The Grand Weave

Looking out the wagon window, I watched in amazement as we officially crossed out of the Yidelwoods. Seeing normal trees with bright green leaves had actually mentally hurt. For so long, I never paid attention to the fact that blue leaves were, in fact, not the norm. The sight had brought back a forgotten memory of a time spent lazily relaxing in a park. It was a happy memory filled with blurry faces that only made me melancholic. A part of me understood that the memory was one filled with warmth and comfort, but not being able to recognize the people inside it twisted that feeling. It alluded to a happier time, but it was forever out of reach, and no matter how many times I tried to focus harder and wipe away the blurred lines, I failed to remember.

When I suddenly turned away from the window and slouched against the wall, I remembered I wasn't alone. Inside the wagon with me and several wooden crates were Celanae and Igas. One was sleeping as he cradled his greatsword like a pillow, and the other comfortably sat on a plush pillow as she read a book.

"Is something wrong, Cyrus? You look troubled," she asked concernedly.

She put down the book in her hands and looked at me with worry.

I shook my head and decidedly looked at Igas to avoid answering her question. "So why are you two in here while the others are outside?"

She frowned and could obviously tell I was avoiding the question but did not push. "Simply because we're not really useful as scouts. None of our skills offers us the same utility of perception as the others. And there's not much of a chance for danger during this section of travel."

I thought about it for a second, but it made sense. From what I knew, Isaac could range far and wide with his movement skill. Eodyne was an archer and most likely had some skill to let her see and sense danger before it got too close. And Teddy has Arturous to help smell for any wild beasts that may approach.

"So, I never asked, but where are we heading?"

Her eyes widened in surprise, but she gently smiled at me. "You're telling me you agreed to join us but never asked where exactly you were going?"

Her eyes showed a trace of amusement, and I could tell she wasn't really surprised.

I shook my head. "It was kinda sprung on me out of nowhere. And I trust Brelten enough. He has been nothing but helpful to me despite my situation. Even when I argued with him, it didn't take much to convince me to go."

Her smile widened in response to my words, and her eyes twinkled. Though with how her eyes looked like actual gemstones, they probably did actually sparkle. "Uncle has always been trustworthy. Thank you for speaking kindly of him. And to answer your question, we're heading to the nearest city. We should arrive at Helio in about three days. After that, we'll either head northeast and slowly make our way to the capital or go northwest and try our hands at the local dungeons near Stratos."

"You know, it never occurred to me before, but what is the name of this kingdom? I've only ever heard it refer to as 'this kingdom.'"

She searched my face with an incredulous look, but when she realized I wasn't joking, she chuckled. Her laughter was melodic and light, and in that moment, she looked exactly like what the elves were supposed to be back on Earth. With her green hair and gemstone-like eyes, she made for a beautiful sight.

"Uncle mentioned you had a severe case of amnesia. I'm sorry you have to deal with that." Her words held genuine kindness to them that made me feel uncomfortable. Thankfully, she continued before she noticed me squirm. "Well then, let me be the first to welcome you to the kingdom of Solunaria, where the sun shines ever bright and fills the days eternal. For as long as it stands, it shall be the first vigil against the Endless Night."

She recited the greeting with an air of solemnity and stiff formality. It was most likely the standard motto for Solunaria. She had probably memorized it sometime during her childhood.

"So does that mean you call its citizens Solunarians?"

"Actually, yes. Helio isn't known for its library, but it should be easy to find you a history book and map while we're there. If your amnesia is as bad as it seems, brushing up on your knowledge would be good. At the very least, get a decent understanding of the local kingdoms and the surrounding land."

"I think that'll be a great idea, thanks."

With her willingness to make small talk and answer some of my questions, the time passed quickly. Before long, the sun outside is already setting, and we end up stopping for the night. When I step out to stretch my legs, I notice a spike of mana concentrating towards my right. As I walked past the wagons, I found the source of mana concentration.

I recognized the three people in robes as the three earth mages from before. This time, instead of creating a road for the caravan, they were raising their hands into the sky in unison. I watched in childlike fascination as stone and dirt shifted, creating an enormous box-like structure. After the building solidified, a long stone bench from the back wall melded together. As the mages finished, I cocked my head and examined their work.

