NOVEL NEXT LIII. The Bull's Eye
Virno: Still not done, huh?
It had been roughly an hour since Ballo and Virno left. Surprised with their quick return, the driver slides out from under the almost fully-reassembled vehicle.
Driver: Almost there! Guess the same can't be said for you two though, given how early you got back here. Didn't take you that long to see that Clavia's magic cell is far beyond your understanding, did it? Come on, give it here...
Virno hands her back the refuelled cell, brimming with magic.
Virno: Eat your heart out, buddy.
The driver gasps and rapidly snatches the object from Virno's hand, closely examining it.
Driver: How did you...?! But wait, this isn't right... What have you done? This isn't the same formula, you've changed it!
Ballo clears his throat, proudly puffing up his chest.
Ballo: We've improved it. I'm afraid your fancy factory machines lack the subtlety and finesse of a connoisseur of the minute intricacies that riddle the complex phenomenon we so rudimentarily coined as "magic"...
The driver simply looked at Ballo without saying a word. Virno followed suit, yet as soon as he registered a long enough pause in Ballo's monologue, he pre-emptively interrupted in an attempt to cut it short.
Virno: ... Alright, so let's just-
Ballo: ... Not so fast, Virno!
His valiant attempt had been met with failure.
Ballo: For now, we shall discuss this matter, which is of great importance not just for the journey ahead, but also for your future lives. What is this "magic" we refer to, exactly? Let us define it clearly, so that we may understand how foolish it is to label this mysterious, expansive art with such a broad term.
Virno took a deep breath, most likely anticipating the oncoming monologue.
Ballo: According to the most updated records we have of the times long before our race existed as it is today, it is said that four gods roamed our world. Each of these gods held mastery over a specific magical element, with these elements being water, fire, earth and wind. As you may or may not know, some of these gods fell in love, producing offspring that were capable of handling the magic of their ancestors in such innovative ways that they created entirely new elements of their own, these elements being light and darkness. The story doesn't end there, of course, in fact we are just scraping the tip of the iceberg! Yet this is a good start for you to see how ludicrously obtuse of an idea it is to-
Driver: OKAY! You refuelled the cell, congratulations! Now let me finish my work here so we can be on our way, lest we'll lose another full day just listening to a boring history lesson. On your way, you two...
Before the driver had interrupted, Virno blankly stared at the ground with an eyebrow raised, disconnected from the world around him. His brain had rapidly shut down as soon as Ballo started spewing out tales of old. Brought back to reality by the driver's interruption, he grabbed the elder by the arm.
Virno: Come on old man, you heard our driver. Let him work or we won't make it outta here today...
Ballo's mouth was held agape, in utter disbelief that his audience would so rapidly dismiss the knowledge he was trying to impart onto them.
Ballo: B-but you should know this! Do you not care about the history of magic...?!
The driver lays down on their cart again, sliding underneath the vehicle to continue their work.
Driver: I care that it works and that we can use it, the rest is just noise to me. Go on, now!
Ballo rambled between his teeth, as Virno led him back towards the inn's entrance.
Virno: Tough crowd old man, casting pearls before swine, yadda yadda yadda... Don't take it to heart, I'm sure they're just busy and would love to hear it sometime later!
Ballo: Bah! To hell with them, what do I care. You'll listen Virno, won't you?
Virno: Ahm... Actually, I think it's best if we-
Abruptly, Ballo grips his own chest, as the strength to stand fails him. He drops to the ground knees first, beginning to hyperventilate.
Virno: Hey hey hey, what's the matter?!
Worried, Virno crouches down to his level, attempting to understand what was happening.
Virno: Ballo?! What are you feeling? Talk to me!
The elder takes his hands to his ears, as if attempting to block sound from coming in. Inside his mind rung a deafening high-pitched sound, making his whole body tremble. Then, he could hear someone's words... Someone he knew all too well.
Lunalus (echoing inside Ballo's mind): Eclipse... It only makes sense. Few others could have taken down Lacerbus...
At this point, Ballo was sweating profusely. As he breathed loudly through his mouth, he could make out one final sentence.
Lunalus (echoing inside Ballo's mind): A weak lead, but it will do.
The ringing stopped. As he started to calm down, Ballo's mind raced attempting to connect the dots.
Ballo (hushed): How would he know... Who could have told him...?! Did something give us away...? No, no... It's impossible, it makes no sense...
Virno: OY! Snap out of it, what the hell is going on?!
Ballo locks eyes with Virno. As he does, he recalls the coin he had given to the young man... The very same one that had been imbued with his magic, Eclipse's magic. It finally dawns on him.
Ballo: Virno... The coin... The coin. Where is it?!
Virno furrowed his brow in confusion.
Virno: What are you on about?! Heck do I know about a damn coin, have you seen your state?!
Ballo: THE COIN I GAVE YOU YOUNG MAN, WHEN WE FIRST MET! WHERE IS IT?!
Virno's eyes widen. He searches his pockets trying to find it, yet he cannot.
Virno: I-I had it with me, I swear! I didn't leave it anywhere... Why? Does it matter?!
Ballo rubs his face with the palm of his hands, swaying back and forth.
Ballo: Lunalus most likely has it. Nox's Spymaster, the very same who murdered your friend, the Leopard. With it, he now knows for sure that Eclipse is somehow connected with your disappearance... And he will no doubt come to seek its members.
Virno's distressed eyes darted back and forth across the ground.
Virno: D-does he know it belongs to you? Can he pinpoint our location...?!
Ballo: I don't believe so... But this means he now has a clearer target. He will no doubt set his sights on any and all signs of our -- I mean, Eclipse's activity. He will try to capture them, torture them, until one of them talks... Yet none of them will. None of them can, even. They have no idea it was I.
Virno: But then... That's good, right...?
Ballo: Good...? Many of them will die painful deaths. We were already few, and now... That number will decrease even further. Not to mention that we ourselves should double our caution... Anything that we do, especially that I do, and that is remotely linked with magic could raise alarms. The people we saw and spoke with, this inn... The very machine we ride upon. Nox's eyes will be trained on anything magical and unusual, and they will no doubt question whoever they come across to gauge potential leads. Now more than before, we must trust no-one.
Virno: Dammit... So what? Are we going to leave Clavia's driver behind, go on foot from here...? It would take us weeks to get there, we're still a ways off! We can't...
Ballo: No... We indeed should not leave them behind, no matter what. After what they have seen and heard from us, we would potentially just be giving Nox more information, not to mention endangering the driver's life. And as you said, we are too far from our destination to go on foot.
Virno: And that vehicle is faster than any horse we could take, it would be a waste not to use it! So our plan should remain the same, we should continue our journey alongside that driver. But... Maybe we should stay clear of the roads. Inns... Civilization in general. I... I read some books on camping once, and my father also gave me plenty of tips when I was younger. I think we can probably make it out in the wild, at least for some days. Long enough to get where we need to be, hopefully.
Ballo nods, taking Virno's aid in getting back up.
Ballo: It's not something I haven't done before, either. Very well. I will go back inside, speak with the attendant... We should make sure that he won't say a word about us. In the meantime, check on the driver. See if they need help, make sure they are working as fast as they can... We shouldn't stay here any longer than we absolutely have to. And Virno...?
Virno: Yeah?
Ballo: ... Don't use it that sword again. No matter what.
Virno grabs the silver necklace around his neck.
Virno: Lesson learned, don't worry about it.
As Ballo enters the inn through the main doors, Virno hurries back towards the driver.