Chapter 14
The next few days were blessedly boring and uneventful. I won’t bore you to death with the details. I spent a long time cleaning out and rearranging my Infinity bag, getting rid of all the old clothes that no longer fit or that I didn’t need. The breakfast girls all eagerly took them off of my hands. On the second day, both the Infinity bag and my hair reverted back to their original purple colors, which was of course absolutely a coincidence but a very funny one. We mostly spent the days resting. Over breakfasts I managed to get caught up with Koreo and Rina. Over dinners I got to know the five sisters, along with Souta and Maki. And over lunches, when the bar was in full swing and everyone was working, Rasha and I talked over strategies for how to get to his sister in Nixian without getting captured by the Astorian government.
On the third day two important things happened. First and foremost, it was impossible to ignore the news from the north that war had officially broken out between Astor and Sanan. On the one hand, that was sure to divert the Astorian government’s attention away from searching for us, but on the other hand it was going to make traveling to Nixian a bit more difficult.
The second thing came in the form of a cute little songbird wearing a backpack. In the pack was a letter addressed to me — well, actually to Milina Faustus. Of course, I knew who the letter was from long before I even knew there was a letter. The little backpack was a dead giveaway: this was a letter from Rutger. Or, at least, from his wife Misia, anyway. She was the one that used birds as familiars, and the handwriting was too nice to be from Rutger. The letter was completely average, just inquiring about how Milina was doing and letting her know that things were more or less still the same as they had always been in Yora. Of course, I knew better than to take the letter at face value. In fact, because it was such an ordinary, boring letter I knew that it was actually a warning. It didn’t take me long to figure out what I was supposed to do in order to read what was actually on the letter. Misia mentioned that their citron tree was still making fruit even this long into the winter, probably because the sun was still setting later in the evening. That meant, if I was right anyway, that I needed to put it in citron juice and shine a light underneath it.
“Milina — Rutger told me to ask you to stop sending hopeless weirdos to us, but I know he doesn’t actually mean that. This latest one you sent is pretty sad though, isn’t he? But we got him, don’t worry. As far as anyone knows he was kidnapped and killed when he didn’t have any useful information and his associates couldn’t pay the ransom. His new name is going to be Duny and he’ll be learning carpentry from a mutual friend of ours that lives out to the west near the coast. His two associates seem pretty convinced that he’s dead; they left for Kiiren. The spy following them does not seem as convinced. We saw him board a train heading your way. Hoping my bird is faster than the train and that this got to you in time. Take care, and come see us some time! It’s been too long!”
“Ah,” I said, setting down the note and putting away the lamp pod I’d been using to illuminate it from behind. “Guess we’re getting on the midday train out of here, then.”
“Oh?” Koreo asked. She looked concerned. Everyone sitting around the breakfast table did, actually.
“The good news is that we don’t have to deal with those three thugs from Kiiren,” I said. “The skinny guy has disappeared into the countryside to start a new life, and the other two think he’s dead and are headed back to Kiiren.” Rasha looked startled, but Koreo laughed.
“You sent him to Rutger and Misia didn’t you?” she asked. When I nodded, she laughed again.
“Wait, when you said you were going to help him that wasn’t a trick?” Rasha asked. I shook my head.
“Of course it wasn’t!” I said.
“Spikora, what will you do if Rutger ever tells you to stop sending people to him?” Koreo asked. I shrugged.
“He may not act like it, but he’s a big ol’ softy about stuff like this. I don’t think he ever will,” I replied. Souta snorted out a laugh.
“He’s a big ol’ softy?” Souta asked, his voice teasing. “And what about you?”
“Hey, shut up,” I said with a frown. He stuck his tongue out at me, and I lobbed half a bagel at him. It hit him right between his eyes.
“Don’t waste food like that!” Rina admonished.
“So what’s the bad news?” Rasha asked.
“That Astorian spy that was tailing those three clowns is a lot sharper than I gave him credit for. He’s on his way back here, I think he’ll be on the afternoon train,” I said.
“Oh,” he said.
“But why the rush to leave?” Maki asked. “Can’t you just keep hiding out up here?”
“Well, we could…but we really do need to get going eventually, and I don’t want to give the Astorians any reason to come stomping around in here,” I replied. “And with this war going on, the sooner the better. It’s up at the northern border, but who knows how long that’ll last for.” Rina and Maki looked alarmed at that, so I was quick to reassure them. “Hey, there’s an entire mountain range between this place and Astor, and it’s hundreds of miles up to the border with Sanan. You’ve got nothing to worry about here. And where we’re going is hundreds of miles to the east, nowhere near the border.”
