Liron groaned, opening his eyes, wishing for the great oblivion. His vision was blurry and his limbs sluggish. He raised his head, aching as if Amor had impaled it with his needles, flames torching the insides of his skull. The world spun around him, robbed of its sense of balance. He dropped his head back on the cushion.
"The fuck…," he muttered.
He heard footsteps and felt a hand resting on his shoulder. "Careful, my boy," Angin said. "Don't rush things."
Liron blinked, forcing his sight to sharpen. Angin had pulled a chair next to his bed. The Alchemist appeared tired, not having changed since he had last seen him. His travel clothes were dirty and had the smell of a busy night. He smiled at Liron, relaxing.
"Solia's tits," Angin said, "you had me concerned for a moment."
"Wh… what?" Liron asked. His tongue hadn't woken up yet, stumbling over itself. "Wh… where are we? What happened?"
"What happened? Well, a lot. Zonis and I were nearly done with scouting when he saw the smoke rise. When we got closer, we heard calls of fire, and we figured out the rest. We found Jean, bloody from head to toe, carrying you and the girl. She was the one to guide us here. Her home… or the home of her father."
"Gabriella? She and Jean… are they…"
Angin nodded to the surrounding beds. Both still slept, breathing.
Liron rubbed his face, his fingers regaining their usual feeling. "Thank Harras… ehr, I mean… thank Solia."
"No, they don't need to thank her. They need to thank you, Liron. Quick thinking. You saved them."
Liron snorted. He held his right hand in front of his face, moving his fingers. It was gone, and Angin had replaced it. While he saw no clear difference, he knew this hand to not be his own. It followed all his commands like a stranger trained to be a soldier. He did as he was told, but he remained a stranger. "Doesn't feel like it."
Angin rubbed his hands, mimicking Liron's motions. All too familiar. "You fought against a Farn assassin. Not many live to tell the tale. She was a Mage, according to how Jean described her. Take pride in that. Most Apprentices would have died. But you didn't. You survived."
Liron nodded. He wanted to find solace in what Angin had said, but he failed to. He hadn't survived because of his skill or wit. If the assassin had wanted, he would be dead. Faced with a simple spell of hers, his hadn't done anything. One finger was all it took to tear through everything he had to offer.
She had appeared tired. The death of innocence weighed on her. But before she had fled, Liron had seen her eyes ignite. She had suffered for killing these five men, but she would have massacred Kupferrang if it had guaranteed Liron's life for her to end. She knew Amor. Considering her reaction, they were close. Even men like Amor had people that would mourn their death. That someone would ever look at Liron that way. Her wrath was justified, as he had taken his life. How could Liron fault her for wanting justice?
Silent and without complaint, Jean's eyes opened. With a straight back, he sat up, resembling more a Machina than a man. "We have made it," he said, sounding surprised. "Mh-Hmm."
"That you did," Angin said. "Good to see you… you're still you, Jean."
Jean looked at Angin, his expression as neutral as always. "You have my gratitude, Angin. Thank you for saving us."
"Is a given. I might remind you of it. Occasionally."
Jean found no humor in the joke, lowering his head. "I have failed as a leader. I have failed my design."
"Jean, don't start with that shit. You did the best with the hand that was dealt to you."
"Yeah," Liron said. "If you hadn't noticed the strings in our room, we'd be dead."
As Liron before, the words did little to Jean. "I… where is my notebook?"
Angin pointed at the night table next to Jean. "There. I've prepared some writing feathers and ink for you."
This, though, worked wonders. Jean's eyes darted around, thinking what to say. "Thank you," he said, meaning them.
"Always… so, who the fuck is she?" Angin asked, pointing at Gabriella. She stirred, starting to wake up.
Jean didn't respond, busy writing in his notebook. Liron pushed himself upwards, sitting up as the Homunculus did. "She… ehr… is the daughter of Pierre Simon. And she, well…"
"Killed him? Yeah, we figured that out, too. Why, though?"
"Because he had tried to kill me, of course," Gabriella said.
She showed no sign of exhaustion. She sat up as Jean and Liron did. Even with her hair disheveled, having just woken up, she appeared as the many paintings they had seen throughout Kupferrang. A figure of heroic proportions, or a saint carrying Harras' words. Someone free of mortal ailment.
Gabriella examined her stomach, all her wounds gone. "My, my," she said, scowling. "This is the work of Alchemy if I'm not mistaken."
"Yes," Angin replied, "I couldn't just let you bleed out."
"You might have done so. What a disgrace you forced onto me. I'm pretty sure I would have survived without your tainted craft."
Angin stared at her, his mouth agape. "You dare? Alchemy is the pinnacle of human ingenuity. It is the highest form of expression there is. Nothing has progressed us further than Alchemy. With it, we change the world into a better and brighter place. Alchemy transforms. It is meant to be eternal."
