by Skyler Grant
"I agree what we get is a bit of an unknown. But what are the benefits of running away over that? Name me a guaranteed way you're certain we'd be better off."
"By Yasmine's own admission these quests that are coming will throw us straight into danger," Helen said. “We’ll avoid that.”
Alex had to admit that was a fair point, although Helen was looking pensive and listening to his arguments too.
"You look like you've got doubts," Alex said.
"About us being put into danger? No, it’s just that whatever is killing us doesn't seem to be connected to any quests," Helen said. “It’s something completely different.”
Alex said, "I don't see any reason not to stick around, at least until these quests come in."
They came to the river. The water was slow-moving and deep with the bottom not visible.
"You look for the plants and I'll watch for threats?" Helen asked.
Given how analysis mode interfered with peripheral vision it was a good idea to take precautions. Alex nodded and switched over, blurring the world around him.
Alex looked along the riverbed and didn't see any hits.
"Nothing here. Let’s keep walking. So why talk to me about running and not Morgan?" Alex asked.
"Honestly? I don't know if it’s girls he doesn’t like or just me. Either way, if I'm going to pair up with a partner I'd rather it be one who has an interest. I know that isn't an issue with you," Helen said.
Ahead Alex saw a few plants light up, circles and lines appearing in his vision overlay before text began to scroll.
Rinceweed
Visually is a dark green circle floating on surfaces of shallow water. Plant is actually carnivorous and devours small frogs that leap upon its surface. When dried and powdered can be a powerful mundane septic as well as having some applications in Glitchemy.
Alex noted that finding the ingredient didn’t automatically unlock any associated recipes—that was unfortunate. This wasn't the plant they needed. Still, something had triggered analysis mode so he kept looking around.
Sedora
Visually are small white flowers found on the surface of shallow water. The flower petals when chewed can aid with indigestion and the leaves are used in Glitchemy to make a basic healing potion, among others.
"We've got trouble," Helen said, and her Songblade rang out a moment later.
"Analysis mode off," Alex said, and looked around just in time to see a small blue shape try to leap on Helen. She dropped to a knee and angled her sword upward so that the tip cut into the creature as it passed over, coating her in a spray of blood as it was sliced open.
More were coming from the deep water.
Alex focused his attention on one, attempting to attain its frequency.
Borkai
Alignment: Blue
Level: 3
Hitpoints 32/32
Borkai possess strong camouflage abilities which they use to hide in bodies of water. Their chosen strategy is to try to overwhelm a foe quickly. If a fight persists they are very cowardly and will typically run away. While vulnerable to mundane weapons they often use illusions to avoid damage, these effects are broken upon contact with harmonized steel.
Borkai has been added to your Grimoire
In Alex's mind they sounded like flowing water beneath a night sky. Alex brought out his hammer and tapped their tone out on his sword, getting it on his first try.
A Borkai rushed him and he side-stepped, bringing his sword down low to slash as it passed. His blade didn't make contact with flesh, the image of the Borkai shimmering and flickering away as the real one leaped on his arm.
You have been hit by the Borkai
Dissonant teeth
9 Dissonant Damage
4 has been absorbed by your armor
3 Piercing Damage
2 has been absorbed by your armor
6 Damage received
With the Borkai on Alex's sword arm he wasn't easily able to stab it. There were virtues to the two-weapon style and he brought the hammer down on the Borkai's skull.
You have hit the Borkai with your Songhammer
Critical Hit
9 Blunt Damage
9 Damage Dealt
The Borkai dropped to the ground and Alex gave it a powerful kick that punted it backwards to splash into the water.
You have hit the Borkai with a melee attack
3 Blunt Damage
3 Damage Dealt
Helen was beneath five of them digging and tearing at her flesh. Alex brought down both weapons towards the nearest, angling a swing of the Songblade at the Borkai's midsection and the Songhammer at the skull.
You have hit the Borkai with your Songblade
Harmonized
8 Harmonized Damage
4 Slashing Damage
12 Damage Dealt
You have hit the Borkai with your Songhammer
3 Blunt Damage
3 Damage Dealt
The Borkai were already pulling back, blinking and flickering as they made their way towards the river and within seconds there was no sign of them at all apart from the mess that they left behind.
Helen was badly hurt, blood staining her already ragged armor with several fresh rents torn in it. She was groaning on the ground.
Alex knelt beside her. "There were a lot of them on you. It looks bad, but your Glitch healing should help."
"Eventually," Helen said, and let loose a pained grunt. "Pissers and their illusions. I'm all about seeing where things are and staying out of the way. I guess I need a new strategy for things like them."
"We can wait for you heal.”
"It was mostly dissonant damage. It would be over a day and I don’t think we have the time. Guess it’s time for one of those healing potions she gave us," Helen said.
Helen opened one of the pockets on her potion belt, drawing out a small vial of reddish fluid and popping the cork.
