61. Out on the Town (Patreon)

Oz sat down just outside the World Door, gesturing for Fflyn to do the same. Fflyn obeyed, sitting down and immediately entering meditation again.

“I half expected you to run for it,” Oz commented, sitting beside him.

Fflyn shook his head. “If you can buy me out from the Black Blades, I’ll do anything. Like I said, they’re willing to sell anything. Even one’s own life is a matter of price. As the lowest rank Black Blade, my life is cheap. I won’t last long with them. Better to throw in with you.” He paused a moment, then shrugged. “Linnea said that, too.”

Oz flinched. He pushed his hair back. “I really didn’t want to—”

“If she were in the Black Blades, we would be displaying her flayed body on the sect’s front gates. You’ve already done far more than anyone else would.”

“Oh… oh,” Oz muttered. He took a deep breath and let it out, releasing the tension with it. ‘It could be worse’ isn’t the best reassurance, but at least it’s something.

Faint gold light glowed around Fflyn as he activated the possession spell. Oz waited one moment longer, then activated his half. Blue light glowed around him, and he once more flew into Fflyn’s body.

Oz stood, stretching. He bounced in place, feeling the lightness of his new body. Looking at himself, still meditating peacefully, he reached out and adjusted his own pose, then nodded. Okay. That should be good for now.

He turned, dashing through the hallway, through the lobby, to the door. There, he paused. He put a hand to his chin.

How do I escape? I can’t just walk out, can I? Someone will think I’m associated with the library, and…

And…

And Linnea and Aisling leave all the time. Nothing wrong with that.

Oz shrugged to himself. He peeked the door open and peered out, looking left and right. No one approached the library, nor paid any particular attention to it.

He adjusted Fflyn’s clothes, drawing the black hooded cloak up over his head. A strange instinct gripped him, and he turned his head to find a small cluster of silver embroidery just inside the hood. He frowned. What’s that?

As if in answer, foreign knowledge welled up in his mind. A stealth enchantment. One that slightly reduces one’s presence. As long as it’s active, the user is likely to be disregarded as part of the background by everyone but the most observant.

“Well, damn,” Oz muttered. No wonder I didn’t notice Fflyn mixing in with the students.

He sent a mote of qi into the embroidery. The enchantment activated, manifesting as a faint shadow over his body. Oz lifted his hands, turning them over. Is this really going to dull my presence? I feel like I’m more noticeable, when I’m the only one in my own small personal shadow.

After a moment, he shrugged. It’s my best chance at getting out of here unnoticed. Let’s give it a shot!

Checking one last time to make sure no one was lobbing attacks at the library, nor staring at the front door, Oz stepped outside and walked casually down the stairs and along the short walkway to the main road, keeping his eyes neutrally focused into the distance and his hands in the pockets. The most important thing to moving stealthily is to pretend to be doing nothing important at all! Well, that and a small enchantment, but who’s counting?

Oz left the walkway. For the first time since he’d arrived in this world, he stepped onto the main road. People pushed by, bustling along on their errands. Muscular men and women, built like bodybuilders, lurched along shoulder to shoulder, laughing and elbowing one another. Ethereal people with impossibly beautiful features floated along, wearing translucent over-robes over their gorgeous clothes, giving the impression of untouchable beings who didn’t quite belong to this world. A woman with an enchanted staff barked orders at a waist-height being with cat ears, who bowed and scraped and hurried off.

Oz caught his breath, his eyes wide. A shiver ran down his spine, electric excitement. I’m really in another world. Gods!

A man thumped into him. Oz stumbled, nearly sent onto his hands and knees in Fflyn’s small body. The man hurried by without even looking back. Oz glared at his back. “Hey! Watch where you’re—going…”

He turned his head, looking at the still-active enchantment. He cleared his throat, then lifted his hand to the embroidery.

A second before he deactivated it, he paused again. No. I need to get out of the Mages’ Quarter before anyone recognizes Fflyn. I don’t want to get kidnapped by the Black Blades. I’m pretty sure—no, who am I kidding? There’s no way I could fight my way out of the assassin sect! I got poisoned by the worst of them! Right now, I need to keep my head down and scurry out of town at top speed.

My goal is the mortal world. Sachairi gave me that hint: the mortal world. There’s some scandal hidden there, dangerous enough to overshadow the whole Linnea crisis. There, I won’t be under the same severe physical threat I’m under right now, and it's my goal as well. The faster I get there, the better. And getting caught by the Black Blades is not part of my plan.

Glancing left and right, Oz sped up, hurrying down the road. At the corner, he came upon a road sign. An old wooden post stuck into the earth. Two impeccably carved signs pointed down the way he’d come: Main St. and the way that crossed his: Old Mill Rd.

Oz nodded and walked on, consulting the maps he’d seen in the library as he walked. Hmm… nothing. There wasn’t a local map at that granularity, unfortunately. It’s not like Madame Saoirse needed a map of her hometown, sure, but it’d be nice to have something with a tighter focus than ‘Mages’ Quarter’ marked as a big amorphous blob in the upper portion of the country.

He recalled his journey with Sachairi and turned his head, gazing down the length of First St., toward Sachairi’s sect. That way is deeper into the Mages’ Quarter. In that case, continuing along Main Street is probably the quickest way out.

Oh well. Worst case, as long as I keep walking the same direction, I’ll reach the exit to the Mages’ Quarter eventually. So decided, Oz walked on, humming quietly to himself. He kept his head on a swivel, looking for both potential Black Blades and for mages overlooking his existence and trying to step into the space he occupied.