Gabriella rolled her eyes. Even Jean stopped writing, shaking his head. "Please," she said, "Alchemy, Magic, Gifts. All the same. Nothing but rubbish that makes you less."
"Makes you less?" Angin asked. "You'd be dead by now without it. But perhaps you were hit on the head without me noticing."
Gabriella scowled at him. "My mental faculties have not been impeded. And no injury to the head could affect me anyway."
Angin wanted to respond, but Liron intervened. "Ehr… Angin… what did you use to heal us?"
The Alchemist blinked, pursing his lips. "Well, we were in quite a hurry. I didn't have my gear with me. Zonis is retrieving it right now. So, I had to make use of what was… available."
Liron's stomach turned. "You used her dead father?!"
"What was I supposed to do? They had no gold here, and you two were dying. Yeah, when I found his headless corpse, I used it."
Gabriella was outraged, the striking image of an offended highborn. "You have polluted me with the body of a lesser? How dare you? Not only have you touched me with this craft of yours, but you also did this to me? My perfect shape insulted!"
"Ah, fuck you!" Angin said. "You should thank me. You did all in your power to preserve the body, so don't blame me for it. And he was dead. He does more to stitch you two up than to rot in a grave."
Gabriella held a hand to her mouth, grimacing. "What a disgrace."
Jean closed his book. If he had listened, he didn't care for what was said. "I would like us to not waste any more time. The most important question is, how did the assassin find us? We need to understand how she achieved this, or we will be compromised."
Angin's expression darkened. "She didn't find you, Jean."
"Yes, Angin, she did."
"No, she didn't. She never figured out that you three were whom she was looking for. Before getting to you, she had killed seventeen Alchemists. All had just arrived at Kupferrang. She got her hands on the documents the guards at the gate keep, listing all that have entered Kupferrang. From there on, she must have searched through all inns, going through the list. She knew that Liron and I would enter Kupferrang as Alchemists."
Seventeen. Seventeen people dead because of him. All they had done was enter the city. For the last few weeks, Liron had only thought about his family and their fate. But now, he realized the scale of everything. The Resistance kept the Empire occupied. How many had died because of that? How many thousands were sacrificed to give him an opening? His body had regained parts of his former strength, but they weren't enough to carry this new burden, crushing him in the bed he sat.
"My, my, you are Liron Sturm then," Gabriella said, eyes wide open. "Now this is something I hadn't expected."
Angin frowned at Gabriella. "She didn't… fuck!"
"You came personally to save your sister," she said. "How courageous of you. Now I understand your unimpressive conduct during combat. But you show great potential, my dear Liron."
"Thanks," Liron said. A clearer lie had never been spoken.
Gabriella smiled. Angin didn't. "Jean, explain to me why… her? Why have her around?"
Gabriella waved her finger around. "Tsk, tsk, tsk. What a foolish question. Isn't that obvious?"
"She has extracted all intel out of Pierre," Jean said. "Furthermore, she had studied all his records and memorized them."
Angin grunted. "And she destroyed it all. Ah, a classic. We need her now."
"Of course you need me. Papa's writings and my knowledge of Kupferrang are essential for our success."
"Why do you wanna help? Do you owe them anything?" Angin asked, pointing at Jean and Liron.
Gabriella folded her arms, emitting a condescension that couldn't be mimicked. It needed to be grown over years. "In a sense, I do. I thirst for battle, Alchemist. My dear Jean and especially my dearest Liron offer me the best chance. The entire Empire will hunt after him. By his side, I will face the challenges I need to prove myself."
"Interesting," Angin said. He returned her smile. Faced with another ludicrous mystery, the Alchemist was revived with new energy. Despite their many differences, Gabriella and Angin had found common ground, sharing a manic edge. One that Liron hoped to never gain.
"Yeah," Liron said, clearing his throat, "I have another question. Why didn't the assassin just kill us? She had the chance to? She seemed… sad about it."
"About killing you?" Angin asked. A baffling thing to his ears.
"No… perhaps… I think… she was sad about killing the folks in the inn."
Liron sometimes forgot how experienced the Alchemist was. How much he had seen. His charm and euphoria veiled the darker things in him. The ones that only war could birth. Liron caught glimpses of it, lurking out his eyes as Angin looked down. "Well, she's human after all. You've seen it with Amor. Push comes to shove, he didn't hesitate. Doesn't mean he enjoyed it. And neither does she… apparently."
Angin left something unsaid. It had lain on his tongue, demanding to be spoken, but the Alchemist suffocated it in his mouth. Another weight on his chest. But what does one pebble change when put on a mountain?
