[Tian] 1:05 (Patreon)

GALGOM WANTS ME DEAD.

Or at least, his Esh wants me dead. I do not know why they are programmed to exterminate ‘otherworlders’, considering that he is from another world himself. Stifling competition? Limiting threats? There are various possibilities here.

It does not matter to me; I know what I want, and I will get it no matter what. Even if it means I will have to side with a small, gangly group of rebels. I glance over to the side.

The door to my room remains shut. I retired to bed after coming to an agreement with Kalmat, and took a quick nap. Now, I am awake. And I can hear the chatter and discussion happening outside. The universal translator does not pick up what they say, however I can tell by the grunting sounds that not everyone is happy.

Sighing, I draw myself to my feet and push it open. A high-pitched voice reaches my ears as I step outside, folding my arms in the direction of the speaker.

“—and I’m telling you, don’t you think it’s strange that she just shows up from nowhere and Kalmat trusts her?”

Nindran’s eyes flicker. Her gaze lands on me and she smiles. “If ya gotta problem, why not ask her?” The smirk on her face widens as the other woman with strange orange hair turns my way. “Heya Tian, this is Keshiy. Keshiy, this is the ‘snake-faced bitch’ who stole Kalmat from you.”

I narrow my eyes, and Nindran raises her hands.

“Her words, not mine.”

I shake my head and approach Keshiy. She shuffles her feet uncomfortably, averting her gray eyes. “W-what?”

Extending a hand, I smile. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Keshiy. I am Tian.” There is no use being provocative; defusing a tense situation, especially with those I am likely going to be working with, is the best option here.

She eyes the hand, before reaching to shake it. “I-I’m Keshiy,” she says, her voice small. “I apologize if, um, Nindran has misconstrued my words—”

The azure-haired woman snorted. “Yeah, nah.”

Keshiya shoots her a glare and quickly takes a step back. “Anyway, I’m just a little bit suspicious, alright? Your story is a bit…”

“It sounds farcical,” I put it simply. I watch her perk up slightly.

“It does, doesn’t it? I mean, um, no offense, but you wouldn’t just believe someone if they say they come from another world, would you?”

Tilting my head back, I consider this question. “Perhaps,” I say softly, “if they provide proof for it.”

“And have you provided any proof?” She gives me a dubious look.

I smile. “Yes.” Continuing past her, I head past her and for the stairs. “That is why Kalmat believes me, and I hope the rest of you do too. Because I assure you, we have a mutual enemy.”

Even if it is entirely due to circumstance, I mentally add. My footfalls fill the room until I am far enough away, and I hear discussion break out again. Unfortunately, I do not understand it.

But fortunately? I do not particularly care.

***

“Ray of Esh.”

The beam of light streaks out, slicing apart the sturdy, orange trees in the grove as I control its direction. It seems my assumption is correct. This Feat does not rely on the passage of time, rather another variable affects its use: the factor of sleep.

This is an odd function, and it serves me both for better and for worse. The better of this means I do not have to wait for an arbitrary amount of cycles to pass before I can use it again. The worse of this forces sleep as a necessity to me.

It is true that I can limit my need for sleep to a mere single cycle as a Florescence. It does not take any extra effort, unlike the meditation needed to forego it entirely. However, instead of succumbing to exhaustion and letting my dreams take me, I will have to work it into a schedule. And that is always a hassle.

Returning back to Thornthistle, I scale its walls and quickly sneak back into the haphazard alleyways like water seeping through the cracks of a building. With a hood covering my face, I take a single step into a side street, and run straight into Seiled.

“There you are!” he exclaims, grabbing me by the arm. The boy drags me out of the shade and into a busy street. “Kalmat’s been looking for you. Come on!” He pauses just as he says that. Turning to face me, he gives me an inquisitive look. “Where have you been, by the way?”

“At the nearby forest.” I glance around at the passersby, all mostly keeping to themselves. They give us a wide berth, perhaps recognizing me or Seiled. “With those orange trees. Why does Kalmat need me?”

“Oh, the kwyer trees.” He nods and continues leading me back to the hideout. “He’s got a mission for you. A test, I guess?”

“A test?” I cock my head.

“Not a written one, or anything like that. I don’t know why, but a few of the guys were voicing complaints, so he’s assigned you to a mission.”

“Interesting.” I do not comment on it, but he still decides to elaborate.

“Beihal’s one of the ones who were mad,” Seilad says, leading me pass a street vendor. Brightly colored fruits are displayed with engraved wooden hanging over them. I cannot read them, but I notice how the boy subtly grabs one and hides it under his shirt. “Don’t know what’s got him so angry. I bet he’s jealous because you’re able to take out an Esh, while he can’t.”