I struggled to recall a word on the tip of my tongue, but my fuzzy memory made it difficult. As my frustration grew, I closed my eyes and took deep breaths to calm down. Finally, when I opened my eyes, I was able to recall what the structure reminded me of

"Bus-stop! That's the word!" I shouted. Wincing at the realization that I unintentionally called my thoughts, I saw the mages staring at me weirdly.

It was only at that moment that I noticed they appeared worn out. The enchanting aura that captivated me before was gone; instead, there were individuals panting and breathing heavily. As I glanced back at the massive stone structure, I felt bewildered. Although it was much larger than a typical bus stop, I couldn't understand why it would require so much effort to build.

I was pulled out of my thoughts when Celanae approached me. "What's a bus-stawp? I don't think I've heard of that word before," she asks.

My brow furrowed at the slight accent when she tried to say bus stop. It was all too easy to forget that the system auto-translated everything. Correction, almost everything.

I tore my gaze away from the building, giving the mages one last glance before facing her. "It's a name for a kind of structure. This looks almost exactly like it, although the walls are usually made of glass," I replied.

"Huh. So why the confusion on your face?"

"Oh, that. I was wondering why those guys look so exhausted. It's impressive, but I figured three people working together would make something like this a lot easier. In the rift, Petraeus would create several mudwalls and still have enough mana to assist during the waves."

Calanae was about to respond to me, but we were interrupted by the sound of angry squawking. We turned to see one of the mages approaching with a small, five-foot frame and a face as red as a tomato. Although I found the sight amusing, I noticed the scowls on the faces of the other mages.

As the small woman walked right up to me so that she was barely a foot away from touching me, she gnashed her teeth and poked a finger at my chest. "And who are you to insult us? Standing there, doing nothing while we have to do all the work. I don't see you creating something that'll help not only this caravan but all caravans that ever come this way!"

The sudden tirade stunned me into silence. I didn't think anything I said was insulting and didn't mean to provoke the little hellbeast. When I failed to answer, the fire inside her eyes grew larger. When she dug her finger into my chest, something within me snapped. The accusation, the blame, and the physical presence trying to push into my space were enough to bring me to cold, seething anger. I wasn't seeing red, but the edges of my vision darkened, and I could only focus on one thing. That finger was going to get off me one way or another.

When the woman looked into my face, her finger pushed harder, and she pulled out a small device from within her robe. "Let's see how much mana you have! So easy to look down on us when I can tell you're not even tier one. Let's see how pathetic you are."

She pushed her thumb into a small groove along the edge of the device. It looked like a cube with three glass lenses embedded into the middle. When the device lit up, I felt a pricking sensation at the center of my chest. It felt like a blunt needle was poking into my skin, and a second later, I felt a wave wash over me. In an instant, I felt violated and exposed. Whatever she did to me, I was not about to let her get away unharmed.

She watched as an orb in the device changed colours and started glowing. As it shifted to a sky blue, it shone brightly. Her anger disappeared and morphed into one of disbelief. When she switched from the device in her hand to my face, she stepped in closer and poked me again. "What is this? What are you doing? How are you messing with the scan? Tell me!"

With practiced ease, I summoned Zharia and activated Spirit Lord's Invocation. This time, I didn't do anything to muzzle the skill, and I felt vindication as her look of anger turned to horror as a pillar of fire engulfed us. I heard screaming. Mana bunch and gather near my feet. When the flames cleared, I realized that my feet were not the target; it was the woman's. The earth was pushed up and jutted out on the ground where she had stood a moment before. When I traced the trajectory, I saw the mage sprawled on the ground, looking up at me in horror.

A frown split my face as I took a step closer. "What did you do to me? What was that attack? Don't bother answering me. I'll burn the truth out of you."

My mana started to build, flames sprouting from my feathers. With another step, more mana gathered at the tips of my fingers. "Who the fuck are you to invade my personal space. To huff and puff and dig your grubby finger into my chest. And to call me pathetic? I'm not the one too scared to even move. I'm not the one on the ground whimpering."

The woman went from whimpering to full-on sobbing when golden flames started spreading across my fingers. The sight of her shaking and crying like a scared child doused my fury. My thoughts whirled inside my head, trying to justify a reason to stay angry. It was like a dying beast scrambling to stay alive, real, and present. But the wrath and rage died; the flame that was burning inside me was snuffed out.