It was the first time that someone had tried a potion like this and Alex was surprised at how he could hear it working, a new note of dissonance being added to the usual thrum of Helen.
They stared at her wounds for a few minutes. They were doing a distinct lack of miraculous healing. It seemed with a potion, or at least this particular potion, it would still take some time for dissonant wounds to close.
Helen said, "They got one of my legs pretty good. We won't be walking anywhere for a while. If you'd like, you can try to find Yasmine and let her know what happened."
Alex shook his head. "Not going to leave you wounded. If she gets worried, she'll come looking. We aren't hard to find. I am going to try making a healing potion though, since we have the time."
"I'll get cleaned up then," Helen said.
"You want to brave the water after all that?"
Helen managed a shrug. "You read their Grimoire entry? They're cowards and the fight went on too long. They were looking for easy prey and we weren't it. I'll keep watch and be cautious."
There wasn't anywhere in this world they would truly ever be completely safe from Glitch. Real safety was in being more dangerous than the things that sought to do them harm.
Alex plucked leaves from the Sedora. The pack of supplies he'd originally taken from Vandor held a number of items that Alex now recognized as a Glitchemy kit. He mixed the Cockatrice blood with the leaves, and fresh water from the river would work as the third ingredient after it was boiled.
It took him perhaps an hour before he had the mixture bubbling over the fire. Flickers of energy appeared before the mixture transformed into a familiar red coloration. Alex had made enough for two potions and carefully poured them into empty vials, corking them shut.
"You're a natural at that," Helen said, having come over to watch. She had removed her armor to clean the blood from it and now left it drying in the sun. With the passage of an hour her wounds were starting to look better. They all had shrunk although the one on her leg was the nastiest and at the rate she was healing it would still
be a few hours until she could walk well enough.
"Perhaps I was a chemist in my old life," Alex said.
"A murderous chemist," Helen said, amused.
"That does seem to be the way of it. I doubt they would have recruited someone like that though."
Helen sat down, the injured leg stretched out before her. Her underwear was stained dark with blood, a problem both her and Alex shared given where they'd gotten them.
She said, "You don't know that. We've only seen five that they've recruited, and while we all seem like we must have been some sort of fighters, it doesn't mean that everyone is."
"The murderous merchant who kills by selling shoddy goods," Alex said.
"The murderous horse trainer with his stallions of fury."
They shared a smile.
"Doesn't seem likely," Alex said.
"This whole thing doesn't seem likely and yet here we are. Do you want your memories back? Do you want to know who you were?"
It was a question Alex had thought on more than once during the past few weeks. How could you not, when an entire lifetime had somehow vanished, leaving you only with some skills in the wake of its passing?
"All we have are echoes. I get the feeling I left people behind who cared about me. Even if I can't get back to them, I'd like to know who they were. What about you?" Alex asked.
Helen flashed a sad look. "I wish I could say that. Like you said, all I have are echoes and I get the feeling that I led a really bad life. That I was a really bad person. I want to be angry about what they've taken away from us, but instead I think I feel ... free? Because of it."
"Yasmine seems to feel that same way. I wonder about Morgan."
"I think Morgan is too looking forward to doing reckless things in this life to worry about what he might have done in his last one."
"I wish Evan had stuck around. We never even got to know him," Alex said.
"You didn't, because you were too busy running off and falling into bed with teacher. He was reserved, wary, and I don't think he trusted any of us."
Alex figured that was probably a wise idea.
9
“Rivers will kill you, caves will kill you, forests will kill you. Build your camp high and always have an escape ready.” A Guide to the Kilthari Wilderness
With Helen's wounded leg still healing they couldn't start returning for the keep for some time yet.
"Care to try making some potions of your own?" Alex asked.
"Actually, I think can move better now. Keep watch while I take a bath?" Helen asked.
"Does that really require an answer?"
Helen grinned and shook her head. "I guess not, one of the better things about you."
Wincing as she got back to her feet, Helen took off the few tatters of clothing she had left on. It wasn't the first time that Alex had seen her naked, although the last occasion had been in the blurry black and white vision that allowed him to see in the dark.
Helen limped into the shadow water and began to wash off the blood. It made for a laborious process. She only had a few old scars, although the recent claw and bite marks might well leave a few more.
"So, has anything here felt familiar to you? Sparked an echo that you didn't expect?" Alex asked.
Helen considered that as she inched towards deeper water to dip her head under, her dirty-blonde hair turning dark when it became wet. "I'm assuming you mean apart from fighting?"
"Whatever."
"Weird things, little things. Pouring ale, getting it exactly right as it splashes against the rim, how to kick a pebble far. You?" Helen asked.
"Studying a scene, like back in the field where we were trying to figure out what had happened to the sheep. That sense of waiting for all the pieces to click."
Helen stepped out of the water and sat on the grass nearby not bothering to get dressed yet. With the blood gone it was clear how quickly her wounds were closing. What had been fresh and terrible a short time ago now looked as if they had happened over a week ago.
