“You don’t smell like alcohol,” Roszondas commented, pulling their hands away as they finished their task. They rested their elbows on their knees, leaning forward just a little as they looked at Kai. “Can’t really smell anything else on you, either.”
Kai shook his head. “No, nothing… nothing like that, it’s just…” He trailed off, biting his lip as he looked down at the object in his hand. “There was an attack, but after that I… I don’t quite know what happened. I know I’m still in Dyandra, but beyond that I don’t know where I am or how I got here,” he admitted, looking up at Roszondas almost pleadingly.
“I can help you with that, at least,” Roszondas said reassuringly. They reached over, dragging the bucket of water closer, taking a moment to rinse off the rag. “We’re currently in Dyandra, as you said. We’re up in the Rusted Edge.”
“The Rusted Edge?” he repeated.
“Near the Northern coast of the island,” Roszondas clarified. “It’s mostly mercenaries and others for hire up here, but not really for noble missions. A lot aren’t too worried what the job is, as long as they’re given gold.” They eyed Kai carefully, pausing for just a brief moment of consideration. “Specifically, we’re in the Serpent’s Corner of it.”
Kai assumed his face must have betrayed his utter bemusement. Roszondas gave him a smile that made him shift uncomfortably in his seat, suddenly worried for the first time that perhaps he shouldn’t have followed the half-orc so blindly.
“I’d guessed before, but you really aren’t familiar with this part of Dyandra, are you? You never traveled outside of the city walls?”
Kai felt his cheeks heat up from embarrassment. “I’ve left the city before,” he muttered defensively. “But I’m not exactly from the Isle either.”
Roszondas leaned back a little on their stool, humming thoughtfully. “Then you’re not familiar with the Chimera’s Syndicate, are you?” they asked, though they didn’t pause for a response. “They’re the ones who really run the lands up here, not any of the Council.”
Again, Kai’s mind flitted back to the conversation with Enfys, so long ago. From there, it seemed easy enough to connect the dots; if this organization took residence in the very area Enfys had urged him to avoid… well, he could assume that the two weren’t exactly unrelated.
It would be wise to keep his distance.
Roszondas got to their feet. “There’s a room right through there where you can finish washing up,” they said, nodding to a curtain that separated two sections of the room. “You’re still looking quite rough. I’ll make up a tonic while you do, something that’ll hopefully settle your nerves and ease away any pain you’ve got.” They gestured toward the shelves of curiously-shaped jars, dried herbs hanging from twine, and stoppered vials of various shades and hues—potion supplies, Kai realized—though he had to admit, there were at least a handful that looked like they might contain venoms and poisons.
Kai wanted to ask why Roszondas was so readily helping this complete stranger to them, letting him into their home and cleaning them up without question. He had little to offer the half-orc—had little to offer Enfys when they’d first met, as well, and that hadn’t changed. A part of him was almost afraid of what Roszondas might ask—or demand—of him in return, and he contemplated running and taking his chances on his own.
Instead, he murmured a soft, “Thank you.” Roszondas just nodded in response, and Kai took his leave. He slipped past the curtain into what appeared to be a bedroom, lit by the same type of lights as the kitchen. To the left was a battered door that seemed to be barely hanging on by its rusted hinges; he slid the brass sphere he was still holding onto into his pocket and pressed open the door to the small washroom.
Kai flinched reflexively when he peripherally caught sight of himself in the mirror. He eyed his reflection warily, the haggard figure framed in tarnished brass. His hair was dirty, falling out of its plait and hanging limply around his face, where tears had left trails through dirt and dust so thick that it covered his freckles. At least, he told himself, he was still recognizable. But, well, even if he wasn’t…
He sighed, closing his eyes for a moment to center himself before working up the courage to face his reflection once more. He grimaced as he realized he’d have to replace his clothes; even if he managed to wash out the dark stains left behind, he was sure he’d still be able to feel the blood on them, where it had dried on the material. He knew it would remain behind like Enfys’s ghost, a reminder haunting him with the fact that he couldn’t save him.
