System Lost: My Own Best Friend

Two hundred years. That's a long time. It doesn't sound like much, but empires have risen and fallen in far shorter spans. It's probably not an exaggeration to say that the world now is not the same world as the one from two hundred years ago. It's a long enough time that on that scale, two hundred years is actually a very suspiciously specific number to come up in three different cases all centered on the same thing.

"This can't be a coincidence," Violet says. "What happened here two hundred years ago?"

Talla runs a hand through her hair, sweeping it back between her horns and sighing. "I don't know," she complains. "The alchemist's rise is difficult to narrow down to a specific time frame, I haven't seen any records detailing what the mission to this convergence point was for, and I'm not aware of any records of a kidnapping in the year four hundred and twenty."

I tune out Maggie's immature snickering and cross my arms. "Are you sure you'd know? Maybe it wasn't a high profile event, or it happened somewhere else, or you just missed the record?"

"Evelyn, did you live in Stebaari?" Talla asks.

"Yes," she confirms. "I was raised in the monastery of the great cathedral, under the protection of the church of the great wheel."

"That cathedral is literally the oldest building in the entire empire. Stebaa was practically built around that church. There are high profile cases of loitering around that building, much less a full-on criminal kidnapping. I'll have to do a more thorough review of the historical records when we return, but at the moment I have to assume that it either didn't happen, or it was covered up."

"You think I'm lying?" Evelyn protests, sounding hurt.

"No," Talla replies darkly. "I don't."

I'm not sure how to respond to that. I don't have the context to understand what Talla is thinking right now, but she's obviously not happy about it.

"So then...what does this mean?" I ask. "What do we do?"

"I don't know yet," Talla says. "But I think you're right that something suspicious happened here two hundred years ago, and the church—at a minimum—is aware of it and has been keeping it secret."

"Then what changed now? Why bring a team of rangers now after so long?"

Talla grimaces and holds her head in her hands. "That...is probably a coincidence, actually."

"After all this," Vi interjects incredulously. "You still think any of this is coincidence?"

"In this case, yes," she insists. "Because it was my fault. I...used insider information to get this job. I only knew the expedition was happening because Kiera's family told my family and my family told me. I asked Kiera to give us the mission as a favor."

"Then why did she accept?"

"Did Kiera offer any pushback about Draga being clanless?" I ask.

Talla blinks. "Um...no? I'm not sure what that has to do with it."

I look around at the tent we're in, a tiny oasis of luxury dragged through the desert by a wealthy woman whose entourage included a man in a disintegrating grass skirt.

"Sometimes when people are trying to hide something, they'll be hypersensitive to things that might be 'suspicious' and overcorrect their behaviors," I explain. "I won't pretend to know Kiera, but I would expect someone of her status to be at least a little reluctant to hire Draga."

Talla stares at me silently for long enough that I start blushing. "W-what?" I ask.

"It should have been obvious, but you're a lot more eloquent now that you're not trying to phrase things for me to understand," she says. "Anyway, that's a little reductive, isn't it? Draga is a decorated ranger, and one of her personal bodyguards was Goro, who was also clanless."

"It is," I admit with a nod. "But it's possible that she accepted your team immediately because she didn't know how to explain that she didn't plan on hiring any team. It's much easier to just let you come along and then leave you behind."

"And if not for the incident, we wouldn't have given it a second thought," Talla concludes. "Maybe you're right. I don't think there's anything we can do about it, though. I can look into things when we return to the city, but as personal as it may be for you and Evelyn, I have to prioritize other things."

I sigh miserably, remembering how dire things are for Draga. "I understand. Is there really nothing we can do for Draga?"

Talla shakes her head. "Not nothing. I'm going to do as much as I can to advocate for him, and it will be easier to do that if my family isn't trying to burn his reputation down to save mine. Same for you—I can't protect you by myself, but my family can help."

I bite my lip nervously. "Are you sure it's okay to do so much for us? I don't want to impose on you."

"Allison, don't turn down help!" Violet scolds me.

Talla chuckles. "It's fine. What's the point of a lady's wealth and power if she doesn't use it? My connections got us into this mess, so maybe they can get us out of it."

She says that, but it doesn't come naturally to her. I can see how uncomfortable she was admitting that she pulled on those connections for the sake of her team, and before now she's been very careful to say things like "her parents' money" or "her family's status" rather than wearing that mantle herself.

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Talla is putting her neck out for us, and I have to respect that.

"Just don't hesitate to tell us if there's any way we can repay the favor," I offer.

"I won't," she agrees, leaving it at that.

* * *

When I leave the tent with one of Kiera's backpacks slung across a shoulder, I find Draga waiting for us with the rest of the camp already broken down and packed up. The other tent is gone, the cot has been disassembled, and everything else has been rolled up and packed into canvas bundles. I glance back sheepishly at Kiera's tent and duck my head apologetically.

"Sorry."

Draga chuckles mirthlessly and stands to stretch. "Even I'm starting to recognize that word. Don't worry about it. We have to leave most of this behind anyway. We came here with seven people, and we're leaving with three."

Talla ducks out of the tent behind me. "There should be some extra space in Kiera's vehicle we can use."

I glance up at that. Vehicle? Whatever intuitive understanding we're borrowing from Evelyn didn't do a great job with that word.