"Not getting dressed?" Alex asked.
"Was hoping to inspire you to get a bit less dressed. We've still at least an hour to go. Or does Yasmine wear you out so much you've nothing more to give?"
"I could manage. It wouldn't mean I'd run away with you though. I haven't made up my mind about that."
"Not looking for anything ‘sides a bit of fun. Like I said earlier, been trying to convince Morgan to play since we met and he just isn't interested," Helen said.
Alex loosened the straps on his armor and slipped it off, setting it carefully on the ground. He made sure his weapons were close, it wouldn't do to be too careless out in the wild.
"You got hurt too," Helen said.
"Twice today. Once from the Cockatrice and once from the Borkai. They're both shallow wounds, but they’re dissonant and will be awhile healing."
Helen stretched back in the grass, displaying the litheness of her form.
Rain began to fall, thick heavy drops that stung on impact and chilled.
Helen turned her eyes towards the sky and gave a dark chuckle, "Well. My timing is off every which way today isn't it?"
"We could give it a go anyways," Alex said.
Helen looked tempted, drawing up a knee to her chest and studying Alex before finally shaking her head. "We better not. With the rain coming this hard, the river is going to rise."
"It isn't the only thing," Alex grumbled.
Helen gave Alex an amused grin as she began to get dressed again, and Alex reluctantly did the same.
"Head back the way we came and try to hook up with Yasmine and Morgan, or go directly to the keep?" Alex asked.
"They went looking for their own herbs, I doubt we'd find them anyways. Let’s just head back."
That meant trekking through the hills, the relentless rain already turning the path slick with mud. With Helen's leg what was already a slow journey became an even longer one. Despite that, she didn't lean on Alex. Neither was comfortable not leaving themselves able to easily reach their weapons.
Visibility was poor and the air just kept growing colder.
"Why do you think she's been keeping us out of the village?" Helen asked.
"I've gotten the impression that a lot of the locals aren't thrilled about us. We are Glitch after all."
"Even if that is the case we're going to have to meet them soon anyways. Wouldn't it be better that we get used to the glares now?" Helen asked.
"It probably isn't about us. Yasmine has said usually it’s one new blood and one experienced hunter showing them the way. With so many of us in the village at once, they might think they were being invaded."
Helen shook her head. "It doesn't make sense. The keep had Glitch Hunters living in it for a long time, they have to be used to us."
"You want to stop by on the way back?"
"You don't mind?" Helen asked.
"You're not the only one who’s curious."
Given how close the village was to the keep it didn't even mean a change in route. Neither of them had a problem finding their way. Perhaps it was some effect of the dissonance or some artifact of their previous lives, but they both had an unerring sense of direction.
The trip took hours, although by the end Helen’s limp had almost completely vanished.
They settled atop a hill near the village where they could look down. It was a decrepit and poor-looking settlement, but there were no signs of any deeper issues. Several people moved along the tiny street and wafts of smoke rose from chimneys.
"I'm not getting any feeling of anything being wrong," Alex said.
"Me either, but there are still things I want answered. Let’s go down and visit," Helen said.
They made their way down and into the streets. There were wary looks directed at them and villagers kept out of their way, until an older man with a grey beard approached and gave them a nod.
"Glitch Hunters. If you're looking for work we've none that needs doing," he said.
"We're actually wondering what you know about the Glitch Hunters that used to occupy the keep," Helen said.
The man gave them a once-over. "That was Master Glaive's armor. Man was proud of it. He was a decent sort, foolish but decent. I'm Tobias, the village elder. Are you with Mistress Cinquedea then? Those new ones she's been teaching?"
If Yasmine had kept the presence of the village a secret from her students, it seemed she hadn't been hiding her students from the village.
"That's right. I'm Alex Glaive, and this is Helen Ranseur," Alex said.
Tobias looked them over and shook his head. "You don't look like them. Thought you might, weird how things work with you sort."
"No kidding," Helen said.
"Can you tell us anything about what happened to our predecessors?" Alex asked.
"We already told Mistress Cinquedea everything. It was the army that did it. Everyone saw it, they rode up to the keep and slaughtered them that was there," Tobias said.
Alex thought back to what he'd heard earlier about the politics of the place. "The Youlash army?"
"Aye, Master Glitch Hunter, our very own military. They didn't say why, but they was proud of what they'd done after. I know that some say bad things about your sort, but most here didn't believe it," Tobias said.
"And some did?" Alex asked.
"You know how it is. They'd roll in or out of the wrong bed and things would come to blows sometimes. Nothing serious."
"People don't seem happy to see us here," Helen said.
"Can you blame them after what the army did at the keep? They might never have had a problem with your kind. Now it’s set folks wondering. Mistress Cinquedea keeps her visits brief," Tobias said.
"A wise policy. We should be on our way," Alex said.