by Isaac Winter
“Some kind of security camera?” I asked.
“You could call it that.” She chuckled and shook her head. “Can’t believe they still haven’t updated them...”
“What?” I spun around to face her.
“I’ve seen these type before. They were top of the line not long ago, but they have a fatal flaw. And I guess those onyx tower bastards are too wrapped up in their big ideas to care.”
I blinked. Tris sure sounded like she had an ax to grind with these people. But shouldn’t they be her peers? Whatever the reason, if it meant we had an in, I was ready.
“How can I help?” I said.
“Just keep your mouth shut.” She eyed me for a second then started moving.
I opened my mouth, a retort on my tongue, but I stopped. We were within earshot now. No more friendly chatter.
She crept forward and crouched behind a boulder. Tris fished in her pockets for a moment and brought out a slender metal tube. She peered through it like one would a spyglass, then dropped a small capsule into the tube. I couldn’t see what it was from my vantage point, only saw the fwoop! as she sent it flying like a blowdart, right at the metal arm. The capsule collided with the joint and fizzed for a moment, then disappeared, as if seeping into the metal itself.
I threw an open-mouthed glance at Tris.
She tapped her temple, then I saw a message pop up on my HUD.
nanobugs, they breed in that cave you found me in. do quite a number on electronics, look...
I was about to send a quick message in reply when I heard a metallic creak and a staticky sound filled the air. The metal arm slowed its pace, then stopped altogether.
we don’t have long, lets go
I cleared my HUD of notifications, then nodded and followed her lead.
We snuck through the first doorway with ease. That was when things became difficult.
dammit, they’re supposed to be at dinner
A man paced the corridor in a lab coat, walking with purpose toward a door on the far end. He disappeared into the room. Only a few seconds later, a second man followed.
I pressed myself against the wall, only daring to peek around the corner for a fraction of a second at a time.
stop painting a target on your back, idiot
Tris tapped my shoulder and I nearly leapt out of my skin. I covered my mouth to keep from yelping and glared at her wide-eyed.
use this
She handed me a shiny silver dish. She had one as well, and peered into it even as she handed one to me.
Oh.
> You have found: Common mirror. Not only for checking yourself out, mirrors can also be used to see around corners.
Right.
I let out a long breath and angled the mirror so that I could see the hallway. More men and women rushed to the same room, opening the door and disappearing inside.
what are they all doing?
I shot the message to Tris even though I figured she probably didn’t know, either.
not sure, but if they’re all there, they won’t be elsewhere. lets go, other way.
She tilted her head in the opposite direction, south instead of north where everyone else was heading.
All clear.
stealth potion, now
I grabbed the vial and pulled out the cork, dumping the liquid into my mouth in one go. Tris did the same. Good thing I didn’t gag—it tasted like a weird mixture of honey and herbs, burning a bit as it went down. Then I felt a tingling all over my skin, like the faintest tickle from a feather.
> New status: Stealthed. Duration: 600 seconds.
Tris faded out of sight at the same time, but being so close to her I could make out the faint outline of her body.
We waited for a gap in the stream of people then made a break for it.
Luckily the potion did well to mask our steps as we ran down the hall away from the stream of people. Tris turned a corner so fast I nearly tumbled over, then skidded and followed her lead. I just hoped she knew where she was going.
A large iron-wrought door stood before us, a blood-red banner hanging above the frame. “Special Projects”, it said in a swirling gold font.
Tris tried the knob, but to no avail. It was locked. She jiggled the mechanism, even throwing her weight into it. I looked around the corner in alarm; someone would hear us!
I pushed her out of the way and focused on the runes surrounding the door frame. If I could just manage to align them in the right configuration...
Click.
The door swung open and we rushed inside, our breath pooling into hot clouds. The room felt like a freezer and the chill seeped through my cloak almost immediately. I pushed the door closed and pulled the wool around me. The floor swam beneath my feet and a flashing warning appeared on my HUD:
> New status: Runesick. The power to manipulate the fabric of the Veil comes at a price. HP and Constitution decreased.
“The fuck?” I bit through the words. I put a hand on the wall for support and after a few seconds I finally righted myself. That had never been a problem before!
I ground my teeth and thought again of Crane. If The Veil was weakening, was I weakening too?
Not now. Not now.
I shook the fear away and ran to catch up with Tris. Her eyes raced around, not focusing on any one thing. Those pink lips thinned into a straight line and her hands fidgeted with a clasp on her shirt.
“Come on,” I pressed her, and she reanimated in an instant.
“Right, back here!”
She wove through the long lab tables with ease, managing to sidestep the piles of papers and jars of who-knows-what littered along the floor. If I had to guess, this was some sort of lab, but the lack of light and the cold air gave me the creeps. This wasn’t your usual everyday lab. And with a name like “special projects”...I shivered, and this time it wasn’t from the cold.
We needed to get out of here, and fast.
17
Laurie
It was a nice enough evening to be traveling. The air was cool and carried with it a fresh scent, which Mabel informed me was the elderberries blooming downwind.
