[Severed Divinity] 85. Brittle Trust

For a solid minute, Isen stood blankly in his mostly-empty room, all thoughts evaporating. Then, he forced himself to put away his few possessions.

Everything aside from his bow, which was too awkward a shape, fit in a single box.

Despite his promise to Jorin, he was tempted to cultivate, but the pain in his shoulder meridians made him hesitate. It was probably best to hold off on cycling unless he really needed to.

He could read the pill primer, or go through his still unreturned library books on the elven language...

“Isen,” Arthum said, his hand on the empty doorframe. “I thought I saw you here.”

Isen started, then gave a small wave, unsure how to act after his cold treatment the day before.

Arthum also seemed a bit awkward. He scratched his temple, then continued, “I know it’s your first rank day. I can bring you to where some fourth clade people are.”

“Sure,” Isen forced himself to say.

They ended up outside a square building whose exposed interior looked like an inverted pyramid. It was an extremely weird design to the extent that Isen was surprised it was permitted.

He recognized a few people from fourth clade there, some with their parents, some alone. There were even some siblings hanging around.

Freyan was notably absent.

Upon seeing his arrival, everyone in fourth clade swarmed to meet him, putting him off guard. His muscles tensed imperceptibly, and he tried not to let his discomfort and confusion show.

“Isen!” Lona called, tugging a set of parents behind her. Two half elven women, one who was the spitting image of Lona with a petite frame and olive skin, beamed down at him. “We were wondering where you were.”

“... Training,” he said. “I didn’t realize rank day was such an event.”

In the background, he heard other conversations.

“He joined the clan last rest day,” a boy explained to his younger sister, “and he’s already the strongest cultivator in our clade.”

“The patriarch recruited him personally.”

“He doesn’t know anything about elven history. It’s because he’s actually a human!”

Isen filtered them out. While Lona launched into a short introduction of her parents, something caught Isen’s eye in the distance, peeking out from behind one of the exposed buildings. A disturbance in the ambient energy, otherwise imperceptible.

There was only one person it could be.

***

Before he could talk himself out of it, Allezin opened the bedroom window and dropped to the grass. He stalked into the forest and focused on the conversation between Isen and Jorin.

He watched the boy dress himself, for the first time really looking at his body. Allezin almost doubted his eyes as he beheld Isen’s form. The teen was covered in scars, an obscene amount. Most injuries healed without scars at the second tier. That meant most of those had been sustained as a mortal or at the first.

He wondered if Isen had been tortured.

Soon, Isen had fully clothed himself and moved to equip his belt. Isen didn’t seem to notice that Allezin had unsheathed the divine blade, which was good.

After dressing, Isen sparred with the older cultivator. Nothing about the practice seemed remarkable. Isen came at Jorin deliberately, with large gaps between strikes. He didn’t rush. Allezin had seen similar focus from Isen back on the road. How else could he learn the elven language in a handful of days? He’d practiced constantly and with that same deliberateness, absorbing every word.

Isen was a talented young man, possibly a savante... But that didn’t explain in the slightest what he’d done in the queen’s palace.

After half an hour, they stopped and headed away from Welco’s mansion, toward the clan proper. Allezin followed them from the forest, confident in his natural stealth skills. As he neared the residential area, Allezin’s surprise mirrored Isen’s. Since it was “rank day,” the buildings were skeletal, their spindly supports uncovered and walls missing.

It was bizarre. He wondered if Femera clan members ever worried about theft or stray dust clouds.

Following Isen into the clan would be difficult without reactivating his armor’s invisibility. He was loath to do so—it leeched an unreasonable amount of energy. Still, he could afford the cost, especially when Clan Femera had a cultivation cave a short walk away.

Isen would probably see through the invisibility, but at least it would hide him from the others.

Allezin tailed Isen from afar, sheltering behind what building supports remained and avoiding passersby. And there were a lot of passersby. Everyone was out for the holiday, whether they liked it or not. There was no privacy. Allezin wasn’t even sure where people could go to relieve themselves.

When a teenaged half elf boy found Isen and brought him to a larger group, Allezin moved in a bit closer.

Isen chose that moment to look up. Because of course he did. He said a few placating words and disengaged, saying he needed to take care of something before walking in Allezin’s direction.

Sighing softly, Allezin left the shadow of the building and headed for one of the larger structures with thicker supports. Isen trailed about fifty feet behind him.

Allezin stopped when he was confident the pillar concealed him. Isen joined soon after, his face grim. “Good morning,” he said.

“You’re looking better,” the tier three acknowledged.

Before he could ask any follow up questions, Isen spoke, his words coming out in a rush. “What happened after I passed out?”

Allezin frowned beneath his helmet. “Violet-eyes escaped, injured. Me and Mira retained consciousness. She’s with her flame bearer.”

Isen’s eyes shone with relief, though his brow furrowed. “Is there a plan?”

“We wait for Mira to recuperate from overexertion. Should take a few hours.”

“What about violet-eyes?” Isen asked, his voice low.

“Heavily injured. Shouldn’t be a concern until tomorrow.”

“Why are we waiting, then? We should be getting everyone out.” Isen gestured to the half elves socializing beyond their shadowed cleft.

“It’s Welco’s clan,” Allezin stated. “Beyond our authority and equally beyond our responsibility. If we succeed in our endeavors, evacuating shouldn’t be necessary at all.”

“I guess.”

“Do you have anything you want to say, regarding what happened?” Allezin asked.

“Do you have any questions?”

Allezin worked his jaw. What a ridiculous response. “How did you do it?”

“Do what?”

