NOVEL NEXT 48 - Dark Day
Even after Theaphilia left their dreams, Div and En found themselves unable to fall back asleep.
[En.]
(Did she talk to you too?)
[Yes.]
(I want to do it.)
[You and I separating?]
(This is the only way we can live as ourselves, Div. Don't tell me you were considering merging back together?)
[No, I wasn't. We're on the same page, but it can't be that simple.]
(Of course, it can't. Theaphilia is being cryptic about the method. While I don't think she knows much more than what she's saying, there is an obvious issue we need to address first.)
[What are you talking about?]
(I have no idea how we're going to split our bodies. But for our soul, I have to emphasize that our inner world is located inside it. What will happen to our skills, bloodline, facets, and title if we split our soul?)
En had a point. One's inner world was inside the soul. They'd have to talk with Theaphilia and see if the old Evolved Rank could guide them.
(Div! This is my chance to get rid of the Rot Heart!)
[Get rid of the Rot Heart?]
(Assuming you're fine with it, I'd like to ask you a favor. As we work toward evolving Sundered Mind, I want us to find a way for you to keep the Rot Heart, while I would be free from it.)
Div had to pause and think for a moment. While he had been more open to using their power than En, it didn't mean he had fully accepted the weight such a bloodline would have on his existence.
But could he refuse En?
[Fine, I'll do it. If at all possible.]
(Thank you.)
Div and En lay on their bed for the rest of the night, thinking about what their future would hold. It was only when Belilamos came to wake them up that they prepared to face the day ahead of them.
It was still dark. Heavy clouds hanging in the sky prevented the morning light from reaching Camboaci.
"Today, heavy rain," Belilamos said. "No hunt."
Yet, for now, it wasn't raining. A rare lull in the never-ending rain that plagued the region every fall.
After a quick breakfast, Belilamos took his son and guest to the village's school. He carried his large bow strapped across his back. With how dark it was outside, a tense stillness hung in the air.
"I can find class," Div and En said once they reached the school entrance, confident they wouldn't get lost.
"Good," Belilamos said. "Diven go. Dubno, I take you to classroom."
"I can alone too!" Dubnonamos said.
"I know," his father patted his head. "I still go with you. Good luck, Diven."
Div and En said goodbye to their host and made their way to their classroom. It wasn't hard to find. While the school complex was large by Camboaci's standards, they had lived in Kheiron. It wasn't comparable.
Entering the room, they were surprised to see all the students talking under their breath as if they didn't want to be overheard. With their lacking skills in Lienien, Div, and En couldn't make out what they were saying.
They looked at the spot they had sat in yesterday and were disappointed to find Gennorina hadn't arrived yet. Still, they decided to sit in the same place and wait.
As they made their way there, they passed by Segorix who was sitting on the row in front of them.
"Diven," The blonde boy said. "See dark cloud?"
"I see dark cloud," Div and En said as they sat down. "Why?"
"You not know? Bad sign."
[Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. En. The last time we saw dark clouds was when Elenvind crushed our camp under its hoofs.]
(Oh no… We need to run!)
"Elenvind?" Div and En asked.
"No, no, no," Segorix said, gesturing with his hands as if to clear the misunderstanding. "Elenvind not move with clouds. Last time coincidence."
Div and En sighed in relief.
"But," Segorix continued. "Monsters more active in this weather. Probably attack Camboaci. But Diven not worry, we strong."
"We strong, and Brigaseta watches over us," Gennorina said. She had just arrived in time to catch the tail end of the conversation. She sat next to Diven. "You've seen the massive tree in the center of the village and the wall. Ascended Rank druid can control many more plants."
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Right–with the Ascended Rank elder present, there was nothing to fear. Not to mention the numerous Evolved Ranks. If there was a fight, it wasn't for the students to deal with.
Still, they couldn't dispel the feeling of danger that had formed in their guts.
[It seems our experience in the rift has shaped us in more ways than we thought. We never were so anxious when Kheiron was under attack.]
(I hope you're right. I hope it's just in our head.)
Lost in their thoughts, they had forgotten to greet Gennorina. It was a little too late as the girl had already been there for close to a minute.
"Hi, Gennorina," Div and En said.
"Hi Diven," she answered. "Are you fine with school so far?"
"Yes, good to be here," they said.
[Yes, good to be here. Good job, us, not awkward at all.]
(Let's move on quickly.)
But before they could say anything else, Vedovessa entered the classroom.
"Good morning, my dear students. Today is a special day, isn't it? The first dark day of the season. Every year, there is a bit of tension on this occasion. Is anyone here feeling particularly anxious?"
Div and En were, but they didn't raise their hands. In front of the whole class? No way.
Nobody raised their hand.
Vedovessa sighed, "Fine, you're all very brave. Since that's the case, there will be no issue with today's field study. After all, you've awakened now, your inner world is open. In a few years, it will be you who will be fighting to protect the village."
