmurs next to me. I can practically feel the exhaustion emanating from them. Without a second thought, I reach out and brush their hand, pulling ever so slightly on the life around me, infusing Xan with a sliver of recovery. It's just a whisper, only asking a slight amount of power, something I'm well within my abilities to lend now. The effect is instantaneous.

Xan straightens and blinks rapidly for a couple of seconds before looking across at me incredulously.

"Oh, do we ever need to talk!" I can't help but grin. It seems my Conduit Expansion is working. I've been practicing Recovery Acclimation every second I can manage.

"Let's go eat." The cafeteria is crowded when we get there. It's the perfect practicing ground for sensing latent or potential abilities. At least those affiliated with the earth element. I can't seem to feel any of the others. Maybe that means earth is all I can access.

"This isn't the best place to talk." Xan sits down across from me, pushing their tray onto the table as they take a swig of their drink.

"But I am famished."

"Mission go well?" I ask, before shoving beef stew into my mouth. A brief shadow flits across Xan's face.

"Technically? It wasn't the sort of mission I've come to expect." Then they shrug. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. That's an odd thing to say. Nightshade kills people for money. Sometimes we spy. Occasionally we set people up. That's literally all we do. I don't want to question the mission here in earshot of everyone, but I do want to know more. Damn it. If only I had an ability that allowed us to speak without everyone else listening. Surely that has to be an air thing.

Biting into my bread roll, I study Xan while they eat their food. They're scanning the room intently, as if they're looking for someone. Slowly, I engage my Acclimation, feeling the area out for anything amiss, and I find nothing. I also don't find Minx.

"Everything go okay?" I ask, a slight feeling of unease settling in across my shoulders.

"Yeah. I think Minx must have gone to rest. Her part was taxing." A brief thrill flows through me. I wonder if just a brief sliver would help her recover too. Healing isn't exactly what I set out to do with my life, but being able to do so feels powerful. And obviously, if I can heal, I can also do the reverse with that specific avenue of power. Despite the room being crowded, no one is chattering. There's usually some banter at least between us.

But right now, there's an underlying tension through the whole room, the whole Enclave. An idea suddenly hits me. I'm not sure why I haven't thought of it before. Maybe because doing it alone is much more conspicuous. I just have to hope the energy I restored for Xan is enough for the little excursion I have in mind. Pushing my chair back, I place my hands on the table.

"Come on. We have an errand to run."

"We do, do we?" Xan asks but follows my lead anyway. Ever since the chimera incident, I feel more comfortable around my oldest friend. There's this level of trust I can't shake, as if Xan would do anything if I asked. That sort of thing can get dangerous. It's not wise to have a weak spot.

"Get out of your gear—" I start to say, but Xan interrupts me as we head down the corridor.

"This is so sudden! I never thought you'd return my affection!" I elbow them in the ribs.

"I can take that energy away from you if you're going to joke like that." Deep down, though, I'm not sure that's a joke. Xan has always been oddly attached to me.

"You wound me." They chuckle before finally stopping the joke.

"Okay, boss. What do I need to wear?"

"We're going into town," I say, matter-of-factly.

"Town gear, money, and your amazing surveillance ability. I'll explain on the way." It doesn't take us long to get dressed. I pull on brown leathers and a deep red peasant blouse over my leather singlet. There are enough hidden pockets in my vest to allow me to rest easy on the journey. I hang my pouch around my waist where it always belongs and insert my pipe along my ribcage in a slot specifically designed for it. The peasant blouse allows the vest underneath to remain concealed by its more flowy nature.

Next come the brown leather boots. They're not as soft as my pairs of black ones. Probably because I've only worn them thrice. I quickly release, brush, and re-braid my hair and I'm ready to go. Still hungry, though. It's time I stocked up on snacks. A last-minute check on the contract slot in my door, and I'm ready to go. Xan is just exiting their room as I arrive. They're in brown riding leathers and a white shirt.

Their olive-tanned skin accentuates the sun-bleached white streaks in their hair that match the shirt. It's a good look on them, and they're fully aware of it. We look nothing like assassins. Half an hour later and we're mounted up, making our way out of the Enclave and toward the path that leads to the track that can take us down to the city. Not the way I clambered up the other night. The air is cool, and I pull on my jacket, placing the hood over my head to keep my ears warm. I've always loved the outdoors.