Overhead, a woman whooshed by atop a sword, so low overhead she sent the mages’ hair flying. Oz stared up, gaping, and watched a man fly the other way atop a broom, clutching a leather satchel under one arm. “Whoa.”

“Impressive, no?”

Startled, Oz whirled.

Beside him, a man in loose black robes strode along casually, as if he’d always been there. Despite the looseness of the cut, the way they hung around his body suggested ease of movement and unrestricted joints, rather than fluttery ornamentation. A slender silver hilt poked out from floor-length slits at either hip, emerging and vanishing as the fabric flowed. At his neck, a silver chain emerged from a black stud pin and draped over his chest to a small silver fang-shaped pin on his right breast. The man tilted his head, a small smile on his lips. Dark hair, marked with a single feathery streak of silver at the center of the hairline, swept back from his face and hung long behind him. He bore a young, blandly attractive face, and nothing else could be seen of his body. His robes climbed all the way to his jaw, and black gloves covered his hands.

Panic burst out in Oz’s heart, alongside an instinctive urge to flinch. Fflyn’s voice sounded in his ear. That’s Elder Silverfang. Be careful. He’s dangerous!

Oz pressed his lips together, suppressing the urge to scowl. Just what I didn’t want. An Elder from Fflyn’s sect!

Elder Silverfang looked at him expectantly.

What’s he waiting for? Wait, he asked something, didn’t he? With some effort, he recalled what the man had asked him. Impressive? Oh, the flying. Oz nodded, keeping his mouth shut. He eyed the mage warily, not daring to talk.

No, quickly! Greet him! Fflyn urged him.

What should I say? Also, huh? We can talk?

You’re the one who cast the spell! Why are you asking me? Listen. Say this: …

Oz bowed to the other man, cupping his hands together. “Greetings, Elder.”

Elder Silverfang smiled a little and cocked a brow. “Where are you going, in such a hurry? I don’t suppose you failed your task?”

“I succeeded, Elder. The Librarian is poisoned. Not only that, but he has hired me for a new job.”

“He has?” Elder Silverfang gave Oz a look.

Oz nodded. “The fool considered me as a blameless child and did not hold a grudge. If I can continue to grow closer to him, I will have unique opportunities for assassinations and library-based jobs.”

Elder Silverfang’s eyes went cold. “Who gave you the authority to accept a job for yourself?”

Quickly! Bow!

Oz stood tall, ignoring Fflyn’s desperate cry. He met Elder Silverfang’s icy silver gaze. “No one did. I made the decision to take this opportunity for myself.”

If you bow to bullies once, you bow to them for the rest of their life. I will show him respect, but I will not lower myself for him.

Elder Silverfang narrowed his eyes ever so slightly. His eyelid twitched.

Hurry up! You can still save yourself if you bow now. Wait, hold on. Save me! Bow! Hurry! Fflyn panicked.

Hold steady. Trust me, Oz replied.

Elder Silverfang reached out.

Fflyn screamed. I’m dead, I’m dead—

Cracking a smile, the man ruffled Fflyn’s hair. “Good. You’ve finally learned to take initiative. I may have underestimated you, Fflyn.”

Internally, Fflyn blinked. Huh?

Oz smiled. I told you, Fflyn. Trust me. With this kind of thing, you can’t always fall in line, or else you’ll simply become the dirt underfoot, and no one will even think about it as they walk all over you.

In the next moment, Elder Silverfang’s expression darkened. “But you know this is against the rules of the sect. Next time, follow the process and bring the job back to the sect before accepting it. I won’t overlook it again.”

Oz bowed quickly. “Yes, Elder Silverfang.”

“What is this job, then?”

Oh, shit. Think, think, think. I can’t lie too much. I don’t know to what extent this Elder can watch me, but I do know that magic is pretty much limitless in this world. I can’t ignore the possibility of him observing me and Fflyn while we’re out in the mortal world. And certainly, it would be stupid to assume he wouldn’t see where we’re going.

“I was sent to gather information in the mortal world,” Oz said, choosing each word carefully. He flicked his eyes to Elder Silverfang, then away. Take the hint. It’s not something I can talk about here.

Elder Silverfang nodded. “Good. Then go. I will report back to the sect.”

Or he just doesn’t care. Well, to be fair, I don’t think many mages care much about the mortal world. Oz clasped his hands to Elder Silverfang one last time. As suddenly as he has appeared, Elder Silverfang vanished.

Oz glanced around, then hurried off.

One barrier overcome. Off to the mortal world!

From atop a nearby rooftop, Elder Silverfang gazed down at the small blond disciple rushing down the road. His face emotionless, he made a subtle gesture with his fingers.

A black-clothed, masked figure materialized beside him silently. They clasped their hands to Elder Silverfang.

“Follow that boy.”

“Sir?”

Elder Silverfang shook his head. “Fflyn was acting strangely. Perhaps that boy has simply come of age. Or perhaps something more treacherous is influencing him.”

“Something from the library?”

Elder Silverfang hummed. “Dangerous place, that building. We have no ability to see within it. And that barrier…” He shivered.

They stood in silence for a few moments.

Abruptly, Elder Silverfang spoke again. “Determine if something is influencing Fflyn. Discover its true goal. Report back to me.”

The figure ducked their head. “And if it’s simply Fflyn?”

“Then we call off this task.” Turning on his toe, Elder Silverfang swept off. Three steps in, he vanished, leaving nothing but a swirl of black smoke behind. In moments, even that dissipated on the wind.

The figure waited another ten seconds, bowing after Elder Silverfang. Only when the last of the smoke faded did they leap after Fflyn, blurring over the rooftops.