The sun disappeared behind the horizon, blanketing The Veil in darkness. It took me a while to find my footing, but my eyes adjusted to the pale light of the moon as we walked. Finally, we were alone together.
“Mabel,” I said, trying to piece together all the things I needed to say. “I’m so glad you’re...”
“Some world, huh?” Mabel said. She didn’t meet my gaze, simply stared off at the horizon, eyes dead. “I’ve been here so long now, I don’t know what feels like home anymore.”
I narrowed my gaze. That wasn’t like her at all. If The Veil could break even Mabel’s radiant spirit, what hope did I have?
“Have you been safe here?” I asked. It seemed like the natural thing to ask. Winston—I mean Cael—had told me he’d met her, but I didn’t know anything else beyond that. I just knew that she was still trapped, and that he was determined to bring her home. Mabel had spoken so often of her young children.
Did she miss them?
Mabel shrugged, her gaze still far away. “Safe as one can be around here. But they’re right, you know. Things are breaking down around here. And I’m starting to think that maybe Winston should have stayed home where he belonged.”
My mouth sagged as I stared at her. This wasn’t the Mabel I’d come to know at the Academy. She’d changed. And not for the better. “He came back for you, you know.” I choked out. “He told me everything. He came back to save you!”
“There’s something evil about this world,” Mabel whispered, her face scrunching. “It’s…draining on you. You wouldn’t know. Him neither. But waking up here, every day…” She sighed and buried her face in her hands.
I wilted at her words as my mouth grew dry. “We’re going to get you out of here,” I said, grasping her hand and giving it a squeeze. “It’s going to be okay.”
Mabel chewed her lip, then drew in a
shaky breath through her nose and nodded. “Thanks,” she said with a sniff.
I squeezed her hand again. She yanked it away and pointed into the distance, a grin now replaced on her stricken face.
“There!”
“What?”
Mabel ran forward and crouched down next to a bush, lifting the leaves with a practiced hand. I caught up to her and knelt nearby.
“This is a Clumpfoot Ivy plant. The leaves when crushed produce a powerful sleeping draught. Here, look. I’ll teach you how to gather them.”
I narrowed my eyes at the plant and tried to identify it, to no avail.
> Herbal Knowledge skill insufficient to identify this plant.
“You couldn’t Analyze it, right?”
“Yeah. Why is that?”
“It’s a skill, like most things around here. You grow it by practicing. Here, take these.”
She handed me a few of the leaves and notifications appeared:
> You have found: Clumpfoot Ivy. Uses: Unknown.
> New Skill Unlocked: [Herbal Knowledge]
Current Level: 1
You can identify plants given to you and minor herbs in the wild.
“Got that? Good. Now you try. Hold the leaves gently, by the underside, and pull by the stem. It’s a very light touch, now, mind you.”
I watched her pick a few more then tried my hand at it. The leaves had a bit of a waxy texture, shiny in the waning light of the moon. I grasped the underside of the leaf as she said and pulled. The leaf sprung free but when I tried to examine it, I got a dire message:
> This plant is: Ruined. With proper handling, this could have been a very useful herb. Try again.
“Rude,” I muttered, throwing the leaf to the ground. It fluttered its way to the grass, not at all like the violent throw I’d intended.
“You Ruined it, didn’t you?” Mabel said, putting a hand on my shoulder. “You wouldn’t believe how many plants I had to go through before I got the hang of it. There, try again.”
Try again I did. And again. And again.
It was a good thing the bush was so large. But the time I’d managed to pick one leaf successfully, I’d already ruined about ten. They sat in a sad heap at my feet, mocking me for my failures. I couldn’t give up, though. I was determined to pull that one perfect leaf if it took me the whole bush to do it.
When a single perfect ivy came away in my hand, a spike of triumph shot through my spine. I stared at this tiny, precious leaf as it if were a diamond. “I did it!” I said, waving it at Mabel.
“I knew you could.” Mabel beamed at me. “And I bet you leveled up those skills a bit too, yeah?”
I checked my HUD. She was right!
> Skill Herbal Knowledge is now: Level 2.
You can identify and Analyze minor herbs for effects.
In the midst of our celebration a slurping, wet sound stopped me in my tracks. It sounded like a draining bathtub, but larger. Much larger.
“Ah, there they are,” Mabel said casually.
“They?” I asked, whirling around to face her.
“The Welkies, of course! Let’s get you some practice with that staff.” Her eyes flashed with madness as she drew her own weapon.
“You’ve got to be kidding me!” I groaned, drawing the wooden staff I’d only just gotten. I didn’t know how to use this thing yet!
“Don’t worry, they’re tame as flies, just make an awful racket!” Mabel called over the din.
I grit my teeth. I wasn’t gonna fall for that.
Inwardly cursing Mabel and the entire Veil with it, I waited for some dread beast to crest the hillside and eat us for a midnight snack.
Only...what I saw didn’t match up at all with what I had in mind.
Fluffy, basketball-sized creatures rolled toward us, their manes fluttering in the wind. Surely, that couldn’t be them, I thought. But the noise grew louder as they tumbled toward us. Yup. That was them, all right.
