Dual Power Destiny, ch 3

"It's definitely going to rain," muttered Tony. He stared up at the sky, his bag of books and other odds and ends he'd bought over one shoulder, covered by a water-resistant cloth Geeta had bought him. After a full day of shopping and wandering around Larien, he and Geeta were about to leave for home. The once vibrant blue sky was now a canvas of roiling gray clouds, threatening to burst at any moment. The air had grown dense with humidity, and the scent of distant rain hung heavy in the breeze. Tony could feel the first tentative drops, tiny pinpricks of cool water against his skin. Geeta, walking beside him, seemed unperturbed by the impending downpour, although her red dress already showed a few wet marks from the occasional drop.

"Think we should get something to cover our heads with?" asked Tony.

Geeta shook her head. "We should probably just hurry. The walk is long enough; we're going to get soaked either way."

"Good point." Tony quickened his pace, his eyes scanning the darkening horizon. The once bustling streets of Larien were now sparsely populated, with merchants hurriedly packing up their wares and townsfolk scurrying home, eager to escape the impending storm. The cobblestones beneath their feet were slick with the first tentative raindrops, reflecting the flickering lantern light in dancing patterns. The two of them left Larien without any other company; the cart drivers heading to Flameglen had either already gone ahead or would be along later. Tony and Geeta walked in silence, waiting for the inevitable deluge.

Meanwhile, Tony had a lot more on his mind than just the rain or even the books in his sack. He'd made several discoveries over the course of the day, slowly unraveling the mysteries of the blue screens he could see. As they walked through the farmland surrounding Larien, trying to beat the worst of the coming rain, Tony reviewed what he knew now.

In addition to the blue screens he'd already seen and could call up to his vision whenever he wished, he had a new one now. It read:

Tony Gemine Arne

Ten Mana

Zero Aura

Power level: Insignificant

Power path(s):

(Zero) Mercury Aura - Flexible System

(One) [Magic Missile], single spell - Flexible system

He'd also learned that he could expand both "Flexible Systems." The page for Mercury Aura had an empty circle at the top of a huge, inverted tree, like an intricate system of roots. Some of the "roots" connected to each other, too. The first, empty circle at the top was labeled "Power Access." None of the three circles under it were labeled.

But the page for [Magic Missile] had the first circle, "Power Access," filled in. It also read "Power Access." Beneath it, connected, were four empty circles. They were labeled "Reduced mana usage," "Plus Accuracy," "Variable Power," and "Faster Flight." The Magic Missile page also had a casting cost: five mana.

Tony couldn't deny it anymore. The entire setup reminded him of games he used to play back on Earth, in his previous life. So while he didn't know why any of this was happening to him or whether other people in this world saw screens like this, he had a much better understanding of how the system worked now. One thing he did know was that rare talent types were notoriously difficult to activate or discover. Some people who had a talent for a rare power could not learn the "generic" version, either. Even many normal people knew this.

This also explained why Tony had never been able to awaken aura before despite apparently having a rare aura power. If he'd never learned that he had a "Quicksilver Aura" talent and had never awakened it, he could have gone his entire life without ever knowing.

Suddenly, the rain began to fall just as he and Geeta left the rows of farms and entered the meadowlands. The raindrops were large and heavy, plummeting down from the darkened sky and bursting against the earth. The meadow, previously a waving sea of tall grass and wildflowers, bowed under the sudden deluge. Tony pulled his cloak tighter around him, the woolen fabric quickly becoming saturated. Beside him, Geeta did the same, her red dress darkening as it soaked up the rain.

"Well, we knew it was coming, but this stinks." Tony made a face and spat. He was suddenly reminded of a time he'd said "sucks," right after turning thirteen, and his mother had cuffed him for saying a dirty word. Pelea, his new world, did not have the same language, nor the same slang as Earth.

Geeta nodded. She'd always been more matter-of-fact about bad weather than he was. "Hopefully it'll warm tomorrow so I can dry this dress. It can soak up water like you would not believe."

"Oh, I believe you. A couple of years ago when it rained during Festival, you looked like a drowned rat. I think you were wearing that dress."

"Was I? Actually, I think you're right. Wow, I need clothes."

"Me too, but I just spent all my money on books."

The two of them laughed before trudging along, dodging the new mud puddles and generally making good time. But Geeta slowed, and Tony heard her take a breath when they grew closer to the Darkglen.

He had to admit, the rain had not made the forest look any friendlier. The trees loomed ahead, their twisted branches seeming to reach out like skeletal fingers, beckoning or warning, Tony couldn't quite decide. The rain dripped from the leaves, creating a constant patter that echoed through the forest, giving it an eerie rhythm. The usual vibrant greens of the forest were now muted under the gray sky, and the shadows between the trees seemed darker, as if hiding secrets that the daylight feared to reveal. Geeta visibly steeled herself before entering the forest but didn't say anything. Tony maintained the silence. Walking through a forest when it was raining could keep the rain off, but sometimes one's first reaction could be misleading. Instead of a constant pelting of rain, a person could be suddenly soaked when an overloaded tree branch dumped what felt like a horse trough's worth of water.

Tony crossed his arms, trying his best to stay warm. However, while the rain was bothering him, the Darkglen itself was not. Just like before, the forest felt more alive, more vibrant to him now, and something about it seemed to beckon to him. Part of him was wet and miserable, less than pleased to be following the cobblestone path through the dark forest, but he couldn't deny a sense of peace, either.