“You know, I’ve been thinking about going to Xian,” Koreo piped up. Everyone went silent. Rina and Maki turned to her with wide eyes. I turned to her with a sigh.
“Koreo—” I started, but she interrupted me with a frown, clearing her throat. “Now’s not a great time to visit Xian on account of, you know, the war—”
“I want to go with you!” Koreo protested. “I know it’s dangerous, but I can help you, and you never let me come with you on adventures any more!” Protesting like this, she looked so much younger than I knew she actually was. I sighed again and asked a question that I damn well knew the answer to, just to see if it would dissuade her.
“What about the bar?” I asked.
“Rina and the breakfast girls have it covered,” she answered, exactly like I knew she would. I sighed again.
“We’re wanted by at least two powerful crime syndicates and the Astorian government,” I protested. “There’s a war going on in the north. The person we’re going to see is extremely dangerous, and—”
“And you’ll need a healer!” she interrupted.
“Rasha can heal. I can’t let you put yourself in danger like this,” I argued. Koreo stood up with a huff and stalked over to one of the walls, pulling a picture frame down and coming back over to me. She handed it to me, like I didn’t already know what it was. It was a contract, signed in ink and sealed in blood and with the word “null” written across it in big letters. She opened her mouth to continue arguing, but I beat her to it. “I know, I know. I don’t own you any more, you paid me back in full. Okay, okay! I get it! I don’t like this and I know Sarien isn’t going to like it either, but I can’t stop you from coming along, so I might as well let you.”
“What are you talking about? Sarien is coming along too. We never did have a proper honeymoon, you know, and I hear Xian is lovely this time of year,” Koreo said.
“It’s really not,” Rasha interrupted. “It’s very cold.”
“You stay out of this, Rasha,” Koreo grumbled at him. I sighed.
“Look, as much as I would love to tell you that Sarien can come along too, that’s a bad idea. One of you needs to stay here, and of the two of you he’s the one that’s better at keeping rowdy people in line,” I pointed out. Not that she was any kind of slouch in that department, but Sarien had her beat in sheer physical size. “And if that Astorian comes back around it will look really suspicious if you’re both suddenly gone.”
“Oh, all right,” Koreo said with a long, overly dramatic sigh. “You’re right about that, at least. But I’m still coming with you, no matter what!”
“Well then, I guess you’d better start packing,” I said, glancing out the window. The midday train would be here in just a couple of hours, judging by where the sun was in the sky.
“I’m coming too,” Souta said, standing up with a determined look on his face.
“No,” I answered, and to my surprise Koreo had echoed the sentiment at the same time I did. Souta frowned, turning to her.
“Someone has to come along to protect you, Miss Koreo!” he protested. “If Sarien can’t come—”
“Did you miss the part where I said this was going to be extremely dangerous?” I asked, stalking over to stand beside Koreo. I folded my arms and glared at him. He shook his head.
“That’s exactly why I want to come along, I want to help!” he said.
“If Souta’s going I’m coming too!” Maki exclaimed, also standing up.
“No!” came the immediate response from not only Koreo and myself, but also Souta. I could feel a headache starting to form.
“I can take care of myself, Souta,” Koreo said, entirely ignoring Maki and turning to face the older of the two brothers. Her tone was gentle and patient, very much a contrast to the way I was approaching the conversation.
“I know, but if Sarien can’t come along to protect you, I want to be there in his place!” he replied.
“What’s that about me?” came a question from behind us, and we all turned to see Sarien coming up the stairs, a bewildered look on his face.
“Oh, thank the gods,” I muttered, turning fully to face him. “Sarien, please help me talk some sense into your wife. She’s insisting on coming with us on this very dangerous trip to Nixian.”
Sarien raised an eyebrow, looking from me to Koreo and then back to me. He shook his head with a little laugh and a shrug.
“Spikora, you know as well as I do that nothing either of us says is gonna change her mind,” he said.
“That’s right!” Koreo crowed, and she looked proud. I heaved a sigh.
“At least help me convince Souta that it’s too dangerous for him to come along?” I requested.
“They’re saying you’ll need to stay at the bar, Sarien!” Souta scrambled to explain. “And someone’s got to go along to protect Koreo!” Sarien looked thoughtful, reaching up to scratch at his beard.