Vedovessa paced back and forth in front of the assembled students.
"Our system has been in place for generations now. Before awakening, you get to spend the dark days inside the school, doing fun activities to get your mind off things. But starting from this year, you will be required to watch the defense."
Murmurs spread among the students. Div and En noticed they seemed genuinely surprised. He asked Gennorina, "You didn't know."
She shook her head, her hands were shaking a little.
"Of course, this is a secret you will not spread with your underclassmen," Vedovessa added. "Knowing in advance would let them prepare, we don't want that."
(I think they want to see how we react under unexpected pressure.)
[It seems dangerous.]
(We don't know how bad a dark day can get. Maybe it's not that bad.)
"But first," Vedovessa said. "I need to lay out some rules. The most important one is that you're here to watch, not to participate. None of you are to help our warriors in their fight against the monsters. You would only distract them."
"Even if they're in danger?" Someone asked.
"Yes," Vedovessa said. "This is not a game. "Dark days are real—and so are the monsters. Some of our warriors may fall in combat. Regardless, you are not to interfere. If a monster is too strong for our Evolved Rank warriors to deal with, you don't stand a chance either."
"Even if we're under attack?" Segorix asked.
"This brings me to my second point. You will all be bearing arms. While you're not supposed to take part in the action, this is a battlefield where the unexpected can happen. That said, if you're under attack, you will retreat to safety."
The gravity of the situation was beginning to sink in. While Div and En could see the benefits of such an exercise because of their experience alone in the Wildlands and the rift, the others seemed confused, scared.
[All the more reasons to have them go through this.]
(It reminds me of our fight against the Cyclops. Of how stupid we were to trade injuries with such a beast.)
[It worked. But we wouldn't make the same mistake now.]
Now, they would take their time and kill the Cyclops without taking a hit. It was easy to say in hindsight, but this was why experience was so important.
Div and En threw a glance at Gennorina. Her face was paler than usual, her fist clenched on the desk before her.
They wanted to say something, but Vedovessa spoke up again.
"Don't worry, I will be with you all the time. Now put on your cloak, we're going to the armory."
Of course, most kids didn't have their weapons. They were just learning how to use them, they wouldn't get one before they were allowed to fight or leave the village alone. Div and En had their bone spear, but they naturally didn't take it to school so it was sitting in Belilamos' house.
However since the school was requiring them to observe the battlefield, they would lend them weapons.
Vedovessa was the one deciding which weapon each student was going to use. She knew best what they were capable of and didn't want an overconfident child to pick a sword when they were a lot more competent with the bow.
Div and En received a spear and a shield. They were not supposed to fight, but maybe it would be an opportunity to understand how their skill had mutated.
Segorix was given a sword and a shield, Ambisenna had only a spear, Lugsellos a bow. As for Gennorina, she had something different from everyone else.
"Why do you have a staff?" Div and En asked her, curious.
"I'm a druid," she said, before correcting herself. "Novice druid."
It wasn't the first time they heard about druids, but Div and En didn't really know what they did. Brigaseta was a druid too. Was it related to the faint similarity Gennorina's mana had with rot?
"What druids do?" They asked.
Gennorina seemed surprised by the question. As if everyone should know what a druid was.
(I guess everyone in Camboaci would know. Their chief is a druid, after all.)
"Nature mana," Gennorina said. "Druids do nature mana."
Nature mana… Was rot related to nature in any way? Div and En were not sure. If they tried to take an objective look at their attunement, they could see how it would be part of nature. Dead things rotted and returned to the earth. From tree leaves to human corpses, it was a universal experience.
Yet, saying rot was simply part of nature felt like a gross oversimplification. If you went down that road, then everything—sun, sky, fire, water, wind—was just part of nature.
[Still, we need to study this. It might help us isolate the rot from you when we separate.]
(Yes, should we select a facet before we move to the battlefield? It feels like a waste not to.)
[Unless you're ready to pick Facet of the Rot Mage, I don't think we should.]
(Why?)
[We're not allowed to fight. Once we select a facet, it will take a long time to complete. We need Inspect and Conceal soon.]
(Then why are you fine with Facet of the Rot Mage?)
[We'll need to learn Rot Magic if we want your plan to separate from the Rot Heart to succeed.]
(Let's not take a facet now. I'm not ready.)
En could see that Div's words made sense. But he still had a deep-seated aversion for rot that reason alone wouldn't be enough to overcome.
With every student armed, Vedovessa addressed the class, "I know what we're asking of you is not simple. But I ask you to remember the rules I laid out. This is your first dark day on the battlefield, and it won't be the last. Are you ready to do your duty and defend our home?"
"Yes!" Every student said. Their determination and the fervor created by the prospect of protecting the village helped them overcome their fears.
"Yes," Div and En said after a small delay. It wasn't their home—at least, not yet—but they didn't want anything to happen to Camboaci.