And they were adorable.
“What are these things?”
“Welkies!” Mabel said with a grin, winding up like a golfer. She swung her weapon and the little furball went flying. It hit the ground with a bounce and a high-pitched squeak, then started rolling right toward us again.
I looked on, mouth agape. “What...what are you doing?”
“They love it, come on!” Mabel screamed, knocking another one across the green. “It’s called Welkieball. Bet I can get one further than you!”
“We’ll see about that,” I said, winding up and swinging my staff at the nearest Welkie. The wood connected with the fluff and it sailed through the air, squealing with delight. It bounced to a stop not far away and immediately started rolling toward us again.
“Good one!” Mabel called, whacking another Welkie so far it tumbled out of sight. “On your left!”
I swung the staff again and connected with the Welkie. It went flying, its big eyes wide with joy. I couldn’t help but laugh at how ridiculous this was.
“They really like this, huh?” I said with a grin, looking over to Mabel.
“They’re great! Only come out at night, though, which is why I waited to bring you out here. They’re so friendly, though! Love to play. I thought you’d get a kick out of it.”
“And this doesn’t hurt them?” I asked, sending another sailing.
“Not at all! It’s a symbiotic relationship, really. They’re very social creatures. They have competitions among themselves same as we do.”
“They’re adorable,” I said, chasing after one of the fluffballs with my staff. It bounced over a rocky outcropping and out of sight.
When I came to the rocks, the Welkies were nowhere to be found. What I did find, however, was an even larger prize.
A shining golden egg lay among the rocks, and even though I was still an arm’s length away, I could feel heat coming off of it like coals in a fireplace. What in the world?
I tried to use Analyze on it.
> You have found: Ancient Egg. Species: Unknown.
I furrowed my brow, crouching low to inspect it. The heat washed over me as I neared and I just about backed away.
You should just call for Mabel, she’ll figure it out. The sensible part of my mind knew that was the logical answer. But I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the shimmering orb. What was it? Why had it been left here?
My caretaker sensibilities took over and I reached out to touch it. Despite the amount of heat it gave off, it was only pleasantly warm to the touch, not burning at all. I looked around me, trying to figure out if its mother or father were nearby. Who would leave an egg laying here all alone?
I didn’t see anyone, and the egg looked discarded, as if it had fallen from a wagon on a long journey. And whatever was inside it, it was calling to me.
When my hand contacted the egg, I felt a shiver down my spine that had nothing to do with the chill in the air. It was like ice and fire, all mixed together into one. I stayed rooted to the spot, staring at the egg as a connection forged between us. My senses narrowed; the squealing Welkies and Mabel calling out to me faded into the background. For now, it was just me and this little golden egg.
I had to protect it.
I hefted it into my arms, cradling it like a baby. It was heavier than it looked, but with some maneuvering I had it securely in hand. The warm weight pressed against me, seeping through my clothes right down to my skin. Perhaps it was because I was so close, or perhaps it was because I was more than a little sleep deprived, but I could have sworn it purred at me.
“There you are!” Mabel’s voice jolted me out of my reverie. I shoved the egg into my bag and turned to face her, plastering a smile on my face.
“Thought I’d lost you,” Mabel said, panting. “Whew, those little buggers will tire you out, won’t they?”
“Yeah,” I agreed. “Got caught up chasing one all the way over here.”
Mabel smiled knowingly. “They are wont to do that. Good exercise, though. I bet you’ve leveled up your skil
l points?”
I checked the notifications I’d been ignoring in my HUD.
Indeed, I had!
> Congratulations! You’ve learned the skill Staffs and Polearms.
Current skill level: 1.
Extend your reach!
> Skill Staffs and Polearms is now: level 2.
Increased accuracy with all staff-class weapons.
> You have found: Welkie Fur x 8. These little creatures love bouncing around and have quite a competitive spirit.
They like to lure bystanders into launching them across the green, fighting for distance and glory.
Their fur is incredibly thick and lush, and can be used in clothing or armor.
> LEVEL UP!
You are now Level 2.
You have 3 skill points to distribute.
Get stronger, get smarter, get better!
> Would you like to allocate your skill points now?
[Yes/No]
Mabel was still looking at me expectantly, so I selected No and minimized the windows. “I did, yeah. Thanks!” I smiled up at her, still a little out of breath myself. Chasing the Welkies and then running across the golden egg shot my heart rate right up into double-time, and I still couldn’t stop thinking about the very alive egg I had in my bag.
I should have shown it to Mabel. I should have told her about it. I should have done a lot of things. But the connection I felt when I touched the egg was too strong to ignore. Even if Mabel was a friend, I needed to keep this egg safe at all costs. What if she tried to take it from me? What if she insisted I take it back to the Hideout for inspection? Or worse, leave it here?
I couldn’t do that. Whatever it was, this creature needed my help. And perhaps, with my burgeoning Animal Kinship skills, I could do just that.
“It’s always my favorite way to practice,” Mabel said, digging her staff into the ground. “Hope those leaves didn’t fly out of your pocket when you were running around!”