Chapter 178: From Acid to Crystal

Chapter 178: From Acid to Crystal

After several more days, Kai decided that he needed to take a lesson from Zae Zin Nim. If he stayed in the acid pits until he found some magic way to help everyone, he'd end up wasting his time and not actually helping anyone. He needed to cut his losses and move on aggressively to find another source of power.

When he told the workers he would need to leave, many of them were sad, but not as much as he expected. Kai began to wonder how many of them truly believed he would change anything about their lives and how many were just glad to have something to distract from the misery of their existence. In any case, they had kept his secret this far and he didn't think they'd betray it after he left.

As he was making his final preparations, he was surprised to see an old woman hobble up. Not just any old woman, the one who had been skeptical of him on the first day and glowered ever since. Now she had a stern expression on her face and she thrust out a fist.

"Take it," she said.

"Take what?" Kai placed his palm underneath her fist curiously and she dropped a small greenish-white sphere into his hand. His eyes widened as he recognized one of the moonmelt pills.

"You've been helping out so much, we managed to make one extra. The soldiers won't know."

"That's generous of you, but-"

"I want you to know that we'll fight too." The old woman reached out and grabbed his wrist tightly, trying to pull him lower so she could look him in the eyes. "We aren't sitting here waiting for someone to rescue us. We'll give our lives if it means freedom. We'll-"

She cut off in violent, hacking coughs. Kai instinctively took her shoulder to keep her from crumpling over and she didn't shrug off his hands. Once she had recovered, she wiped the blood off her hand and looked at him again.

"I've seen children and grandchildren lost to these pits. I'm telling you, no more. I may not be worth much, but I'll give everything I have. You just need to give us a chance."

"I'll try to find that chance." Kai closed his hand around the moonmelt pill. "You've just given me another weapon to use against them."

The old woman nodded grimly, then gestured as if telling him to get on with it. Kai headed deeper into the acid pits, thinking about the next step. He didn't want to play favorites, but in the mines he'd relied on Nirka and Maggle because he could trust them. Here, he needed to try something a little different.

When Yurwa saw him she gave a polite smile, as she always did these days. Gundle looked up at him and beamed, unaware of any past tension. But they both saw the seriousness of his expression as he came to stand in front of them.

"You're leaving?" Yurwa asked. It wasn't really a question.

"Does that matter?"

"It might. They aren't criminals, are they?" But as soon as the question left her mouth, Orillia sighed and shook her head. "Oh, never mind, just bring them in. I'm a good judge of character, I'll decide for myself."

Kai held his breath as he went to get them, since this moment could be more dangerous than the acid pits or any of the monsters he'd fought recently. If Orillia decided that she cared more about the city than the people in need, he was going to have a major problem. He worried about it right up until the moment when Yurwa and Gundle stepped inside.

"Just what has this boy been eating?" Orillia rushed to her knees beside him, poking and prodding. "So scrawny, it isn't right!"

"I gave him the best I could," Yurwa said stiffly.

"I'm sure you did - you're not looking too well yourself, young woman. Well, that ends now, I'll feed you right. And that odd smell... I can't imagine what sort of strange journey Kai took you on, but I'm sure you need a bath after all that. I'll get one fetched, just wait."

As she bustled over them, Kai watched her and tried to summon up his deepest cynicism. Was it possible that she would pretend to be affectionate and then betray them as soon as he was gone? He knew Orillia was smart enough to guess where they might be from, but in the end he didn't think she could be that duplicitous. Even if she worked with the crystalliers, her dislike for the noble classes was real.

Once Yurwa and Gundle were settled, Kai made sure to draw her aside. Her grandmotherly aspect faded as she stared into his eyes.

"I assume you're running off again?" Orillia asked him. Another question that wasn't much of one.

"Make sure the boy gets proper cultivation training," Kai told her, "and they both probably need restorative potions."

"Is it... really so bad out there?"

"It's worse." Kai stared into her eyes until the old woman lowered her gaze.

"I'll help them, don't you worry. Everyone is already used to me taking in urchins, so they won't think a thing. I've seen more than a few injuries in my time, so I already have some ideas, and I know who in the Crystallier Cooperative can be trusted. But where are you off to next?"

"Actually, you're going to tell me. I need a vehicle and all of Yulthens' information about rival city states."