“True,” he finally agreed, to my surprise as much as everyone else’s. “She’s way too cute, someone should go along to keep all the horndog men off of her.” He winked over at Koreo, who giggled and blushed. I considered putting my head in my hands, but just groaned in frustration instead. Sarien turned to me. “And you know, Spikora, Souta’s not a little kid any more. He’s a lot more capable than you’re giving him credit for.”
“I’m sure he is, but this is going to be really dangerous,” I pointed out.
“I’ve been training!” Souta said. I turned to him. He looked determined. “I can use a little bit of magic, and I’ve been doing sword practice with some of the local Guard. I want to help.”
Against my own better judgment, I decided to at least give him a shot.
“Alright,” I said, slowly. “I think this calls for a trial. Let’s go down to the yard. If you can land even a single hit on me, you can come along.”
“Wh— really?!” Souta gasped. I nodded.
“What about me, can I come too if I can hit you?” Maki asked. I turned to him and shrugged.
“Sure,” I said. Truthfully, I didn’t expect either of them to be able to, but I was willing to be surprised.
And so, about fifteen minutes later, we had gathered outside. There wasn’t much room behind the bar, so we had come out to the green space shared by all the buildings in the little cul-de-sac that Healing Spirits was a part of. To my chagrin, a small crowd was already forming as Sarien approached the three of us and handed all of us wooden practice swords. The brothers flipped a coin to see who would go first while I took a few experimental swings with the sword, getting used to the balance and weight. For being a practice weapon it was exceptionally well-made. I had to hand it to Sarien.
“Heads! Yes, I win!” I heard Maki crow. Souta looked off-put, but walked over to stand next to Sarien and Koreo without complaint. I approached Maki and held out my hand for him to shake. He and his brother really had grown up a lot while I was away. I hadn’t been exaggerating when I’d said that he’d been as short as my hip the last time I’d seen him. Now he was, annoyingly, a little taller than me. He was still pretty wiry and gangly, and undoubtedly still growing. His hair had gotten a lot lighter as he’d grown, too. It was a much brighter shade of red now than it had been when he was a kid. He still kept it short and unruly, though — at least some things never change.
“Come at me with anything you want,” I told him. “Magic, the sword, your fists, anything. Seriously, try to hit me.” He nodded and flashed a grin at me.
“Oh don’t worry, I will!” he said.
“Combatants, take your positions, and I’ll start the timer,” Sarien announced, holding up an hourglass. “You have until the sand runs out.” I nodded, and with that we both turned and walked to the opposite edges of the lawn.
“Ready, set, and… go!” Sarien called out, flipping the hourglass over.
It was extremely clear to me, almost immediately, that Maki had never been in a fight once in his entire life, and that he was probably only doing this to annoy his older brother. He charged at me with absolutely no finesse and swung the sword so clumsily that I almost felt bad for what I was about to do. Almost. I let him swing and caught his arm, planting my feet and flipping him onto his back so fast that he didn’t even realize I’d done it until he was laid out on the lawn, all the air knocked out of his lungs. I took the sword out of his hand and crouched down next to him.
“You all right, kiddo?” I asked. He gasped in a lungful of air, and then he laughed.
“All the stories about you are true, aren’t they?” he asked. I shrugged.
“Yeah, probably,” I said. I held a hand down to him to help him up. Ari ran out of the crowd, which was now considerably bigger than it had been before the very short fight.
“Aw man, you made me look uncool in front of my girlfriend, Miss Spikora,” Maki complained, but he was grinning anyway as the girl ran up to him, blonde pigtails streaming comically behind her.
“Maki, are you alright?” she asked. He looked oddly pleased at how much she was worrying. I couldn’t help laughing, but fortunately neither of them appeared to hear me. Maki made a big show of putting a hand on his back with a fake wince.
“Ohh, Ari, it hurts! I think I might need a kiss to make it better!” he said, absolutely playing it up. Ari grinned, Maki grinned, and I turned to see Souta approaching. I held my hand out to him, too.
“Same for you, Souta. You can throw magic at me, use the sword, try to punch me, whatever you want,” I said. He nodded and shook my hand, then went to take up his position on the other side of the lawn.
“Try and make this last longer than five seconds, Souta!” Sarien goaded. Souta frowned at him. “Alright, combatants! Ready, set and… go!”
