Chương 31: Omnimancer 26: Persona

Jax had to admit the past several days had gone surprisingly well. Tala's plan to spread the word that their takeover had actually been carried out by the Moonfire Circle had been nothing short of genius. With her contacts and network, she seeded information throughout the city in different districts, and because it came from her—an information broker of some renown within the city, the rumor spread like wildfire. Jax was almost certain it had already reached 'the powers that be', as Tala called them.

Much to his disappointment, she couldn't tell him much more about them, having never interacted with them. Rumors were everywhere of course, but according to her, they contradicted each other so often that nobody knew what to believe. Some said it was one man pulling the strings. Others said it was a whole group of shadowy figures, puppeteering the city without anyone's knowledge, while yet others said the leader wasn't a man at all but a member of a higher race. Perhaps a Manitou or a spirit in human form.

All she could confirm was that the Shamanic Conclave, the Hearthguard Brotherhood—the mercenary outfit that made up the town guard—and the Dead Hands were all in on it, and likely the Trading Guild, too. Every organization with any real power in Takora was part of the secret cabal. Just how high up did it go? And did these people really think they were somehow bettering the world by selling people and conducting organized crime? Did that justify this?

Regardless, despite Tala's warnings, the Dead Hands' sudden disappearance had caused ripples in the city. Crime seemed to drop in the days that followed. The facade of a powerful new organization certainly didn't hurt, Jax was sure. With the handful of guards Jax had chosen to keep, they had just enough street presence to make it appear that the Dead Hands' headquarters was still guarded around the clock. He'd been quite surprised on that front. Tala had truly picked them well.

Not one of the guards he'd opted to keep around had shown even a hint of disloyalty. In fact, they all seemed relieved to be serving someone who cared about their well-being and upheld some semblance of morality compared to their former leadership. Or maybe it was just their fear that the terrible Moonfire Circle would gouge their eyes out if they disobeyed. The cover story had earned him no affection from them, that was for sure. The gang's reputation was positively brutal from everything Tala had told him.

Which was why Jax kept the guards out of the lower two levels of the compound, reserving those for himself and Tala alone. The smaller upper floor that led to the street level served as the perfect front for his operation. Not even his chosen guards knew what transpired below, and Jax intended to keep it that way. He didn't need them discovering that he wasn't running an entire gang of terrifying Moonfire acolytes, but just one man working alone.

Jax might not be capable of being in multiple places at once, but he could certainly give the illusion that he was. Which was why he now stood in a pure white robe and wore an elaborate white mask that Tala, of all people, had sewn for him. While Jax knew how to sew in an emergency, he didn't hold a candle to her skills. She was surprisingly skilled in all sorts of unique ways. Tala added several cues from Moonfire's usual robes, though Jax had insisted that a large red plus be embroidered across his back.

The symbol meant nothing here, but it served its purpose as an identifier. And the purpose was obvious.

"He doesn't seem very strong… and he wears a mask. How can you trust him, Salali?" a boy muttered. Jax stood in a dingy alleyway in the slums of Takora that stank of urine and decaying trash. In other words, exactly where he was needed most. When he'd found the half-blind, mute girl and healed her on his first day in Takora, he hadn't expected it to amount to anything more than helping the needy when he could.

In hindsight, he should've realized that completely healing such a crippling injury would've had her running to everyone she knew. When word got around that a healer was around, helping everyone who needed it, it hadn't taken long for her to find him. And she'd brought friends. A lot of them. Which was fine—Jax had expected a long day of treating the needy. What he hadn't expected was the severity of their injuries.

From burns to lost limbs to gangrene, and pus-filled infections, most were diseases that would've eventually claimed their lives. That had undoubtedly claimed countless others. Jax's simmering anger rose just a bit with every new victim who showed up, each worse than the last. How could the shamans look the other way, no matter their worldview? How was this acceptable? The answer was simple. It wasn't, and Jax was going to do something about it.

He only pitied the guilty fools who happened to be nearby when his anger finally blew. More than a dozen people had lined up, shuffling into the alley, and it wasn't hope that filled their faces, but suspicion and loathing. Suspicion of his mask, his ability, and above all, his motives. It hurt Jax more than he thought it would. How jaded had these people become? Such young men, women, and even children. But it was the ten-year-old boy's look of pure loathing that hit hardest. A look no child should ever wear.

It made Jax's heart crack. He wanted to scoop the kid into a hug and tell him everything would be alright. That he wasn't just another fraud. That he wasn't out to get their money or blackmail them with their family. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Instead, he maintained his stoic persona, speaking only when necessary and using gestures to indicate who he would treat next. There were two reasons for that.

For one, he still hadn't mastered changing his voice, despite Tala's tutelage, and the only accent he could reliably imitate was a strange southern drawl that would assuredly stand out here. It actually worked in his favor. As with his evil supervillain act earlier, silence sold the image better than his words ever could. It made the mask even more mysterious. The first in line was a young woman who couldn't have been over twenty.

She tried to sound haughty as she addressed him, but Jax noticed the averted eyes, the trembling of her hands. Hands that ended in stumps where fingers once were. Jagged, misshapen stumps. Not a result of any genetic abnormality but from a blade. A dull one, judging from the mangled limb. Jax almost reeled at the sight. He didn't know what terrified him more.