"Even so, we'd have to port whatever we bring down the mountain," Draga grunts. "I'm not making multiple trips just for a few spare strips of cloth. We'll leave some supplies here for the next group."

"Alright," Talla agrees before turning to me. "Allie, how much do you think you can carry down?"

"Uh..." I shift the backpack full of clothes on my shoulder uncomfortably. It's already pretty heavy on its own. "Maybe one more bag? Depending on how hard the hike down is. I'll keep Pathfinder until we get to the base of the mountain at least."

Draga begins breaking down Kiera's tent while we talk. "It doesn't matter. I've already planned our descent with the assumption that Miss Allie can't carry anything."

I'm torn between being grateful and insulted, but realistically I can't possibly carry as much as even Talla, much less Draga. I double-check my attributes now that we've upgraded our tier.

[Allison: Tier 2 Human]

[Class Slot 1: Tier 2 Incandescent Souls]*** - Level 0/10

[Class Slot 2: Tier 1 Pathfinder]** - Level 10/10

[Attributes]

Power: 36

Resilience: 36

Awareness: 66

Ego: 36

Will: 36

[Skills]

Inner Flames

Pyrothaumaturgy

Burning Innervation

Explosive Throw

Inner Compass

Stretch Supplies

We've really come a long way from getting excited about two or three points of Resilience. [Burning Innervation] might help, but I don't know how much it will wear us out or how much we can offset that with [Stretch Supplies]. There's also [Pyrothaumaturgy], but that's a complicated skill. I'm hoping to consult with Talla to explore what sort of spells we can make with it and how to use them.

I guess I finally have my own magic now, huh? I thought I'd be more excited about that, but getting blown up by our own spells and suffering killer magical hangovers has dampened my enthusiasm a bit.

"Talla, should I try using some of my skills to help carry things?" I suggest.

To my surprise, she immediately shakes her head. "No. You're used to leveling in an extended emergency scenario where every new skill and attribute was critical to your immediate survival. I'm sure it will take a while for you to internalize this, but you don't have to do that anymore. Take your time to explore your new skills in a safe and controlled environment."

"But I feel bad about not contributing," I grumble.

"Don't," Draga says, rolling the remains of the tent into a sturdy canvas bundle. "I'm not sure what you just said, but Talla is right. You don't use untested skills in the field if you can avoid it."

Despite what he said about leaving stuff behind, he gathers the rolled up tent, the candle-burrito, and several other bundles together, tying them into one giant pack that looks comically huge as he slings it over his shoulders. Altogether, it's just the other tent, the cot, and what looks like the disassembled frames of the drying racks they used for the lizard hides being left behind.

"How the heck is he carrying all that?" I wonder in awe.

Talla giggles. "Training, practice, and a whole lot of strength. You should have seen what Saban could carry."

The mention of their late teammate turns the mood a bit somber, but then it occurs to me that his body isn't among the luggage. I'm grateful for that, but also a little curious. They went through the effort to bring him back out of the cave, after all.

"What happened to his body?"

"Returned to the Goddess," Talla replies softly. "We'll bring back a few of his personal effects, but..."

"There's nobody to collect them," Draga finishes. "Saban didn't have any family. The rangers will remember him."

I get the distinct feeling that I should leave it at that.

After a few final checks, we're ready to start heading down the mountain. I nearly jump when something bumps up against my ankle, but it's just Nipper. I reach down to let him slither up onto my shoulders and give his neck a scratch.

"There you are! I was wondering where you'd slithered off to," I say. "He didn't cause any trouble, did he?"

Talla translates my question for Draga, who just shrugs. "It's remarkably docile for a dungeon monster," he observes, his professional demeanor slipping into more colloquial mannerisms. "Though we've seen what it's capable of turning into. Be careful with that thing."

"I didn't see anything," I grumble. "I was too busy putting a healthy distance between myself and a fall to certain doom."

"Speaking of which," Talla says, smiling awkwardly. "You may want to brace yourself for the descent. There are quite a few cliffs to scale between us and the oasis."

Fiddlesticks! Is what I would say if I hadn't already come up with a plan to handle that very problem.

"Maggie, take the wheel!" I exclaim.

Allison and Violet's fear of heights is such a shameful weakness. Of all the things to be so unreasonably afraid of—heights? Just don't fall.

"What was the point of keeping your explorer class if you were just going to switch?" I huff.

"Thanks Mags," Allison sighs. "I guess I didn't think about that, but you're the only one who can keep your head around these cliffs."

"Uh, Allie?" the chaos witch says slowly. "That's not me."

"Nor me," Violet confirms.

"You rely too much on the witch for even the simplest of things," I scold them. "I will carry us safely down the mountain."

"Evelyn?!" Allison squawks in surprise. "I didn't think you liked being in front."

I flex my hands and move my weight from foot to foot awkwardly, grimacing. "I don't. But if I'm going to be living in this body for the indefinite future, then I may as well try to grow accustomed. Besides, the alternative is letting Magdalena find a way down the mountain that somehow involves blowing ourselves up."

"Aw, Evie, that's hardly fair," Allison starts to argue.

"No, no," the chaos witch interrupts. "She's kinda got me there."

Pursing my lips and trying to ignore how even the way my furless skin moves feels strange, I adjust the pack of stolen finery on my shoulder and turn to Lady Baanu.

"After you, my lady."