“It is rude to disparage your elder brother.”

He pauses. “Beihal’s not my brother.”

“Is he not?” I peer at the boy.

“Nope. Just some old fart who took a liking to me because I enjoy tinkering with gadgets like him.” Shrugging, Seiled pushes a door open and holds it out for me. “Lots of people don’t like messing with Galgom’s machines, but we don’t. We aren’t scared of him!” He beams proudly as I am ushered into the hideout.

This is one of the four different entrances I have been shown to the Keepers of the Grove’s den. To be precise, there is one official entrance to a false business, another entrance to a hidden bar, a secret exit out of an alleyway, and now, this— I survey the surrounding buildings— house…?

I simply follow Seiled as he reveals a passageway in the house that brings us underground to the familiar lobby of the hideout. However, unlike the other times I have been here, it is empty. We go down a hallway until we arrive at a meeting room with a long, orange table.

A few conversations are happening until I arrive. They stop as heads turn to face me. I see that Beihal is there, standing with his arms crossed and face twisted into a scowl. Keshiy is present as well— she was in the middle of talking once again, but immediately stops once she realizes I am here. She sinks back slightly, like a child caught in the middle of stealing her father’s pills.

Nindran sits on a chair, leaning back with her hands behind her head. A smile tugs at her lips when I nod her way. She calls out, “The lady of this false night is here. Hey everyone, since y’all had so much to say about her when she ain’t here, what do ya gotta have to say now?”

Some feet shuffle. The sound shoes scraping against stone. Only Kalmat addresses me without any hesitation.

“Tian,” he says, and smiles at the boy to my left. “Good job, Seiled.”

Seiled brings a hand to his forehead before flicking it off in an odd salute. “Of course! You can always count on me!”

“I heard you were in need of my presence.” I start forward, pointedly ignoring the sharp gazes snapping at me once I am past them. Their eyes stab at my back like daggers. Every movement I make scrutinized. “For a test,” I say.

“It’s not much of a test,” Kalmat explains as I stop by the table. “More of… your first mission.”

“Mission?”

“Since you’re part of the Keepers of the Grove now, you’ve got to pull your weight. You agree with that, right?” He raises a brow.

I nod. “That is correct.”

“Beihal here,”— gesturing at the bulky man next to him, Kalmat’s gaze fixes on a laid out map— “proposes that you carry out some… scouting for us.”

“Where?” I ask simply.

“Just outside of the city,” he says, pointing at a river. “The En have an outpost there. Before the delta. That’s where their patrols come from.” His gaze snaps up and he faces me. “The last guy we sent, Herder, was injured when he tried scouting the area. So, we don’t know their numbers or their defenses.”

This test does not seem to require engagement. But things may go awry, and my Feat is not ready yet. “Allow me a single cycle— some time.” I spin around and head for my quarters. “To rest. And prepare myself.”

“Try not to take too long. We’d like to strike this outpost under the guise of false night. Before true day rises at the end of the week. And your scouting mission is essential for its success.”

“Got it.” Marking the location on the map in my head, I spin around and make for the door until a voice cuts me short.

“Hold it.” Beihal steps forward, peering at me with suspicious eyes. “How would we know if the intel she feeds us is true?”

I stop mid-step. “If you do not trust me, why not follow me and ensure I do not lie?” I face him with a smile. “If this is a test, then you shall be the invigilator.”

He frowns, thinking about it for a moment. “Fine,” he finally says. “However, I won’t go alone.” His gaze sweeps around the room. “Someone has to accompany me.” There is no response. No volunteers.

Beihal’s brows crease. He opens his mouth— and someone cuts him off. A woman sitting at the corner of the room speaks; I recognize her as the elderly lady who was having a discussion with Kalmat and Beihal when I first met them. She adjusts her purple coat, meeting me with her piercing blue eyes. Wrinkles form on her forehead. More than she already had.

“Keshiy shall follow you.”

“W-what?” the orange-haired woman sputters. “Pishtim bleed on me… you’re not being serious right now, are you, Nelrel?”

Nelrel meets her gaze. “Beihal is correct. Someone has to test her, and who better than her biggest detractors?” The elderly lady stands up and points at Keshiy. “My memory has not failed me yet. You are her biggest detractor.”

I shrug. “I am fine with this arrangement.”

Keshiy hesitates. She chews her lower lip, considering this for a moment. “...I-I’ll do it,” she finally says in a quiet voice.