Tony's senses heightened as they ventured deeper into Darkglen. The rain's rhythm against the canopy above became a symphony, each drop echoing like a distant drum. The smell of wet earth and leaves filled his nostrils, a strangely comforting scent that made him feel more connected to his surroundings. He uncrossed his arms, letting his hands swing freely at his sides, his earlier discomfort fading. This is weird, he thought. Almost out of nervous reflex, he called up his system screens and tried to remember what he knew of the [Magic Missile] spell.

"Hey Geeta," he said softly. "Isn't [Magic Missile] kind of trash?"

"You mean the spell? That's random." Geeta thought for a moment before nodding. "Pretty much, yes. At least based on what I know. Some rare powers might make it good, but I think it's usually considered dangerous and unreliable."

"Huh," Tony murmured, his brow furrowing as he walked, the cobblestones beneath his feet slick and shiny from the rain. "Dangerous and unreliable. Sounds about right."

"It's a starter spell, nothing more. Takes up a lot of mana, and most mages can't hit the broad side of a barn with it. There are much better spells, so there isn't much point in really getting good with it." She giggled in self-deprecation. "At least I've read so."

"Yeah, I think I got the same information from the same book that you did. You loaned it to me." Geeta nodded without much interest; she seemed to have gone back to focusing on keeping the rain out of her clothing.

Meanwhile, after a minute or so, Tony's hand moved to his belt knife again, almost of its own accord. Something felt different, off. But he didn't think it was the forest itself. Instead, it was almost like the forest had changed. He knew he had to be imagining things, but it felt like the forest was rejecting something, something ahead.

Tony's heart quickened as he tried to rationalize the peculiar sensation. The forest, once welcoming with its earthy scent and rhythmic rain, now seemed to bristle with an uncanny tension. He squinted ahead, his eyes straining to pierce the veil of rain and dense foliage. The trees seemed to huddle closer, their branches intertwining overhead like whispered secrets.

He slowed. "Geeta."

"I was really, really hoping you weren't going to say anything. This place is bad enough, but it started feeling creepier. Please tell me it's just me."

"It's just you," said Tony.

"Really?"

"No." Tony's grip tightened on his belt knife as he scanned the path ahead, his senses tingling with an inexplicable wariness. The rain seemed to have slowed, but the air was thick with a palpable tension that hadn't been there before. "Something's not right," he muttered, more to himself than to Geeta.

Geeta hugged her arms around herself. "You're a blacksmith apprentice. Want to go back in time and give me a sword? Even if just to make me feel better?"

"Sure, I'll do it for you if you do it for me at the same time."

Geeta's chuckle was hollow. She said, "Today was fun, but I just want to be home now." She seemed to hesitate. "I didn't know how or when to tell you this, but, the hell with it. Why not in the creepy forest?"

"What are you talking about?"

"I swear I wasn't trying to hide anything, Tony, but I just thought it'd be more fun to say something near Festival and have a proper celebration." Her words came out all at once.

"Huh?"

"The truth is," she said, hesitating, "I actually awakened magic. I'm technically a mage, and I can even do three spells!" She smiled, but the expression didn't look very happy. Instead, her eyes kept darting ahead.

Tony stopped in his tracks, his eyes widening in surprise. "You're a mage?" he echoed, his voice barely audible over the patter of raindrops on the leaves above. His mind raced, trying to process this revelation. He had always known Geeta was curious about magic; he'd even felt fairly certain that she could become one eventually, but he had never suspected she had actually awakened her mana already.

Geeta nodded, her arms still wrapped tightly around herself.

"What spells do you know?" Tony asked, his curiosity piqued despite the unsettling atmosphere of the forest. He turned to face Geeta, momentarily forgetting the strange tension that had gripped him just moments ago.

Geeta bit her lip, looking both proud and nervous. "Well, one is just a simple light spell. It creates a small orb of light that floats near me." She rubbed her arms with her hands. "I also know [Mage Armor], but it's super weak. And I know [Magic Missile]."

"That's amazing!"

"Not really. I can only cast three spells a day, and they're all weak, and I'm terrible."

"But it's still amazing! You're a mage!"

"Yeah, I guess. And that's probably why the book didn't work for me. I know a little bit of Old Tongue too, not as much as you, but some. For me, I could feel the book was special, but...it didn't do anything."

"Wait a second, did you bring me the book hoping that it might do something for me?" Tony's eyes narrowed as he regarded Geeta, the pieces clicking into place. "You did, didn't you?" he asked, his voice quiet. The rain had slowed to a drizzle, but the air was still thick with moisture and the strange tension that had been present earlier.

Geeta looked away, her cheeks flushing. "I just... I thought it might work for you. You have this... presence, Tony."

He didn't know how to respond to that.

"Presence?" Tony echoed, his brow furrowing in confusion. The word felt strange on his tongue, as if it didn't quite belong in their world of iron and fire. The rain had tapered off to a soft patter, the drizzle creating a steady rhythm on the canopy above.

Geeta nodded, her eyes still avoiding his gaze. "Yes, it's like... a destiny around you."

Tony didn't know what she was talking about and wondered if it had something to do with his reincarnator status and his strong soul, noted in the blue screens. But before he could ask any more questions, a sound echoed through the Darkglen, reverberating down the winding cobblestone path.

Tony's head whipped around, and he strained to see until he caught a glimpse of a shadow in the gloom. It made his hackles rise, and it was getting closer.

"Geeta, get behind me!"