"How is the situation outside?" Jean asked. "The battle must have caused a panic."
Angin appeared grateful for the question, his usual self returning to the front. "It was at the beginning, but things died down fast. At first, I thought Adenius beat the people into order, using the full force of his men. But that's not it. From what I and Zonis have seen, no one said as much as a word or questioned things. I knew Adenius was mad, but he's worse than I thought. We believe that he's preparing a Raven Hunt."
Gabriella laughed, holding her stomach. "My, oh my. This is getting better and better. Liron, my dear, I will never be separated from you. You attract my heart's desire!"
Jean cocked his head, grimacing. "You are joking? A Raven Hunt? In a city like Kupferrang? Thousands would die. This scale of destruction is impossible to keep hidden even for the Inquisition."
Liron didn't like the sound of that. "A Raven Hunt? What's that?"
"The nastiest shit the Inquisition has to offer," Angin said. "No surprise, it's named after hunting followers of Drom. It is similar to the Battlebliss soldiers receive from Warpriests. But, instead of targeting soldiers, an Inquisitor affects normal people. It's a frenzy, causing all under the influence to hunt for the heretics. All that don't feel the effect will become the target of the mob. Raven Hunts are known to be bloody. Many die, innocent or not."
"Fuck me," Liron breathed. "That's what the priests are there for. They are railing them up."
Angin nodded. "Zonis and I don't think Adenius will turn the entire city into a Raven Hunt. Like Jean said, the damage would be too big to conceal. Adenius has two options. Either he only turns to the poorest section of Kupferrang, or he influences everybody on a subtle level. They wouldn't fall into a blind rage. They would just become… more suspicious, searching for us. Our best guess is that Adenius will steer the entire city into a search in the following days."
"Is that even possible?" Jean asked. "I never heard of such a usage of a Raven Hunt."
"In theory, yes. If someone can pull it off, then an Inquisitor on Adenius' level."
"How dull," Gabriella said, pouting. "I prefer the original scenario. At least, Adenius would prove a cunning opponent if he utilized a Raven Hunt in such a way."
"To tire us out," Liron said. "We had to be careful when movin' around. One wrong choice, and he had us."
"Good, Liron," Angin said. "Exactly. Adenius can predict that we will strike on the day of the execution. If he can't capture us beforehand, then he needs to grind us down. We will be prone to make more mistakes if we are exhausted."
Jean rubbed his chin, lost in thought for a moment before his attention returned to Gabriella. "Angin, we need to discuss Gabriella. She has proven to be a strange case."
Gabriella frowned but said nothing. "I can tell, Jean," Angin said.
"I do not mean her ridiculous behavior. During our battle, she had unlocked her Gate. Impossible already, but her Gate's property is shadows."
"Shadows? You're sure?"
"You question me, Alchemist?" Gabriella asked. "Of course it's shadows. Fitting for me."
Jean scowled at her. "Everything about you is infuriating. A Gate related to shadows should be impossible."
Harras, Liron was tired of this. "Why?" he asked.
"Shadows are the domain of the Urachs," Angin said.
Liron stared at him, refusing to ask again.
"The Sacred Houses," Angin continued, "each can manipulate… an aspect of reality. They call it their Gift. The Lockrams manipulate gravity. That's how Kasper tore through the wolves. Urachs manipulate shadows. So, it stands to reason that no Wizard should be able to control shadows. But there have been cases. Gates linked to shadows are the rarest that exist."
Liron had to agree with Jean as he watched Gabriella wallow in Angin's words. "As I have said, it fits me. If I have to soil my hands with Magic, let it be magnificent."
"I agree," Angin said. "Magic is a foul thing."
Again, these two had found common ground.
Veins popped on Jean's forehead. Despite his intellectual bearing, his Conduit had revealed Jean to be a brawler. Liron wondered how often the Homunculus desired to break all obstacles with his fists. Was his cold expression nothing but him suppressing a rage Liron knew oh so well?
"Her Gate aside," Jean said, "she needs to be properly schooled in Magic. She shows great promise, but she fought as a Hopper, and we have no need for such a thing."
Gabriella narrowed her eyes. "I am not certain, but I believe you just insulted me. Have you?"
"Yes, I did! You are mad! What else am I supposed to do?!"
Gabriella clutched her pearls, outraged. "Explain yourself, Jean! What does Hopper mean?!"
Liron breathed a sigh of relief. He didn't have to ask.
"Hopper describes a Wizard that constantly changes their Conduit," Jean said. "They break off their connection to their current Conduit as soon as it serves them no clear purpose anymore. It is the most foolish strategy a Wizard can choose. They believe they have an advantage by being able to adapt, but as they never strengthen the connection to a Conduit, they never grow in strength."