Allezin chuckled humorlessly. “You know exactly what I’m referring to.”

“This isn’t the place or time,” Isen replied. “I assume I’ll have to explain to Welco too, and probably the queen. I’d prefer not to repeat myself.”

“Can I trust you?” Allezin cut in. He removed his helmet and deactivated the invisibility. “Look at me. I followed you in the palace because there was no other option. You can do things that shouldn’t be possible, things I can’t even describe.” And that went without mentioning the divine dagger. “What am I supposed to do with you?”

Isen took a shuddered breath. He met Allezin’s gaze, one mundane brown eye, one ringed by vibrant gold. “I am thirteen, maybe fourteen. I had never heard of cultivation until a year ago, and didn’t know elves existed until last month. ” Isen swallowed. “I don’t understand what I can do, either.”

Allezin clenched his jaw. He wanted to believe, but it was impossible given how easily Isen slipped between different roles. “Are you telling me this because it’s what you want me to hear, or because it’s true?” He shook his head. “I could play along, but that would be dishonest, and run contrary to my path. I can’t trust you.” He narrowed his eyes. “I want to.”

“I don’t blame you,” Isen murmured. “I don’t even trust myself.”

Something about the dismissive delivery of the words hit Allezin especially hard. It was so bitter, so frustrated.

There was one thing Allezin was fairly certain Isen couldn’t fake, and that was his age. Implications of being an orphan, the scars, Isen’s combat experience, and his words now all painted a bleak, sympathy-inducing picture.

Gods DAMN it, Allezin thought. This was why he didn’t like children.

Suddenly, a muffled sneeze rang out. Allezin and Isen’s eyes snapped to the large, dark support. Someone had been listening to them?

Allezin went back over the conversation. Nothing they’d said was overly sensitive, but it was better to be safe than sorry. He activated his invisibility and jumped into the wall-less building. Sure enough, pressed against the inside of the support pillar was a huddled form.

Allezin snatched the person up into a princess carry, eliciting a small squeak as he carried his quarry outside, dropping to the ground.

Isen froze. “Freyan?”

The elven girl jerked backwards into Allezin’s chest. He set her down, frowning as she spun, her chest heaving.

“Who are you?” she asked, her eyes full frantic as she faced Allezin. “How do you know Isen and the patriarch?”

“Keep your voice down. I’m an ally of Welco’s,” Allezin answered, considering the girl’s appearance. She looked to be around Isen’s age. He almost wanted to ask her how she’d seen him—after all, his invisibility should confound most cultivators’ eye enhancement techniques—before it hit him.

She hadn’t been following him. She’d been watching the group of similarly-aged teens from afar. The building he’d plucked her from did provide a good vantage point, which was why Allezin had skulked there in the first place.

“But how do you know him?” she repeated in a hushed tone, pointing at Isen.

Allezin cocked his head. “Happenstance.” Technically true.

“You were talking about... getting people out of the city. Like the mages. Are we in danger?”

“No,” Allezin said. Not yet, anyway.

“Yes,” Isen whispered.

They looked at each other. “Are you trying to cause trouble?” Allezin muttered.

“I’m trying to prevent trouble.”

Allezin slapped a hand to his face. “How will telling your girlfriend anything help matters?”

Isen rolled his eyes. Freyan, meanwhile, turned bright red.

Oh my, Allezin thought. Did I stumble onto teenage drama?

Isen faced Freyan. “You can keep a secret, right?”

She nodded. Internally, Allezin groaned. This didn’t bode well.

“Welco’s friend is here to help evacuate the clan. There’s rumors of multiple tier fours converging on the city, looking for something. It doesn’t matter if it’s true—it’s better to be safe than sorry, right?”

“... Right.”

Isen smiled. “There’s no need to break the news to everyone this early on rank day. Welco will probably tell everyone tonight.”

She looked mollified. “I guess that makes sense. But what else were you talking about? A palace?”

“Personal business,” Isen said.

She suddenly turned ashen. “Wait... a friend of Welco’s...” She looked at Allezin. “You’re... tier three?”

Allezin tipped his head.

Freyan squeezed her eyes shut and bowed her head. “I’ve spoken rudely.” She glanced at Isen under her eyelashes. “You talked to him like he’s the same tier as us!” she hissed.

Isen scratched the back of his head. “Don’t mind Allezin. He’s pretty casual.”

Her jaw dropped. “Allezin? The Wanderer?”

“I told you I traveled with him before joining Clan Femera,” Isen stated.

“But...”

Allezin’s internal groaning intensified.

Freyan’s eyes watered. “Isen, who even are you? Is it fun pretending to be a newbie?” She shot him a disbelieving look, then fled.

Isen stared uncomprehendingly at the spot she’d vacated.

Allezin cleared his throat. “Will she actually keep quiet?”

“I don’t know. Letting her go doesn’t really matter, though. Won’t change things.”

Allezin squinted. “What are you doing, predicting the future?”

Isen smiled. “I don’t know, Allezin. You tell me.”

The warrior scoffed. “Are you naturally this contrarian?”

Isen shrugged. “Maybe if I annoy you enough, you’ll go away and wake up Welco. On a different subject, how will you know when Mira is ready?”

“She’ll make herself known.”

“Really? That’s all you’ll tell me?”

“I don’t know either,” Allezin replied sharply, his hushed tone oozing frustration. “You’re not the only one in the dark.”

Isen’s eyebrows rose. “Oh.”

“I’m going to cultivate,” Allezin muttered. “I have a feeling I’ll need to be in peak condition tonight. For the love of everything, stay out of trouble.”