“It's…it's…” Why was she choking up now? Why did it feel like she had swallowed stones, and her chest felt tight now? “This was hers, wasn't it?”
“Yes. The one I always associated with her. I suspect she enchanted it over the years, based on the slight inconsistency in the threading of the runes. The materials themselves are…hard to come by.”
“Silk steel. Nearly unbreakable,” Neska murmured. The smoothness of the fibers was perceptible over her fingers, woven with arcane precision. The material looked like brand new, even, with almost no fraying or discoloration. “She embroidered this on her own, didn’t she?”
“The runes are not dissimilar to the ones used in rituals; those, however, are empowered by the reagents in the runes, plus the caster’s own mana. This is its own stand-alone source, with an occasional re-up, using low-grade mana cores.”
He pointed to one hexagonal rune with a few angular lines etched inside the hollow area. “I don’t know all of them, but I know this one. A general rune of protection. It’s low level, and abilities can scale better, but in a pinch? Having an extra spell barrier can save your life. But I think this was only intended for a witch. I tried it on to see if it would work, for curiosity's sake. It did nothing. Maybe...it'll work for you?"
“I can…have this?” Her words were barely a whisper.
“Neska…your arrival here, while carrying a tragic message, tells me one solid, undisputable fact. Whether you believe it or not.”
He took a step back after she took the hat in hand, contemplating it for a moment. “She succeeded in finding a solution to the Varadur. I don’t know in what way it will manifest, or whether she left instructions in a way that only you can find, but…I know she wouldn’t have gone on a defiant last stand, unless she knew she succeeded.”
Is he desperate? Or did he trust Risha that much? She drew a quiet breath. “Between you and me, Professor Serkin? I hope she did. But I did have one question, now that the audience is…well, just you and me."
“What’s that?”
“Who was I to Risha? Did you meet me before?”
He shook his head, hands stuffed in his pockets. “I misled, earlier. I met you once--or, I think it was you. Right before she left, she introduced you as her student.”
"Why mislead?" Neska folded her arms.
"A matter of privacy. I knew a few things Risha didn't want me to know, despite her efforts. But as far as I know, if you were here before that day, I was none the wiser."
Neska considered this carefully. He still didn't want to open up about everything. Maybe he didn't want to talk about it. People lied to avoid discussing painful topics. To protect secrets, even. "But, didn't other students recognize me?"
He frowned. “I suspect that you were her hidden prodigy. Someone she confided in. You were young, no more than…fifteen, sixteen maybe? Brown, almost auburn hair. Green eyes. Almost as tall as Risha, too.”
The person who came before. “Anything else?”
“No. She was giving you a tour of the campus. That was the last time I saw you–or, who I presume was you, back then. Her departure was abrupt. I always found that odd. But Risha was a private person.”
I was her student, but…why does it sound like he doesn’t believe that, either? Neska paused briefly before her next question. “Did she tell you how I died? Because there’s a large, gaping hole between then, and when I was Awakened.”
“She never did. But…there was something off with the letters she wrote. Her penmanship suffered. Her confidence didn’t ring out in the words I read. I tried to reach her on one of those expensive arcane relays–they call them arc rays in short–and she would barely talk to me. I debated travelling to seek her out, but…”
He glanced at the window and the campus outside. “We are fighting a battle we are barely holding at a stalemate, Neska. Our semester is now year-round. We are trying to graduate students in half the time, only to throw them onto a battlefield that hardened men and women have not survived. I want to give my students every edge they can to stay alive. That includes you, too.”
She flipped the hat up and rested it gently over her head. Feathery strands compressed down, and though she wasn’t fully humanoid, the hat fit well over her head. A tingle of power ran down her spine, all the way to the tip of her tail. Stranger still, her interface recognized it.
Equipped Kappell of Ouroboros
Soulbound Tier 2; additional Tier advancements in the Witch Class will increase the benefits.
Attributes and abilities will linger for 24 hours after removal, unless another similar artifact is soulbound to the user; upon a new item, these Attributes and abilities will be lost
+1 Intelligence
+1 Soul
+1 Perception
Ability Gained: Runic barrier (Tier 2): At-will barrier generation around the user’s body, with low mana draw over time when active. The strength of the barrier increases with Intelligence. Mana draw over time is reduced with increased Soul.