Gabriella's eyes widened, glittering like a child seeing a wonder manifested in front of them. Beauty painted into the air itself. A sight that inspired hope and awe. Something that she would carry with her for years to come. "This is… perfect. I shall become a Hopper!"
"Did you listen to me, you imbecile?! You will remain as useless as you are now!"
"Please. You can't see the truth despite it sitting in front of you, Jean. I will endure the indignity of using Magic, but being a Hopper shall cleanse me of my sin. Yes, this is the righteous path calling for me. It will offer disadvantages and obstacles wherever I go. My victories will be glorious."
Jean's glare spoke thousands of words, not a single nice one.
"Please, Jean. Your approach to Magic is so limiting and boring. Flexibility, having to think each time I fight. Yes, it does sound like the most fruitless approach one could take. I shall be the only one to master it."
"How do you intend to become stronger?" Jean asked. No passion in his words. He had yielded long ago.
"Cheat and deceit," she said, smiling.
Liron wrung his hands, looking at Angin. The Alchemist had watched the exchange with great interest, giggling at Gabriella's reasoning and answers. "Angin, why is it dangerous to break a Conduit?"
"Oh, I never told you. It depends on how deeply a Conduit is connected to your Gate. But it would be like ripping out an organ. Being an Apprentice, it's not that bad, but the more you progress, the more painful it will become. Once you are a Mage, it's most likely to become lethal. That's why Hoppers can't progress as a Wizard."
Gabriella didn't listen, lying down again, arms behind her head, smiling. Jean shook his head, opening his notebook again. Liron felt better already, but he wanted to lie down again. Footsteps echoed through the house, all sitting up again. As they heard Zonis whistling, they all relaxed.
"Ah, what a relief," the Qilesh said, walking down the steps, carrying Angin's bag. "You were in such a bad state. I thought the worst."
"You beautiful bastard!" Angin laughed, taking his bag. "I can't believe it. You found it."
Zonis grimaced. He wore his human mask. His eyes remained still, only his mouth moving. Under closer examination, it was obvious he wasn't human. The way he expressed himself appeared alien with the mask, highlighting what he was. "Yes, I did. You were lucky to have put it below your bed. It had taken little damage."
"Because I knew such shit could happen. Always put your stuff below something, Liron. You'd be shocked how often that works."
A valuable lesson. One that wouldn't bring back his scarf or clothing. All that he had left from home, from Eisenrahm, was gone now. All of it but his knife, and he could hardly lose it.
"Children, do you need anything?" Zonis asked. "Please, do not hesitate to ask. You must feel weak."
"Ah, the Qilesh," Gabriella said. "You are a welcoming sight. I have yet to thank you."
Zonis chuckled. "There is no need for that, child. I have done my part."
"Still have some manners, huh?" Angin asked.
"Of course. Qilesh, what is your name?"
"Zonis."
"My dear Zonis did not curse me with this wicked craft of yours. No, he carried me with his strength alone. How it is supposed to be."
Zonis rubbed the back of his head. "Well, the praise is appreciated. But we are in dire need to talk, I fear. Angin, have you told them about the wolves?"
"The wolves?" Liron asked. "You're shittin' me, right? They're here?"
"Liron, please," Zonis said. "Not such a strong language."
"I told you they'd be on our asses," Angin said. "They will follow to the end of the world. Don't worry. They won't reach us. Yet, at least. Last night, they attacked the walls. Well, attacked might be too much. They tested them, searching for weaknesses to exploit. But that's a good thing."
"How?" Liron asked.
Zonis stepped forward. He had one hand behind his back, the other raised, gesturing as he talked. "You see, Liron, the wolves' presence will force Adenius to reinforce the walls. This gives us more freedom. Especially at night, when they are most likely to attack."
Angin checked all his gear one by one, ensuring they all still worked. "But the wolves know that they know that. So, they might attack during the day. So, the cunt has to send more soldiers on the walls all the time."
Zonis glared at Angin. "Yes, that is correct. This is a golden opportunity. One that we cannot ignore. We need to plan our next move."
Their next move. While Angin, Zonis, and Jean argued, Liron watched Gabriella. She had zoned out, having no interest in the discussion.
"Gabriella," Liron said, "a tree activated your Gate last night, right?"
Gabriella blinked, the room falling silent. "Y… yes," she said, caught off guard. "Ho… how do you know?"
Jean buried his face in his hands. Zonis only frowned, and Angin beamed at that.
"Angin," Liron said. "I have an idea. Gabriella and I went through the same thing. Whatever that tree is, it opened our Gates."
In his last dream, Emma had talked to Liron through the Nexus. About her plans and her progress.
"We need to speak to my sister. We should turn her into a Wizard."