For now, he settled on taking a cloth and washing off his face, revealing the pale skin beneath the dust and grime. He scrubbed vigorously, turning his cheeks and forehead pink from how viciously he rubbed the cloth and water and soap against his face, as though trying to clean off more than just dirt. He set the cloth aside in order to let down his hair before braiding it again, running his fingers through it as he did so to loosen any tangles and knots. Then, he took up the wet rag again and cleaned his tunic and coat the best that he could, until the cloth and the water had turned a dark pink and wouldn’t clean anymore.
Slightly more put-together, Kai found himself feeling just a bit better; at least, feeling more himself. He didn’t dare think any more on the events before—he could still feel Enfys’s blood, he could still hear Enfys’s ragged breaths, he could still see Enfys’s life leave his pale gold eyes—but he still felt so uncertain, his head pounding now from trying to fathom out what might have happened. He carefully, gingerly pulled the device out of his pocket once more.
Alone, Kai was now able to examine the object more closely. If he was perfectly honest, it didn’t appear to be anything special. In fact, it looked so completely and deceptively ordinary. Upon closer inspection, he could see the shallow engravings covering its surface, an inlaid band of the same material around the center. It was through these engravings that the brilliant blue light had shone, nearly blinding him, not even an hour after Enfys had been killed. He had gone to see what had happened, wondering if the altercation prior had done something to activate it. But the moment that he touched its surface, he had pulled his hand back reflexively, a sharp pain of fire and electricity coursing through his body.
The reaction had left no physical mark on him, though he could still feel his fingertips stinging, tingling uncomfortably. His back still ached from where he’d hit the ground, though he still did not understand how exactly that had happened. He knew it must have been the sphere’s doing, but why had it taken him there, outside of Dyandra’s city walls? He traced a finger over the markings, but couldn’t make any sense of them. He knew nothing about this device, whatever it was.
He had asked Enfys on more than one occasion. The brass sphere had sat on display since he was first taken in by Enfys. He had asked about its significance, about its power. After all, Enfys had a story about every artifact and every invention, and Kai loved listening to them; he loved the way Enfys’s eyes lit up with excitement as he talked about the process and the theory, the science and the magic behind it, how they worked in tandem. But this object, Enfys always seemed to brush aside.
“It isn’t ready yet.”
And yet despite the claim that it wasn’t finished, not once had Kai ever seen him work on it. Now, he felt as though he was left with more questions than before about what had made this object so special in the first place. With a surge of fear and a pang of grief, Kai realized that the answers might have very well died with Enfys. After all, the man was quite possibly the most skilled and talented in all of Visterra. Would there be anyone who could tell him what powers the device held, what answers might be hidden away inside?
He didn’t know what to do next. He’d have to return to the tower, he supposed. He’d need to investigate—both the object and the woman who had come to kill Enfys. He’d have to report his death…
He’d have to carry on—to live on.
He took a deep breath, sliding the device back into his pocket. He tucked a piece of his hair behind his ear, eyes cast down on the floor. He didn’t take another look at himself in the mirror. He wanted to avoid having to face himself again for just a little bit longer.
Quietly, he pushed aside the curtain once more. He looked up to see Roszondas, a few herbs and vials spread out on the work surface in front of them. They carefully tilted one of the vials over a bottle, letting a small portion of the contents drop into the liquid below. Then, they tapped on the bottle’s glass, and immediately the liquid inside began to bubble, a thick consistency more like molten lava than that of boiling water.
Kai couldn’t stop the small gasp of excitement that escaped his lips, taking two quick steps closer to Roszondas. The half-orc looked up at him, a little startled by his sudden reappearance, but they weren’t given a chance to speak. Kai felt the corners of his lips tug upward, the closest thing to a smile that he could possibly muster at the moment. And with a small, hushed voice filled with awe, he asked, “You know magic?”
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