Ability Gained: Magic Status (Tier 2): Passive ability to detect deviations from a person's normalized conditioning, such as effects from alchemical sources, abilities, or ritual effects; Additional Tiers will specify the deviation, magnitude of change, and specific status effects. Ability sensitivity and information obtained increase with Perception.
Note: Abilities granted by Artifacts do not gain proficiency increases; however, scaling from attributes still affects overall ability effectiveness.
Neska kept her elation in check, though she knew that her snout creased into a smile, if briefly. “Thank you, Professor Serkin.”
“Don’t thank me. Thank the witch who had the foresight to leave it in a place where it could still do some good,” he answered calmly. He smiled for the first time since they’d met in an actual, genuine smile that warded off the sadness that etched his expression. “Does it have other abilities?”
The author's content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
“It…does. Or, it can,” she answered halfway. The increase in attributes, while small, was one she could perceive. Already, she felt as if her thoughts were clearer, more organized, along with a slight increase in the fidelity of her vision and hearing. “It grants an ability, the barrier ward you mentioned. I thought monsters could not benefit from artifacts?”
“They can, but custom-fitting artifacts to non-humanoid Awakened, especially those far removed from their human forms? It’s an extensive, time-consuming effort.” He let out a soft sigh before sitting back down at his desk. “I won’t take up any more of your time, Neska. Thank you for this moment. I…I think this was the right time for this.”
“I’ll get back to my studies then. Thank you, Professor Serkin.” She twisted her lower body to leave, undulating toward the door.
“Neska. Wait.” She turned, letting out a sound of surprise as he stood, wearing a faint expression of hope. “If you’re anything like Risha was, I have this feeling you won’t play it safe, and you won’t wait for the dangers to come to you. You’ll likely want to find the man who did this to you. To all of us. And that thing that controls him.”
“Controls? Marikand is no puppet. He’s a willing participant.” Neska didn’t mean for a hiss to enter her words, but they did, nonetheless.
“If you find this man…and I daresay you probably will try to…one thing to keep in mind.”
“Which is?”
“If you find yourself in a position of opportunity... don’t hesitate to do what is necessary,” he said in a voice barely above a whisper.
She felt an invisible burden lift off her shoulders, just a little bit. “Professor Serkin? When I find him, after I’m done dragging answers out of him? I’m killing the son of a bitch. For Risha, and everyone else he has hurt.”
“It matches your hair and eyes. So much green!”
Juni and Syra wouldn’t stop fawning over the new hat on their way to the dormitories, and Neska let out a trailing hiss of resignation. “I don’t know, it feels…weird…wearing it.”
“You are weird! It is a statement that you are comfortable and even proud to be weird!” Juni said, wearing a toothy grin. They had just arrived at their buildings, with low hedges planted around the perimeter and a few flower gardens bracketing the corners. “Besides, think about it this way. You always wanted a witch hat. A witch has to have a hat, just like a warrior needs a helmet!”
Neska nodded along with this suggestion. Plus, it did fit comfortably on her. She still had one small reservation. “But suppose someone sees it and recognizes the hat…if Serkin knew–”
“Cassia? I think your witch would want you to have it,” Juni insisted. Neska sighed, pushed the double doors open, and undulated inside after waiting for the other two to enter. “Just saying, I think it’ll grow on you, and so what if someone recognizes it?”
Syra ran a finger over the brim, looking enamored. “I think if our lamia is going to have a hat, she needs a robe or uniform to match! We need something more green, fitting for you.”
Her thoughts as they made their way down the hall were on the small detail that neither of them knew: the title of the Artifact, and how it was a nod to Ouroboros.
The Interface increasingly was ignoring the obvious in front of them: the Divines were a part of history, and the monsters most certainly must be aware of it. Did this mean Ouroboros was real?
Vivi…please tell me Risha didn’t totally steal the hat of the world devourer, and now I’m wearing stolen goods that a vengeful deity might want back someday?
You’re so cooked.
Neska narrowed her eyes. Did you seriously say ‘you’re so cooked’ like this is funny?
It is a little funny. Also irregular in that this is yet another mention of Ouroboros. How did this get into Risha’s possession? By Serkin's account, it is custom made by her.
She slew a divine to get the core needed to save me. Then she turned his corpse into rent money and fashion accessories. Neska frowned at that while reaching for the doorway to their room, with Syra debating fashion with Juni. Maybe it’s just the name assigned to the item? How does an item get named? It’s a custom hat.