That there were people in this world who would do such a thing, or that this girl had seemingly accepted it, even now refusing to let herself believe it could be fixed.

"Salali speaks, um, highly of you," the girl murmured, and only Jax's heightened Vitality let him actually hear what she was saying. It was almost like she didn't want him to hear.

"I dunno what to believe, but I'm so sick of this. Living like this. If you truly did heal her… then I'm willing to do it. I, um, don't have any copper to pay you, so… so do with me what you will, so long's I'm healed." The girl winced, trembling as she held her arms, unable to meet his gaze. Almost as though she expected Jax to shout at her for wasting his time. Jax's heart broke. He almost reached out to hold her hand.

Almost told her she had nothing to fear and that he'd make everything right, but he restrained himself. In the state she was in, that would only make things worse, and he had a performance to play.

"Why?" Jax asked in his deep, rehearsed voice, blinking back the tears that were welling up in the corners of his eyes. Goddammit Jax, you can't sell the stoic act if you start crying!

"Why what?" the woman asked.

"Why won't I pay?" Jax shook his head, pointing to her arms.

"Oh," she said, lifting the stumps.

"I was caught stealing, if you must know. Food," she added quietly.

"For the young ones." Jax bit his lip so hard he tasted blood. All this, for food? Food was handed out for free and shelter existed for anyone who could donate to the temple, but of course, people like her were denied. In that moment, Jax really felt like punching something. Or killing someone. He thought about the supplies stored in the lower levels of the Dead Hands' den. Mostly drugs, trinkets, and other valuable, but useless baubles. Some of those at least could be sold. Enough to start filling their coffers.

Nimashi's hoard provided more than Jax could ever personally spend, but running an organization had proven costly, and he feared that even that hoard wouldn't last forever. Someday, he hoped to open the place to those who needed help the most. To feed the hungry and give shelter to those who didn't have it. For now, he could at least send runners to dole out food so tragedies like this never happened again.

Resolving to see to it once he was back, he beckoned the woman closer and gently placed his hands over hers, beginning the chant.

"Ven ko'nav ma'ai, ve'zheen te'lem vaan, nav'maaa ven'ko rek'zholen!" [Apex Heal] activated. Lux coursed out of him and entered her body, and before everyone's eyes, her stumps extended, forming a pinkish palm from which stubby fingers regrew. Within seconds, they grew to their full size, and the process was done. The woman lifted her hands, flexing them slowly, her face utterly blank. Soon, the shock of reality settled upon her, and she let out a hoarse wail, sobbing as she collapsed at Jax's feet.

Gasps rippled through the crowd as their reactions mirrored hers, their suspicion turning into bewilderment. And Jax? Jax felt something he hadn't experienced in a long time. Fulfillment. A bit like summiting a great peak, yet even that paled in comparison. That was an accomplishment for himself. Fundamentally selfish. This? This was different. This was changing someone's life in a profound way. A change that would fundamentally transform their life.

"I… I don't—I don't know what to say," the young woman whispered, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"I don't know what to say."

"You don't need to say anything," Jax replied, gesturing for the next person.

"You truly don't require any payment?" someone asked.

"Why? Why do this for us?" Jax was never more thankful that his mask hid his expressions. Because behind it, his tears mirrored theirs, running freely down his face.

"Because I can," he said in the deep, practiced voice he'd prepared, breaking only slightly under the medley of emotions that assaulted him. Goddammit! Some actor he'd make… Keep going and if they haven't seen through it yet, they sure as hell will. And yet, despite shitty acting that would've pass muster at a high school play, their suspicion all but vanished. Children and adults alike pushed their way forward, shouting and begging to be next, but Jax raised a hand to silence them.

He pointed to the youngest—a little girl whose teeth had been knocked out, and whose small body was marred with horrible scars. He didn't know how she'd been hurt. He didn't ask. He wasn't sure he could stomach the truth. Jax simply healed her. Then the next. And the next. He healed them all. When the dozen were finished, he turned to Salali.

"Bring me more. Spread the word."

"I will," she said breathlessly.

"I will! Thank you. What am I saying? A thousand thank yous would not suffice, but I've little left to offer. Thank you!" The sudden sound of running footsteps caused them all to turn. Jax moved in front of the others, bracing himself and preparing the chant for [Arc]. Had the other gangs sent someone after him? But it was too soon. This healer persona of his technically wasn't supposed to have any other powers, but he'd be damned if he let anything happen to these people he'd just saved.

So focused was he on the newcomer being an assailant that it took him a long second to realize the newcomer was just a kid.

"Sir! I bring a message!" the boy heaved, looking like he'd just run a marathon.

"Please, you must—" He lifted a hand to interrupt the boy and stepped into a narrow side alley. Him being here was not good news. In lieu of any Psychomancers, sending a runner was the stopgap they'd come up with. For emergencies only.

"What is it?"

"From Tala," the boy said, heaving.

"She says you need to return right now."

"What's wrong?" he asked, but the boy just shook his head.

"She said to convey that the base is under attack, and that you need to return." Jax froze. An attack could only mean they'd made their move, and all that stood between them and learning of the deception Jax had woven was Tala, a single Tier II, and a handful of Tier I's. A chill ran down his spine as he began muttering the long incantation for [Farcaster]. He'd never sped through a chant as quickly as he did in that moment. He could only pray he was not too late.