I stopped channeling my mana and let the fire across my body extinguish. When Celanae put a hand on my shoulder and gently pulled me away, I let her. As we left the scene, I saw the other two mages consoling the crying woman. The sudden lack of extreme emotions left me feeling numb and empty. Without even thinking about it, I summoned my mask and put it on my face. In a way, the ability to control what the mask displayed was comforting.

As we walked along the wagons, I noted the rest of the caravan settling in. There was a stable for the beasts where they were being tended to. Along the grass, stone benches and tables littered the clearing where people sat and talked. More than a few fire pits were blazing as people sat around waiting for dinner.

During our walk, Celanae remained silent, which I was glad for, considering I didn't feel like talking. When we rounded a corner, I wasn't surprised to see Teddy and Arturous around their own campfire. The large man was scratching his much larger bear. Arturous made deep rumbling sounds as Teddy rubbed his side.

Celanae patted Arturous on the head before conjuring a set of chairs and sat down. They looked like lawn chairs, and they looked like they were comfortable enough. I silently sat down and stared at the flames.

Teddy didn't summon a chair. Rather, he sat down and leaned back, using Arturous as a furry cushion. He put both arms behind his head and closed his eyes. When he spoke, his voice was just loud enough to be heard over the crackling of the fire. "You don't have to talk about it, but we're both here for you if you do. And if you don't, at least take the time to relax. Dinner should be ready in half an hour."

For a while, I didn't say anything. I watched the fire, trying to feel the mana in the air. The fire was obviously non-magical, but that didn't mean the ambient mana was absent. One of the first things Brelten taught me was that this world was infused with mana. It was as present as the air itself, everywhere, in everything.

I tried to absorb the flames or, at minimum, manipulate them. The fire wasn't my own, and I struggled to affect it. Zharia was sending me thoughts and expressions on what to do, but I found it challenging. Only after she sent over her feelings when we absorbed the witch's fireball did it work. A tiny tendril of fire snaked out and wrapped itself around my palm. The tendril broke off from the campfire and coalesced into a small marble above my hand. The process took mana, but the amount was small enough to ignore. After examining the small bead at every angle, I raised my hand to my mouth and sucked in the flames.

The fire went down like I was swallowing water. The heat was noticeable but not dangerous. It was more akin to drinking a hot drink, and I felt it disappear somewhere in my chest. The taste was smoky with a hint of sweetness. I wonder if different flames taste differently.

Zharia sent over feelings of triumph and pride along with satisfaction. I let the thoughts wash over me, and I found myself relaxing. I slowly undid the transformation as I leaned back deeper into the chair. Zharia popped back into existence, and she gave me a light peck on my forehead. As she asked me for permission, I nodded and watched the small phoenix fly into the fire. She landed on the charred wood and snuggled into the ashes.

"She's really a phoenix, huh? She looks comfortable," Teddy commented.

"It probably feels like a nice warm blanket. I wish I could lay in a fire without burning to a crisp," Celanae added.

Zharia didn't open her eyes, but she chirped out audibly. "It's good! Needs a bigger fire, though."

Teddy laughed at her response, and I found myself smiling along. Wanting to enjoy the night with both of my familiars, I summoned Áine and snuggled her into my lap. She snuck in a quick boop before she settled in. Now that I was feeling better, I finally found the energy to apologize.

"I'm sorry about that. I shouldn't have lost my cool like that. When I asked my question, I really didn't mean to insult them and cause problems. Not entirely sure why she got that angry, but I shouldn't have threatened to burn her alive because of it," I apologized. The apology was addressed openly, but I tilted my head toward Celanae.

"Don't worry about it. I would have stopped you before anything happened. And you weren't wrong to act. If my suspicions are correct, she used something she wasn't supposed to. Isn't that right, Isaac?" As she spoke, she looked over at a darkened spot to her right.

I didn't see Isaac anywhere but wasn't too surprised when he rose from the shadows. His arms were crossed, and he scowled at the three of us. "Stop exposing me. Makes it harder to spy on people if you keep revealing my presence," he complained.

Instead of speaking, she held out her hand and waited. Isaac grumbled, but she reached into his pocket and tossed an object at her. When she caught it, she held it up to the light and revealed the weird device the mage used on me earlier. She examined it before tossing it over to Teddy. He scowled at the thing and gave it back.

