Chapter 162: Commitment

Chapter 162: Commitment

The uproar of the arena crowd made continuing the quadriad for the day an unlikely prospect. A hundred voices all yelled questions or stood to run off and find somebody who may have an answer. An ageing couple two rows above where Leif and the others were sitting were spewing panic into the air, their flaring fear and confusion a constant tapping on Leif’s awareness.

Things got worse when the announcer, his voice barely audible over the sounds of the raucous crowd, announced that the bout had ended. Then the barrier flickered off, and dozens of people leapt down into the sand. Zane drew his sword, making several of the intruders flinch back, but the second Blade simply swung his sword through the air in a lazy pattern, making the air ripple before him. Then he crouched down, grabbed the still crumpled Crest by the collar of his oversized uniform, and vanished with a wave, taking the other Blade with him.

“Do you think Crest meant to do that?” Leif sent telepathically to his two companions. Marcus shrugged, and Sieg frowned. Leif stood, then led the two humans through the chaotic stadium. His aura gently pulsed around him, projecting his intent to leave in such a way that most people automatically stepped aside without realising why. They passed the panicking couple, both were mouthing what may have been prayers into identical iron pendants shaped to resemble a mountain bound in chains.

A chant started up on the far side of the arena, though the voices making it up were dissonant with one another. Black uniformed guards swarmed down to disperse a rapidly growing brawl that had started up between those who had jumped down into the sands.

Marcus took over guiding them once they had exited the arena, the man’s [Seeker] class allowing him to divine the best way to proceed. With Marcus in the lead, they avoided congested areas and ducked through side alleys between the ancient structures of Pellus. Their path brought them past the library, but they continued onwards to the portal hub, managing to beat the crowd by a handful of minutes.

They stepped through the portal to Lutum just as a nearby guard was receiving instructions to prevent access to the hub via a communication construct that, at a glance, looked strikingly similar to the object the fourth Blade had used in his duel back in the arena. Leif suspected both crystalline devices must have used similar underlying principles in their construction, or maybe the use of carved gemstones, or mana shards, was necessary for whatever reason.

Another guard on the Lutum side of the portal was receiving the same message, though it was a few seconds delayed. The woman shot them an assessing glare, but let them pass without issue.

“So.” Marcus said with forced cheer once they were outside. “How are you guys spending the ‘free’ free point we just earned?”

“[Might].” Sieg said without hesitation. “I put too many into [Intelligence] this past year, and now my strength is lacking.”

“My attributes are a little too out of balance at the moment. I think I’m going to bring everything up to around a hundred before I start investing into [Charisma] again.” Leif commented.

Marcus and Sieg turned to stare at him.

“What?” They both asked.

“I barely have a hundred points in my highest attribute. You’re cheating.” Marcus whined.

===

Hera’s eyes flashed as she walked down the corridor, stone arches lined the ceiling every ten paces, and orange crystals radiated a warm light that would ordinarily calm her, but all she could feel now was exasperation and more than a little agitation. She scanned the contents of the large meeting room she was approaching, then she sighed and pushed open the wooden doors, striding inside without breaking pace.

There were eleven individuals within the room, including herself, each of them sitting around a large circular table. Zane had his feet kicked up onto the table, and was the first to greet her as she entered.

“Hey, what's up?” He asked.

“Don’t ‘what’s up’ me, Zane. Why on earth is half the academy freaking out about system interference? What did you do?”

“I didn’t do anything. It was his fault.” Zane said, pointing at the despondent looking Crest, the fourth blade was sitting with his head in his hands as he mumbled to himself.

“A bunch of Lashivites are holding a candle-lit vigil in the stands.” Mouric said as the large man barged into the meeting room from another door, his blue hair wild and expression a mix of amused and irritated. “They’re praying that the system forgives us for our transgressions, and that it doesn’t punish us further.”

“Ah. Lashivites, the most reasonable reactions, as always.” Zane said, receiving a series of glares. “Sheesh, touchy subject, my bad. Don’t bite my head off.”

“None of us are Lashivites.” Sabline said, the fifth blade rolling a fingernail sized ball of compressed wind between her fingers. “We’re irritated at your attitude.”

Zane blew a raspberry at her. Then the ball of wind blasted him off his chair and up against the far wall with a resonant crack.

“Peace. This meeting was called to create order, and discuss the events that have transpired.” An older woman said, lacing her fingers on the table. She wasn’t a Blade, but instead the spire head of Pellus, Laurum Shan. Sapphire teardrops stained her cheeks, reflecting the same colour as her eyes. “Crest, dear, could you give us an honest recounting of what happened, and perhaps more importantly, why it happened?”

Crest looked uncomfortable as every gaze in the room turned to him. He shuffled in place, not meeting their eyes. “It’s... um, you know...”

“We don’t.” Mouric said. “But thanks for the free point, I appreciate it.”

“I put too much power into the skill.” Crest said, nodding to himself as if that explained anything. “Sorry.”

“The leeches from the capitol are going to think we can magically bestow levels.” Sabline said with a huff. A purple bird, some kind of summoned sparrow, impacted one of the talls windows flanking the left hand side of the room. A whisper of distorted words washed across the meeting table as the creature dissipated into essence. “Oh look, there’s another message. Not sure how it slipped past the defences though.”

“Most people aren’t in the position where they can do that.” Sieg said. “The Academy is all luxury and convenience, but most places aren’t like this.”

“And who’s fault is that?”

“I... I don’t know.”

“I’m not asking because I think there's a culprit.” Leif said with a sigh. “I just wish things were... better.”

“Can you make it into a fish?” Roy asked, raising his half melted ice dog up to Sieg. The man smiled, and did just that.

===

Night had fallen, and Hera still hadn’t come home. Both Marcus and Sieg had returned to their apartment an hour ago, trying to beat the fog that swept over the island. From within the greenhouse, the swirling mist was ethereal and otherworldly, it flowed in tandem with the ocean breeze, rolling up against the glass to create phantom shapes. There was nothing magical about the mist, as far as Leif could tell it was simply a natural phenomena.

He focused his awareness on the plant life around him, sensing as they seemed to reach towards him, the ferns unrolling and branches bending. The air was warm, and streams of condensate slid down the outside of the greenhouse as the mist brushed up against it. There was a small pot of half budded flowers that Melissa had been trying, and failing to raise. Leif focused on that, brushing up against the juvenile plants with his aura, sensing as the vitality within them stirred.

The quiet sound of a door clicking closed behind him returned Leif to the present, his perception and aura unspooling outwards. The figure was familiar, and she froze in place as his presence gently washed over her.

“Can I help you, Lucia?” He asked, not turning from his seated position.

“How did you notice me?”

“The door made a small noise, but I would have noticed if you had gotten any closer.”

She clicked her tongue. “Why are you out here?”

“I enjoy it. Why are you out here?”

“I... I was looking for you.”

He turned his masked head to look at her from over his shoulder. “Are you ready to talk?”

She nodded, clenching her fists. Then she took a deep breath, and tried to relax. “I have questions as well.”

He nodded slowly. “I will answer what I can.”

“You won’t lie to me?”

“If I can’t answer a question honestly, I will tell you.”

“Where... Where is Blade Hera?”

“I’m not sure, probably dealing with one thing or another.”

“Okay. I... I trust you more than her anyway.”

“Happy to hear it.” He said, trying to keep any trace amusement out of his voice. Lucia flopped down onto the stone path, tugging at a small patch of grass poking up between two polished tiles.

“Sorry... For punching you, I mean.”

“I forgive you, it didn’t hurt.”

“It hurt me.” She mumbled.

“That’s because you hit a layer of hardened wood.”