It's a remnant of my childhood that is ever present. But now, with my eyes opened in ways I never imagined possible, it's this world of magic. Literally. I can hear every heartbeat in every creature around us if only I concentrate hard enough. Feel the life running through the trees and see how deep the roots grow. There's water all through the soil, patterns wandering around underneath us. There's a rush of water nearby, the river that runs through here from Dorrinth above us, to fuel the waterfalls.

It feels like I've come home. Out here, in nature, surrounded by earth and water. This is my place. Xan clears their throat and I look over to where they're point blankly staring at me as Dayla navigates the path.

"What?"

"You still haven't explained where we're going or what we're doing."

"Oh." I think for a moment, happy to take my time through the gorgeous surroundings.

"My contract was a trap for the guild." It sounds so matter-of-fact to me because I've had days to process the fact myself. Xan on the other hand hasn't.

"What?" They gulp in air.

"Wait—Aarron was there, and they dared to detain him?"

"Yep."

"That's so gutsy. Nightshade has way too much influence. I'd venture so far as to say that was downright stupid." There's a thoughtful overtone to Xan's words as they speak, and their expression has never been so serious. I didn't realize they paid that much attention to politics.

"Gutsy. Stupid. Sounds about right," I say, not taking my eyes off them. My senses are tingling, as if there's something Xan isn't telling me. Almost like they're lying. Can I tell if people are lying now? Is that something magic lets me do?

"How was your mission?" I watch them closely, trying to see if I can tell anything else.

"Loud. Explosive. Destructive. Three very good words to describe the fact that Minx loves none of them." Xan chuckles as we continue on.

"You returned in one piece, though." They smile, and I can see some of the tiredness returning.

"We both did. Minx had a close call with one of her devices, but otherwise, it went off as planned. Your turn. Give me all the gossip." I spend the next ten minutes of the ride explaining the incident in detail, all the while keeping my Recovery Acclimation active. It allows me to spread out my awareness and allows me to sense things, plants, animals, and anything approaching us. It's how I know no one can hear what we're talking about. Every little bit farther I can push means I get stronger.

"So what's the plan?" Xan asks quietly after mulling my words over for a while. I shrug, somewhat uncomfortable with the question. All things considered, this could be seen as reckless.

"Enter the town and go about shopping. See if we can hear any rumors about Nightshade or the death at the town hall the other night. About the assassin they didn't catch." Then I sigh as my stomach rumbles.

"I honestly do need some snacks. Utilizing my abilities appears to make me want a lot more food."

"Didn't you say it uses energy?" Xan asks.

"Yeah, quite a bit depending on what I'm trying. But I'm getting stronger." I can see the entrance gates now, as well as the stables out the front. There are so many villages around here within a few hours ride or drive in a wagon. It being late afternoon means it's crowded. The best time to blend in.

"Stronger is good. Tell me more about how it works?" Xan speaks almost too softly to be heard over the horses' hooves. They're not bound for once. There's no mission, no contract, no need to hide our presence. We just appear to be two completely normal people. Outward appearance-wise anyway.

"On the way back." I can feel so many people crowding in on my senses now it's overwhelming. I'll have to learn how to partition this properly. Heartbeats. The edges of emotions. The darkness of their thoughts. I can't keep my net this wide and retain my sanity. We reach the gate, and I pull my sensors in closer to me. A few feet around me will have to do with this throng of people hustling at the gate. The stable master takes our horses, and Xan pays for the stabling with a couple of silver.

It's all I can do not to gouge out my eyes, and my ears as their sense are overloaded. Things feel fresh and wrong, and far too close for my comfort. How did I ever think coming here would be a good idea? Xan places their hand briefly on my shoulder.

"Breathe, Ria. Just breathe." It's just enough to help relax me, to make me concentrate on calming down. Focus on breathing. We move in the line toward the entrance gate. Once inside, the press of people is less. Everyone spreads out to head to their destination, and the flow of people leaving is no longer intermixed. I can breathe now that I don't feel like I'm being squashed. We approach a few of the first stalls, and I grab some delicious jerky variations to stash in my room.

One of which I open immediately because I'm starving. We've been at the actual market for several minutes when I feel a prickling sensation on the back of my neck. No one is approaching me. But someone is watching me. I turn slowly, trying to maintain an indifferent stance, like I didn't use magic to alert me to someone's presence. Off to the back right, there's a person standing by the jerky counter I only just left. They have bright red hair, freckles all along their cheeks.

And are the spitting image of the man I assassinated three nights ago.