"She used a scanning device on someone without permission? That's a major breach of the rules. I'll have a talk with the guildmaster in Helio. Even if shes new that's no excuse for using one of these. I'll go talk to the mages now and find out what she was thinking," Teddy said seriously. His smile was gone, and he stared in the direction of the caravan.

Isaac cut in with a chopping motion before Teddy could get up. "Don't bother. I already had Igas interrogate them. He found something weird, and so did Eodyne."

"Oh? What did they find?" Celanae asked.

Isaac held up his hand again. He sunk back into the shadows and disappeared. Thirty seconds went by, and he appeared again in the exact same spot. "Eodyne's coming back. And Igas is on his way."

"Well?" Teddy added.

"I'll let Igas explain, but he says that Trianna had some issues with her story. She says she isn't sure why she got so angry and can barely remember what set her off. All she knows is she felt a sudden spike of hatred for Cyrus here after he indirectly insulted them. The only problem is she swears she is a pacifist, and the other mages confirmed it. If you remember the first time we met them, she was the shy one who hid between the older woman," Isaac explained.

Finally, I spoke up, confused and annoyed at his explanation. "Then why did she get in my face and confront me like that? That's not exactly the actions of someone shy and nonconfrontational."

Isaac simply shrugged in response. "Maybe. She could be going through some things and finally snapped. The only problem is Eodyne picked up something's presence around the same time. She tracked it into the woods but didn't find anything."

"It could be a coincidence. We're in the woods, and heavy amounts of mana usage combined with sounds of people might have drawn in some beast. It was probably smart enough to back away when it saw Cyrus transform. A pillar of golden fire exploding out of nowhere isn't exactly inviting and hard to miss," Teddy said.

I blushed at the reminder and obvious reprimand, however gentle it may be. Thankfully, my mask hid my face, so I didn't have to worry about showing my wince.

After the discussion, Isaac summoned his own lawn chair and sat down. Soon after, Igas joined us and joined in along with Eodyne a few minutes later. The team asked a few questions from Eodyne, but without her finding anything solid, the discussion was dropped, and everybody relaxed around the fire.

I sent my thoughts around anything as a distraction and was reminded of Bera's gift. She said explicitly to wait to open till dinner time. The others gave me curious glances as I summoned the giant crate at my feet.

Putting Áine on my shoulder, Zharia hopped out of the fire and landed on my other. Reaching down, I lifted the top of the crate off and dropped it to the side. As I reached into the crate, I pulled out a foot-sized object wrapped in thick, waxy paper. Peeking back into the box, I also noted the entire right corner filled with glass bottles.

I unwrapped the paper-covered object, and I laughed in surprise. Shaking my head, I couldn't help but be very glad I had befriended the matronly innkeeper. Two sandwiches stuffed with meat, cheese, and toppings were in my hands. It smelled good and was still warm.

"What you got there?" Igas asked.

Instead of answering, I sat the sandwich down, grabbed five more, and tossed one to each. They all unwrapped their own sandwiches with oohs and aahs. Before I closed the crate and summoned Chomperz, I pulled out one of the bottles and inspected it. It was made of dark green glass with no writing on it. On the wax seal covering the cork was a pink oleander flower stamped into it.

When I found curious gazes thrown my way, I handed over the bottle to Celanae. When she inspected it, she whistled softly. "Oh my. Bera gave you fresh food and some of her special stock. She must really like you."

Igas got out of his chair and walked over. "That's a bottle of Viper's Kiss? Gods be, she never sells those. Let's pop it open. It's been forever since I've tried some," he said excitedly.

Celanae waited till I nodded my head and popped the cork. She summoned glass cups and started pouring everyone a drink. When we all had a cup, she raised it in a toast. "To Bera's booze!"

I joined in and took a generous swallow of the clear liquid. It was sharp and bitter, with a fruity aftertaste. My face scrunched as the flavour overtook my tongue, but it went down smoothly. With that one shot alone, I started to feel my hands tingle.

"Damn, that's as strong as I remember it. Wooo! Pour me more," Igas said as he shook his head.

We kept drinking and ate the giant sandwiches. By my third shot, I was already feeling tipsy. For a second, I was worried about the escort team being drunk off their arses, but Celanae shook her head and motioned to Teddy.

He gave me a thumbs-up and told me not to worry. He'll use a skill and clear us of the effects when we're done. With the promise of easy drinking and no hangover, I settled deeper into the chair and enjoyed the night.