[Severed Divinity] 87. Course of Action

Fourth clade practically dragged Isen to the scroll, pushing past the other cultivators swarming the official updates. They were roaring and screaming, which seemed a bit much given how little time Isen had actually been in the clade.

Their ardent enthusiasm made it impossible not to smile. His chest felt warm, and for a moment, he felt like he belonged. It was such an unexpected, powerful emotion. He felt his eyes water slightly. He blinked the feeling away, composing himself as they reached Jorin.

Jorin peered down at fourth clade. “Awfully excited, aren’t we?” They were surrounded by older clan cultivators who regarded them with a mix of amused smiles and baffled stares.

“He’s a B!” Lona exclaimed, shouting to be heard over the clamor of the other cultivators. “B!”

Fourth clade started to chant “B” over and over again. The other cultivators also joined in, marking Isen’s unfamiliar face as the young B-ranked prodigy.

Freyan cleared her throat and assumed a leading role, walking up to Jorin and locating Isen’s name. “Isen. B127. Eight rings! Body, C! Meridians, B! The youngest B-rank in clan history!” She paused after saying the last line. “Right?”

The crush of cultivators, now all focused on Freyan’s proclamation, muttered vague sounds of agreement.

“He is,” Jorin finally added, his face expressionless.

“That means we’re the most powerful fourth clade ever!” Freyan called out, her eyes shining.

Nobody in fourth clade bothered to look at their own ranks. Instead, they tugged Isen away and pushed past the crowd, sprinting from the main ring. They unleashed techniques into the empty streets, jumped and cartwheeled and mock fought each other, their energy boundless.

They’re really just happy, for me, Isen thought. It was as though Isen’s victory—if being B-ranked counted as one—was also theirs.

He tried to ignore the voice in his head that whispered, They only know the smallest, fakest part of you. You’re not one of them. Never will be. Never could be. And when they see how different you really are, they’ll leave you.

He plastered a smile on his face and went along with the clade, but each minute in their presence grew increasingly difficult to bear. He wanted to go.

Rescue came unexpectedly. “Isen,” Jorin said, “there’s something we need to discuss.”

Isen turned to the members of fourth clade who had noticed Jorin’s approach. “I’ll catch up later.”

They waved as he followed Jorin in the opposite direction, toward the forest path that passed by the archery range and ended at Welco’s mansion. The warrior slipped into a brisk jog, one that Isen matched without difficulty. Eventually, they reached a small meadow past a thick copse of trees.

Jorin sat down on a large boulder by a fallen tree. Isen found a seat on the ground, leaning against a moss-covered trunk. Off in the distance, the white walls of the gorge cradled the sky, practically glowing in the sunlight.

For a minute, they just sat in silence.

“When Allezin brought you in last night, I thought you were merely caught in the crossfire when Welco was attacked, unlucky and uninvolved. But you seem to know more than I do.” Jorin paused. “How did you get involved in this mess?”

“At Shevenar,” he replied. “That’s where I met Allezin.”

“How, not when or where. You’re thirteen, Isen, and while you’re barely B-ranked, that’s not enough to compete on the playing field Welco and Allezin operate on. It’s incredibly dangerous.”

Isen fiddled with a stalk of grass, peeling it with his fingers. The grass in the elven lands was so green, so healthy compared to that around Goldbounty.

“Why did Welco really bring you into the clan?” Jorin continued.

“Because he promised Allezin he’d keep me safe.”

“Then why are you involved? Why do Allezin and Welco both insist on your presence?”

Isen leaned back and gazed at the sky, half obscured by sun-limned leaves. “I’m thirteen, Jorin, but I’m not a child. I’m involved because they need me.”

“Isen...”

“You think I’m full of myself,” Isen stated. “You said B-ranked isn’t enough to play the game. I think you’re looking at it wrong, though. Welco trusts you not just because you’re strong, but because you’re intelligent.”

“What can you offer them?”

Isen stood and ignored the question, headed for Welco’s mansion.

***

Allezin sat at a table in the parlor room, facing the green hearth. He stared into space, wondering how Lumina would contact them. She should be conscious by now—unless they’d underestimated the effect of the pills on Mira’s body, or the severity of the damage.

Suddenly, Welco strode into the room, his long, dark sleeves fluttering behind him. “Long time no see,” he said. He slid into a seat opposite Allezin and leaned back in the chair, his blond hair curling against his shoulders.

“Should I get Isen?” Allezin asked.

“Ah-ah,” Welco replied. “Let’s watch, first.”

Allezin raised an eyebrow, but his confusion turned to interest as a shadowy blob manifested between the mage’s hands. Parts of it melted and oozed, while others covered the mage’s fingers like dark fuzz. After a few moments, the scene came into focus, a monochrome tableau that revealed Isen and Jorin.