“Very well.” Kalmat nods. “Do make haste, as I said, time is of the essence.”

I grin back at him. “Even with Keshiy and Beihal, I will be finished before your bell tolls its eighth hour.”

Seiled gasps as I make that statement, while the addressed pair gives me dubious looks. Nindran snorts and kicks back in her seat.

“I dunno about you guys, but I like ‘er!”

***

The fifth bell rings out, its loud gong audible even from the edge of the city. I stand next to Beihal and Keshiy— the bulky friend of Seiled, and the orange-haired woman with a crush on Kalmat.

“The outpost is in this direction, is it not?” I ask, just to confirm whether they are here to sabotage my test or act in a fair manner. They nod, which is a good sign.

Beihal crosses his arms. “We’re not going to babysit you,” he grunts. “This is your test, not ours.”

I glance over at Keshiy, expecting her to add a retort. She does not. Instead, she averts her gaze. “L-let’s just get this over with, alright?”

Timid, I think as I seep out of the city gates with my hood up. The pair keep a small distance from me, as if I am someone struck by the phoenix plague. I swerve off the road. Even if the path is empty, there is no need to take risks.

Hiding under the canopy of the kwyer trees, I narrow my eyes as I spot movements in the distance. Glinting objects. Not Lifeblood— those do not glow. Rather, they buzz around me like annoying insects.

“The En are marching,” I observe.

A patrol of the machines trudge through the green grass, stamping it down, leaving behind a trail of crushed earth. The path they follow does not take them to or from Thornthistle. They are instead forming a perimeter.

“I assume you knew of this?” I turn back to my invigilators, only to see Beihal frown.

“No, this is— odd.” He leans against the orange bark of the kwyer tree and squints. “We have seen patrols before, but not this close to the city.”

“Do you think they…” Keshiy trails off. She gulps and gives the bulky man a panicked look. “When Herder was caught last week… do you think they’ve increased security?”

“But, they can’t have...” Beihal pauses. He snaps at me. “By the Grovetender, if you did this—”

“I did not.” I raise a hand, silencing them. “You talk too loud.” The sound of metallic footsteps approach us. Keshiy’s face loses its color, while Beihal growls. It takes the woman a moment longer to recover, but she is just as battle-ready as the man before I snap my fingers. “Do not move.”

“Wh—”

I press a finger against my lips. “Shh.”

Suddenly, we are engulfed in what appears to be a giant bubble. The world around us distorts as a lattice shields us, forming a kaleidoscopic view of the outside world. It is like the kwyer forest is separated into chunks. The grass is neatly separated, like brickwork in a courtyard.

But this is only our view. That is not what the En sees when they round the corner— which is nothing. The patrol of machines reach us, their peering, red eyes do not rest on us.

They pass us just after, leaving us behind to resume their programmed movements like the constructs they are. Once they are gone, I exhale, releasing the Red Essence and ending the illusion I cast over us.

“Your loud conversations drew their attention,” I say simply. “Please try not to make too much noise next time. I waste Qi when I have to create auditory illusions in addition to visual ones.”

The pair stares at me, mouth hanging open. Beihal fixes his jaw quickly, but Keshiy rushes forward at me. “How did you do that? Was that a Feat?” she asks, wide eyes. “You can create illusions?!”

“That’s not any magic I’ve seen,” the bulky man admits through grit teeth. “If you can create illusions…”

“It is not magic.” My eyes flick down to the palm of my right hand. “It is the fruit of my labor. My cultivation.” I clench my fist and my eyelids snap shut. “My path to the Dao. To be Spring.” I was so close, but now I am in an entirely different world. Everything I have ever worked for...

When I look up, I see that I have lost my audience. Questions are written on their faces. Questions I rather not answer right now. So, I shake my head.

“That is right. If I can create such illusions, I would have fooled you in other ways rather than simple lies. But it does not matter for now, we are wasting time. Let us continue.”

The pair of Elementalists remain quiet through the rest of our trek towards the river. Thanks to their compliance, we avoid any other close encounters and I do not have to resort to using my Feat to deal with any complications.

We follow the river— the river I recognize as the same one that started me in the right direction to Thornthistle— until we reach its mouth. Where the river splits off into a larger body of water at its delta.

A large, gray complex rises up just to its left. It is not walled: there are groups of En standing guard around the sides of the edifice. It has a single, large building in the center, and a few smaller buildings scattered around it. It almost looks like a palace— or some kind of palatial structure. “This is the outpost, yes?”

“It is,” Beihal confirms. “I can barely get a good view, though. I’m only seeing three of the En from here.”