Unknown. Deific worship is common among the people, is it not?
A lot of good it did. I hate saying Gurigea is right, but humanity might have risked its own existence through sheer arrogance and ignoring the Divines. She is correct, Arivol is just one instance where humanity sought power they shouldn't have.
She pushed the thoughts aside and rectilineated inside, feeling her serpentine body brush against the doorframe. Someone had delivered a bed sized for her, along with what looked like a small arcane heater, and brought a smile to her face. Now there's something divine: extra warmth. I don't think I'm cold-blooded because my metabolism is faster than it should be for a reptilian species, but that extra heat should be nice.
“Syra, want to join us for a bit?” Juni asked.
“I think I’m good. You guys need your own space for a bit, yeah?” she asked, wearing a proud smile. “You went through your first full day without a magical mishap or a trip to triage. I mean, a trip to triage for you.”
“Alright. How about we meet up at dinner then?” Juni glanced to the window, where the sun was dipping down, with the hour approaching late afternoon. “What do elementa eat, anyway?”
“Fish,” Syra said with a smirk. “Rice, beans…water elementa are somewhat closer to humanoid stature and diet. It really makes me wonder if…if they aren't all that dissimilar to us. Minus the whole ‘destroy humanity’ part.”
Neska shook her head. “Twice, now, in their dying moments, Varadur spoke as if of their own volition, small hints of what is going on. It’s one thing we need to research.”
“How?”
“Capture them alive. Or find defectors. But that’s a problem for another day.” Neska coiled on her bed and let out a contented sigh, flopping her back against the large pillow. “I can only really solve so many in a day, and definitely not on my own.”
“That infectious determination of yours...is that something you can add to your ‘love bites’ formula, as you call them?” Syra teased.
She groaned audibly. “It wasss a joke.” Dammit, tongue, why do you betray me? She was less than amused as Juni giggled softly in response. “Oh, not you, too. It is an antivenom injection.”
“A healer on demand, without having to stuff a potion down people’s throats,” Juni redirected, relenting on the fun. “So, what do people do on campus after classes are done?”
“Mingle. Nothing really stops us. We can also go into Rivilat, but…” She trailed off. “We can’t really go further than that, without being on assignment.”
“Is this to avoid…desertions?” Neska asked, realizing she was hinting at something important.
Syra scoffed. “Humanoids barely past maturity, almost scrawny enough to slip out of their armor, are more likely to desert. And who can blame them? We’ve been losing ground slowly but steadily. Armies are fatigued. Our neighbors across the sea have their own challenges, though not as severe as ours. We’ve all been put in the grave once, or something close to it. I would rather go down fighting than run or give another inch of ground. Yet we’re the ones treated with suspicion, and maybe begrudging respect at best.”
“So we’re not trapped here?”
“Officially, no. Unofficially, I think the academy worries about how it looks to others.”
Neska tapped her tail on the nightstand next to her, then grabbed a pen. "Well, that’s going to change. One day at a time, battle by battle. We’re going to change the perception of the people.”
Syra ruffled her damp-looking hair. “That's a tall order. We have an impossible task and no respect. But, I also didn't think you'd give Corvin as hard a time as you did during lessons. Or dive right into studies headfirst and come out swinging. So what’s next?”
Neska flipped open her book. “Just a little shopping list. Poisons, toxins, healing potions, performance enhancers, attribute boosters…are you paying attention?”
“It’s your first day,” she stated with exasperation, tugging at her hair. “Do you have any coins at all?"
"Uh..." she trailed off. "Not a coin to my name. My payment was in eggs for all the mice I got rid of before I Awakened."
Syra wrinkled her brow and rested her hand against her chin. "Why don’t we get some dinner, then try something that isn’t going to be an instant trip to the medical center, and earn Selkie’s ire again?”
“Again? There was a first time?” Juni squinted at Syra in suspicion.
“I will make you terrified of any body of water larger than a puddle for the rest of your life if you continue this line of inquiry.”
“I use mud. It’s super effective,” Juni retorted.
“What’s this idea you had in mind?” Neska asked.
Syra shrugged, twirling her hair around her finger. “Well…uh…it’s not normally my thing, but how about a trip to the library?”
Juni and Neska glanced at each other, then back at Syra in sync. “Sold.”
neeeeeeerds!
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