Allezin’s eyes were glued to the shadowy manifestation as the figures came to life, even their speech replicated by Welco’s magic. The shadow mage definitely wasn’t the most powerful in a direct fight, but damned if Allezin didn’t appreciate the man’s utility.

There was a reason why Welco was so involved in the current events where the other clans weren’t. How would a tier three fire mage like Yura Corasin even realize the shadowy dealings afoot? None of her cultivators or mages would be magically disposed to covert operations, even if some were trained to perform such tasks. Moreover, there was little she could offer a force like Dray. They didn’t need a fire mage’s raw power, but they benefited from a shadow mage’s utility and information-gathering skills.

Kelsina entered the room a minute later, her arms full of pillows. She frowned and looked over her shoulder as she slid her load onto the divan and divvied up the pillows onto seats.

They all watched the exchange silently until Welco couldn’t take it anymore. “‘I’m thirteen, Jorin, but I’m not a child,’” he repeated in a poor impression of Isen. “He said it himself!”

“I don’t think he means that literally,” Allezin said.

As they watched the conversation’s conclusion, Welco shook his head. “He’s doing it again, not acting his age. More proof. You’re letting your eyes blind you.”

Allezin grunted. “They’re coming.” He looked to Kelsina, who was leaning against the wall. “Do you want her to stay?”

Welco pulled a lock of hair behind his ear. “Yes. At this point, I’m not worried about the enemy capturing and interrogating my cultivators. The time for secrecy is over. ”

Allezin had reached a similar conclusion, and didn’t protest.

“How is Isen involved?” Kelsina asked.

“You missed the beginning, but Jorin asked almost the same question.” Welco patted the seat to his left. “Come, sit.”

Silence filled the following minutes until they heard the opening of the front door. Soon after, Jorin and Isen entered the room, led by one of Welco’s shadow puppets. Jorin sat on Welco’s right, while Isen took the seat next to Allezin.

“I’m glad to see you’re awake, patriarch,” Isen said.

Welco glanced at Allezin. “You never said you were happy to see me awake.”

Allezin choked back a snort. “I could say the same.”

“Anyway... I think it’s time we get down to business,” Welco said. “Is there news on Mira’s condition?”

Allezin’s response was succinct. “No.”

Welco smiled. “Did I mishear you? No?”

“I don’t even know Mira’s location. It’s possible she’s with the Corasin Clan, but I doubt it. Too obvious.”

“... Corasin Clan?” Isen said.

“Mira’s flame bearer is the Corasin clan leader,” Allezin explained. “They’ve been working closely with us the past week.”

“Allezin, you never mentioned the Corasins were involved. And what do you mean by ‘flame bearer’?”

“How secure is this building?”

Welco rolled his eyes. “There’s nowhere more secure that I, or you, have access to.”

Allezin looked at Isen. “Do you... feel anything ominous?”

The teen shook his head. “No.”

It was funny how Isen’s words gave him palpable relief. “Okay. Allow me to offer more context. Lumina Eldrassin died.” He faced Jorin and Kelsina. “I’m not sure how much Welco has told you both, but the queen left behind an enticing legacy, one of particular interest to tier four cultivators.”

“They are aware that the tier fours are after the queen’s legacy hidden in the palace,” Welco interjected, gesturing to Kelsina and Jorin.

“Due to mysterious circumstances”—Allezin glanced at Isen—“the queen came back to life by possessing the body of a half elf girl named Mira.” He waited to gauge their reactions. Jorin, Kelsina, and Welco had lived in the world of magic for a long time from a human’s frame of reference. Still, he couldn’t help but think of them as novices. He’d long since reached the peak of tier three when Welco was an infant.

Throughout his life, Allezin had encountered bizarre magics that defied common sense. Lumina’s resurrection had been shocking, but he’d rolled with it. Some strange magics were better left unquestioned by cultivators of a lower stage.

“Resurrection?” Welco repeated. “But in a child’s body?”

Allezin was loath to let others know Lumina’s secret—and her vulnerability—but not informing them might lead to disaster down the line. Besides, Welco had a serious interest in Lumina’s survival. “Yes—it’s a possession, not a true resurrection as herself. It comes with two known limitations. She must be close to a fire bearing her divine spark at all times, which is why she’s with Corasin. She also suspects that she cannot fully lose consciousness, whether that be from sleep or grievous injuries, or she’ll be forced from Mira’s body.”

“Is that all?” Welco asked.

Isen and Allezin shared a look. “Yes,” the warrior replied.

“Hah.” Welco leaned back and slapped his hands on the table. “Hahahaha! This is... insane. Impossible.”

Allezin sighed. “You saw the queen’s power come from the girl’s body, didn’t you?”