My eyes flicker— some Indigo Essence is used. “There are a total of thirty En surrounding this building. Ten of them are stationed outside, while the remaining twenty are within the complex.”

“T-that’s…” Keshiy blinks. “That’s not that bad.”

“They may be stretching their numbers thin.” The man places a hand on his chin. “If too many of them are patrolling away from the outpost, it just means they’re less guarded.”

“Then it seems other than that single anomaly, there are no other issues,” I say, satisfied. I pause when I spot a second anomaly.

A speck flies through the air. It lands on top of the outpost, its jet of flames blowing up smoke around it. The fire dissipates as it walks up to a single metal door. It stops right at the door before it slides open, and it disappears inside.

“An Esh,” I say, folding my arms across my chest. “Is that an outlier as well?”

“We’re not… sure,” Beihal answers. “We’ve expected there to be some Esh here, but we were never certain.”

“Then this confirms it.” I nod. “A single Esh was sighted, however it is likely there are more present. Is this enough information for me to pass this test?”

The pair exchanges a glance. Keshiy starts, “I-I guess?”

Beihal sighs. “Yes. Let’s just go back first, alright?”

I turn back, eyeing them with a raised eyebrow. They do not seem to be as wary of me as before— there is still some slight apprehension, but the animosity is no longer there. Progress, I think. Then a grin spreads across my face. “I would like that.”

***

We return to Kalmat and report our findings. He does appear relieved to see the pair accompanying me are fine. When they tell him I passed the test, he is also put at ease.

The news of the Esh and the unexpected patrols do surprise him, however he puts those issues off at first. Dismissing Beihal and Keshiy, he speaks only to me in the meeting room.

“Seems like you’ve somehow earned their trust.”

“I simply showed them what I was capable of,” I say, looking back at the doorway. “They do not trust me as much as they realize how foolish it would be for me to rely on simple lies when I can craft more elaborate illusions.”

“Illusions?” Kalmat gives me a curious look from his chair.

I wave a hand off and take a seat across the table from him. “Something from my world.”

“I see.” He clearly wants to inquire more. However, he notices I do not want to elaborate, so he changes the subject. “You don’t have to be so formal, you know?”

“This is just how I am.”

He laughs. “I can tell,” he says, resting his chin on his hand. “You’re rather rigid.”

“I would like to think I am refined as a lady should be.” I take a sip from a cup of blue liquid provided on the kwyer table. “I am interested,”— leaning forward, I meet his gaze— “in what your plan is, exactly.”

“What do you mean?”

“What do the Keepers of the Grove have to gain from assaulting this outpost?” I ask, peering into him.

Kalmat meets my gaze. “We’re trying to end Galgom’s—”

“Correct.” I lean back on the chair and cross my legs. “But would it be more effective to strike Galgom directly, rather than wasting resources against a single outpost?”

He frowns. “Perhaps,” he says, then shakes his head, “but if we strike him now, it would be with what few people we have in our cause. However, if we liberate Thornthistle, we might invigorate those who have been too scared— who view the En and the Esh as an insurmountable enemy— to perhaps pick up arms and join us. That would increase our chances of success against Galgom himself.”

“Even though he is immortal?”

“Because he is immortal,” Kalmat states with vigor in his voice. “If we have to gather everyone across all four domains from those here in the Flourishing Flatlands to the Desolate Caverns just to defeat him, we will. We’ll lock him up. Use his immortality against him. Keep him in a cell to be punished for all of eternity.”

“That is harsh,” I remark, before smirking. “But admirable.”

“You don’t sound very invested in our cause.” He gives me a flat look.

“That is because I am not,” I mimic his previous reply.

“I knew that,” Kalmatm murmurs, rubbing at his temples. “Don’t let the others hear you say that, but I expected it.” He straightens and looks at me, as if weighing my character. “So, why exactly do you choose to oppose Galgom, then?”

I have nothing to hide. I spread my arms and explain, “He is immortal, as you said. And I wish to be immortal. If I have to side with you to discover his secrets? Then I will.”

The leader of the rebellion furrows his brows. “You want to be immortal?”

“Yes.”

“Why would you ever want such a thing? Wouldn’t it be miserable?” His tone is less accusing, and more puzzled. I do not get why he is so confused. It is perfectly logical to me.

“Why shouldn’t I? Immortality saves me from death. The end of life, and with it, all things I have ever experienced. My memories will be gone. Everything I have gained will be lost. It is, in a sense, the end of the world.” I stand up and smile. “With all that said, why would anyone not want to be immortal?”