“I can’t believe how late it is...”
By the time Arcus left the palace and finished up at the Magician’s Guild, where he was preparing for the announcement, the sun had already set. The Sol Glasses spread through the capital meant he wasn’t traveling in total darkness, but it was far from the bright towns of the man’s world. There, lamps and the lights from people’s windows flooded the streets with brightness, whereas here, it only took a turn into an alleyway for things to turn gloomy.
I guess that’s what they have lanterns for here...
As Arcus turned a corner, a figure emerged from one such alleyway. They stood in the middle of the path as though they were preventing passage. Suspicious was the only word for them. They just stood there, with no lantern of their own.
Arcus knew that it would be wiser to ignore them. There was nothing stopping him from taking a detour, but to do so would be highly annoying. If only he could get past, he would be home in minutes.
He raised his lantern as he walked, casually inspecting the figure. Their hood was pulled too low to draw any conclusions about their face. They were definitely taller than five feet, but perhaps not by much. Their attire was the most distinctive thing about them. The clothing they wore beneath their cloak reminded Arcus of an elegant kimono, especially in its use of color.
Could they be a nobleman expelled from the capital? Their clothing seemed too conspicuous for a criminal. He could discern nothing underneath that might suggest their sex. Did they mean harm or were they just odd?
Wary, Arcus made a move to swerve around them, but they seemed to draw closer. So they likely did mean harm.
Though these may have been the capital’s outskirts, it was still within the nobles’ quarter. If anyone wanted to harm a noble, this wasn’t the place to do it—but there were exceptions to every rule.
Preparing for the worst, Arcus covertly focused his attention on the sword on his hip. He ran through his repertoire of spells, picking out a few that would serve him well in a space like this. On top of that, he cast his senses out to his surroundings; the figure might have been a decoy. Then he continued forward, even prepared to summon Tribe, the Phantom Hound, if need be.
Wait...
Speaking of Tribe, Gown’s lantern wasn’t shaking like it tended to when it wanted to warn Arcus of danger. He didn’t have to be so wary.
“Seer,” the hooded figure spoke to him.
Seer, Arcus Raytheft.
It reminded him of the unnatural way Chain had addressed him during her final blessing. It threw him off guard, but that wasn’t the only thing that drew his attention. The high-pitched tones they spoke in were as clear as the pealing of a silver bell—a decidedly feminine voice.
When he showed no response, she called out to him again. “Seer.”
“Are you talking to me?” he asked.
The apologetic drop in her tone suggested she hadn’t meant to evoke suspicion. “I am sorry. I was still in high spirits from my success in having found you. Please forgive my transgression.” She silently took a knee.
Arcus struggled to disguise his bewilderment. It was the kind of gesture one would make to show reverence to a lord. While he may have had noble blood, he was still a child. No one had ever knelt before him like that, and it only served to make him less trusting.
He pulled out his sword and leveled it at her. “I don’t trust you.”
“I can well understand why. However, I ask that you hear me out before making any judgment.”
He considered this. Ordinarily, he wouldn’t feel the need to lend his ear to someone who had ambushed him like this. But the fact that she had addressed him just as Chain had changed matters. There was a possibility that she was connected to the spirits, and even if she wasn’t, she might have known something he didn’t.
“Will you listen to what I have to say?” she prompted.
“All right. But step back first.”
She did as he asked, rising to her feet and drawing away from him. The long material of her kimono obscured her feet, and he couldn’t hear the clacking or scraping of stone beneath them. But her body must have been stabilized somehow, because her upper half stayed remarkably still.
Arcus kept his focus on her as he took a step back himself. One step kept him in danger. Another, but he still wasn’t out of the woods. So he took a third step—but she would still be able to strike in a single bound.
Just how much reach does she have?
He could tell from her movements. The ability to discern such a thing was a recent development, likely from his experience on the battlefield and his practice bouts with Craib and Noah. In order to escape her range, he would have to create a distance between them that would necessitate her raising her voice. Whether that was down to her skill or innate physical ability was unclear.
“Am I far back enough now?” she asked.
“No. Lemme use a spell real quick—Tenfold Performance.”
It was a spell that would temporarily elevate his physical capabilities. He would pair this with Focus, a skill he had recently mastered in the rapier hall which allowed him to manipulate his speed. Now she wouldn’t be able to harm him by any ordinary means.
He hopped on the ground a few times to test out the efficacy of his spell and skill.
“You really are wary,” the figure remarked, sounding somewhat amused.
“Obviously. You’re super sketchy. I gotta be ready in case you try something.”
“I haven’t the slightest intention of harming you. Please allow me to introduce myself before anything else. My name is Ursula. I am from the Heoga Tribe.”
“The Heoga Tribe...” Arcus frowned.
“You have heard of us?” Ursula lowered her hood.
The face that appeared underneath took Arcus’s breath away. First, there was her small, well-shaped nose, and her delicate lips. Beneath one of her almond-shaped eyes was a beauty mark, a point of appeal regardless of one’s world of origin. It was difficult to tell her age, but if Arcus had to guess, he would assume she was a young adult. Her smooth skin looked like it had never seen a blemish in its life. Her long, black hair was gathered together by an ornamental pin, and its luster made it look almost indigo.