“It’s like no magic I’ve ever heard of...” He trailed off, his eyes landing on Isen. “So... what is the queen’s plan? Was her plan?”

“It was never very complicated. Take her legacy—hidden in the palace—and bring it out of the city.”

The mage’s face darkened. “Bring it out of the city? That’s it?”

“She has a destination in mind, one she hasn’t told me,” Allezin said. “We’ll need to wait for her to wake.”

“I thought you said she couldn’t sleep,” Kelsina interjected.

Allezin bobbed his head. “She’s technically conscious, if only barely.”

“Do you have a plan for if she doesn’t recover soon?” Welco asked.

Allezin just stared at him. What kind of contingency could there be? They were dealing with three tier fours now. Without Lumina, they lacked the strength to protect the prototypes.

The mage chuckled, disbelief written on his features. “Sounds like you don’t.” He sighed. “Alright. Isen.”

Isen jerked in place, peering at the patriarch.

“I don’t want this to sound like an interrogation, but we need to understand what you did and what you can do.” Welco smiled and extended his hands in an encompassing gesture. “Let me explain what I’m talking about, for those who weren’t there.”

Allezin listened as Welco explained what he’d experienced in the queen’s palace. Shadows conjured the corridors of the labyrinth and depicted their trio racing through and stopping before encountering the tier four.

“Anything I missed?” Welco asked, giving Allezin a look.

The warrior shook his head.

Welco regarded his elites. They both wore serious, perplexed expressions, though neither asked questions. Probably because they didn’t know where to start.

Isen’s eyes flicked between everyone present. His lone gold eye glinted in the light as he shifted his head, working his jaw. “I can sense opportunity and danger.”

Welco blinked. “Is that an active ability, or a passive one?”

“Passive. It’s like a sixth sense.”

Allezin struggled not to frown. He’d seen Isen in action, and he found the teen’s explanation incredulous. “How does sensing opportunity and danger allow you to rapidly navigate a maze?”

“It helps if there’s an opportunity—or danger—within it.”

Welco held up a finger. “And how much control do you have over it?”

“None.”

Allezin’s found that hard to believe, not with how skilled Isen had been at navigating and then handling the tier four. “How accurate is it?”

“Accurate?”

“If there’s a danger present, how often will you successfully detect it?”

“Always, but how much time I have to react can differ a lot.”

It almost sounded like a seeker mutation. Seekers were as rare as tier threes, if not rarer. Allezin had never actually met one.

What Isen could do seemed remarkable, but it also was less generally useful than a proper seeker. If Allezin understood correctly, Isen would probably function well in any role that regularly benefited from detecting danger, like a sovereign’s personal guard or even on a party expeditioning into forbidden zones. Also for something like treasure hunting, which also lended itself well to forbidden zone exploration.

“If I ask you a question, like, ‘should we wait for the queen to wake before moving,’ would your ability give you insights on the best course of action?” Allezin asked.

Isen shrugged.

“Should we wait for the queen to wake?” Allezin stated, this time properly asking the question.

Isen shrugged again, then looked at Welco. “I think you should evacuate the clan, though.”

The patriarch’s eyes narrowed. “Is that your ability talking?”

“I’m not sure.”

“What do you mean by that?” Welco said. “Can’t you tell?”

“Usually not,” Isen admitted. “I didn’t fully understand it was a real ability—more than just being lucky or smart or perceptive—until a year ago.”

So, what, if Isen did something, it could, potentially be because of his mystical power, and there was no way to know for sure? Relying on anything so fickle, or at least so poorly understood, was reckless.

We might not have a choice, in the end.

“Evacuate the clan,” Welco echoed. “We can do that now, but we’ll be committing to our course. Once we fully evacuate, the other clans will notice. Jorin, Kelsina, what do you both think?”

“With a tier four already in the city... I’d prefer to go immediately,” Jorin said, giving Isen an inscrutable look.

“I’ll go with whatever you feel is best, patriarch,” Kelsina replied.

Welco’s eyes bored into Allezin’s. “And you?”

Clan Femera’s business wasn’t really his problem. “What does evacuation entail?”

“Jorin and Kelsina, assisted by my shadow puppets, will lead my clan out of the city. You won’t need to do anything.”

Allezin nodded. “I have no complaints, then.” He paused. “If you’re evacuating now... What will we do?”

“Find the queen, of course,” Welco said. “After all, we have our own little off-brand seeker.”

Isen’s expression darkened. “I’m not a seeker.”

Welco’s smile was fox-like. “I know.”

Allezin felt a headache coming on. “What if he’s unable to locate the queen?”

“Then, nothing. Doesn’t matter if we’re out looking for her or staying put—either we’ll find her first, or she’ll contact us when she’s aware.” He clapped his hands together. “But first, let’s get Isen some proper equipment.”