It was extremely clear to me, immediately, that Souta actually did have some experience, much to my surprise. It seemed he wasn’t all talk after all. He didn’t rush in, for starters, but approached me carefully. I simply stood there and watched him. Where his brother was tall and skinny and definitely a teenager, Souta had clearly grown as tall as he was going to get — a bit taller than Maki and a good bit taller than me. He actually did have some muscle on his lean frame, now that I was paying attention. His hair was the same shade of red as Maki’s, but instead of letting it grow out wildly like his brother he actually seemed to be attempting to tame it, having pulled it into a stubby little ponytail at the base of his neck.
I stepped out of the way of the first swing of his sword, which he performed with surprising finesse, and blocked the up-swing with my own sword. He pressed his attack, and I casually blocked and dodged as he did. I did have to give him credit, though; I was blocking his attacks easily, but he wasn’t giving me any opportunities to counter-attack. He was actually pretty good. He did eventually realize that he wasn’t getting anywhere with that, though, and he hopped back. Seizing the opportunity, I shifted out of my defensive stance and went on the attack instead. I saw his eyes widen, but to his credit he did manage to lift his sword and block my strike. He wasn’t fast enough to block my second strike, though, and the sword smacked into his ribs. He made a pained noise but held steady, blocking my next few strikes as well. It was when I went for a somewhat risky overhead strike that he did something I didn’t expect — he raised his empty hand and caught my sword in it, teeth gritted. He swung his sword at me, aiming for my own ribs, but I was too fast. I dropped the grip on my sword and hopped back, easily dodging the strike. I turned the retreat into a completely unnecessary backflip, landing right beside where Maki’s discarded wooden sword was laying on the grass.
Souta didn’t follow me, despite that being the logical move to make. A quick glance at his flabbergasted expression revealed to me that he genuinely hadn’t thought his plan was going to work. I picked up Maki’s sword and decided to give him a few seconds to recover from the shock. Instead of throwing down my sword, like I thought he would, he instead grabbed it by the hilt and brandished both wooden swords at me. Dual wielding, huh? I found myself grinning.
“Alright, I guess I have to start taking this seriously,” I called over to him. “Good job.” A look of pride flashed across his face before he schooled it into a serious look. Sarien was right, he actually was a lot more capable than I was giving him credit for.
He approached me cautiously again, eventually lunging into an attack with both weapons. I blocked both swords with my own, planting my feet and pushing him back, to his surprise. I heard a menacing crack come from my sword when I did. Well, it was only wood, after all. I needed to be careful. I’d said that he just had to hit me once, not win the fight. He swung his swords again and again and I blocked each attack, but didn’t try pushing him back again. It was clear that this fight wasn’t going anywhere any time soon. I’d need to do something somewhat risky in order to end the fight. So I put a hand on each end of my wooden sword and blocked a pair of swings, managing to catch both swords, and shoved him back. The sword creaked again but didn’t splinter, thankfully. Souta managed to land on his feet and immediately put some distance between us. I readied myself to rush in and deliver a blow that would hopefully knock him down and not shatter my sword in the process, but before I could do anything Souta did something truly surprising. He launched a fireball at me — and without so much as a word! There are plenty of low level spells that somewhat competent mages can easily do chantless but Fireball is not typically one of those! It took actual skill and practice to cast that one chantless — not just anyone could do it.
I mean, I could. Technically, I still can, I just don’t because I don’t have the mana to make spells happen, so I’m not exactly out here casting spells at all, with or without chants. But I am also a prodigy. And Rasha had also used a Stun spell without a chant but he’s an Accumulate, so it made sense for him to be able to do that. Souta, on the other hand—
Anyway, I was so caught off guard that I didn’t get out of the way of the fireball, so instead I blocked it with the sword, without thinking about the fact that the sword was wood. It caught on fire, naturally, and I had to drop it. And then I didn’t have anything to use to block the oncoming swords, other than, well, myself. I grabbed one sword as Souta swung it at me, using the momentum of the slash to flip him, just like I’d done with his brother… but the damage was done. The other sword firmly connected with my side. He hadn’t won, but he had actually managed to hit me!
“I have a lot of questions for you, Souta,” I said as I leaned over where he was flat on his back on the lawn. He looked stunned. “But I’ll save them for the train. Better go pack your bags.”
“I… I actually hit you?” he gasped, sitting up.
“You sure did,” I said, touching my side and wincing. That was going to be a bruise. Well, it would have been a bruise if Koreo didn’t immediately come up and cast a quick healing spell, anyway.
One hour later I was — reluctantly — standing on the elevator platform, waiting on the midday train, with two extra people in tow. This trip to Nixian was certainly going to be interesting.