Icarus Awakens

The only mortal in the camp who did not wish to leave the Thormundz sat as she had for the past two weeks. Still, eyes closed, listening. Occasionally she brushed her other arm with a hand to make sure the effect on her remained active. It was tremendously mana draining, but what else did she need that for? Nothing interesting was happening now. She still listened, just in case.

“Talk is, you’re headed to Threst. We’ll get you help, alright?”

“Gerald, look at his shoulder! It’s warmer than yesterday. We should get the healer.”

“I’m, I’m sure she knows what she’s doing. Let’s not be a bother.”

Claire could picture both of the humans talking in her mind by now. One man, one woman, both old. Mid 50s, maybe. Normal, nothing to make them special besides the one they talked to. The one who couldn’t talk back.

“He’s not getting better.” The woman sighed, placing her hand on the back of the wounded Knight’s head and lifting it with some effort. “I don’t think he can hear us. Gerald-”

“We have to trust the Octyrrum, Thelma.” He placed a hand on hers, using the other to part the Knight’s lips with a waterskin. “If it was his time, he wouldn’t suffer like this.”

Why not? Claire thought to herself, numb to their hope. She didn’t wish them harm, she just didn’t consider what they were going through important or even unique. Sigron was the worst of those injured here, but he wasn’t the only one. And he had his family.

“But what will we do? Will they let us come with them?”

“I’m sure they will.”

“We’re only eating every other day now, and so many people are going to Threst. What if they want us to go with the other group?”

No, this wasn’t important. Claire mentally commanded her summoned creature away from the stretcher. It was just a bug, a small flying thing that was the most mana efficient to summon. She didn’t have much to work with these days. That would have to change. It would, she could feel it. The wall she’d run into early in her life was gone. She was advancing again, carefully, to not arouse suspicion. She wasn’t entirely free at the moment though there were no chains on her.

It was circumstance and compassion that trapped her. She thought of both with annoyance, though in a detached way. She didn’t need help, she needed clarity and could find that on her own. Instead of escaping now, she prioritized gathering information. It was hard to evade empowered senses, especially when she didn’t know who had what powers. On the other hand, who paid attention to a ladybug?

On several occasions, she’d learned something truly crucial to her goals. What waited in the mountain, the suspicions that Heldren hadn’t been the Tyrant, and even the plans for the final evacuation before they were publicly announced. All she had to occupy herself these days was listening and planning. Claire knew in a small way what she wanted was insane, impossible, or both. That didn’t matter. She would kill it, even if she had to go alone. Even if the Crest reclaimed this region and she’d have to fight through it to strike at her enemy.

There wasn’t fear in Claire when she’d considered these obstacles. There wasn’t much of anything besides the loss and the need to take something back to balance the scales. Would it be enough? Maybe. Maybe all she wanted was death, and this was her twisted way of seeking it out. Revenge or death, was that it? Is that all there is for me now? She couldn’t convince herself otherwise, and those who tried to help her had even less success. At least the battles of yesterday had given her a moment of peace. Rumor of what had happened at the lake filtered through her summon, passed on by Familiar Sense. She ignored most of it since the only people who knew about it were avoiding specifics.

Claire turned on her makeshift cot and let the noises drown themselves out. Her attention returned anytime someone mentioned dragons, otherwise, she planned for the future. Threst. It’d been one of the regions her Sojourn had traveled through, and the one they’d gotten stuck in. Unfortunately, that didn’t translate into much. Finding her old Sojourn was a good first step if she could track them down. They would understand. She and Parduc had left, but it had been for the good of the group. They were her family, if distant, and would understand her goal.

Or they wouldn’t. Or she wouldn’t find them, or she’d die on the way to Threst. There were so many things that could go wrong that it didn’t do her any good to worry. If her old Sojourn was out of the picture, she’d find others to help. Failing that, she’d become strong enough to just do it herself. And if the dragon died before she got to it?

No. It was alive, and it would stay alive. They had a bond now, whether the dragon was aware of it or not. Fated to die by the other’s hands in a Fated Confrontation. A fate that was not irresistible to manipulation, not guaranteed to come to pass, but it gave Claire the surety that her quarry wouldn’t randomly come to its end before she got her chance. It gave Claire the boldness to even consider it.

At times, rare times, Claire wondered why the fire of vengeance burned brightest in her. Everyone else wanted to escape. None of them were planning on ever coming back here. So why? Because she had nothing else? That wasn’t true. This wasn’t her being backed into a corner. The rest of the world was spread out before her.

Maybe it was insanity. Maybe what Quala told her about what she was doing was true, but the Claire of today didn’t care. There was nothing else in the world for her. This anger that wasn’t anger had given her a path to the higher reaches of this world. She had years of potential that had been souring under the simple inability for her to properly use it. If she could burn through it all at once like someone she once knew, she could reach level 3 and be a good way to level 4 assuming she didn’t care about level disparity. Claire considered the fate of the last person to face the dragon unbalanced and decided on a slower course.

She’d kill the dragon, take her vengeance, and then? Claire couldn’t see beyond that point. The road ahead of her branched limitlessly before converging to one place where it ended in a fog. That was alright. That would be enough.

Her mind went back to what her familiar was feeding her when she recognized the voices of Thomas and Quala speaking together. That was very good. The younger Cleric held nothing back when it came to his mentor and was a wealth of admittedly questionable information. She carefully guided her familiar closer, urging it to move slowly. She couldn’t see the two from her position like she had Sigron and could only hear through her familiar. Having the ability to intercept conversations was, at this point, crucial if she wanted to escape. In addition, Quala hadn’t picked up on anything other than the sullen facade she’d put up. The Cleric cared, Claire had to admit, but she did not need that kind of help.

The voices became clearer to the point she could make out words, though they were muffled. Were the two in one of the few tents? Claire sat up slightly. She didn’t hear anyone else, and if they wanted this much privacy they had to be talking about it.

“Why are you going to Threst?” The back of Claire’s head hit the canvas with disappointment. She didn’t withdraw her familiar though. Thomas sounded both surprised and a little hurt. Even if he wasn’t talking about the dragon or its master, that was the only thing that had made him agitated before. Hopefully, their conversation would turn to that topic. If not, then any discussion of travel plans would also be valuable.

There was a soft sigh. “Sigron and Murdon are the most injured and most in need of my care. Especially now that we have but a handful left. They’ll need the attention of the church and my presence will do more than gold.”

“More than vermillion, though?”

“You’re upset. Were you assuming I would take the other path?”

“I mean, yeah? You’ve got family there, just like I have. I thought it’d be nice to go back together.”

A short laugh, unmistakably from Quala. “Are you sure that’s wise, given your circumstances?”

“What, it’s not like I was exiled. Kinda the opposite. There might be trouble but I’m not too worried.”

“Aughal isn’t the kind of place where there’s trouble you don’t have to worry about. Even for those with your name.” Claire thought about that. Thomas in and of itself wasn’t an uncommon name. There were a few others in Roost’s Peak even, so she meant his last name? He’d never mentioned it in her presence, but all the same, she could guess what Quala meant. Interesting, though that fact wouldn’t help her now. “Or your secret. If anyone finds out-”

“I know, I know. Jeez, if anything’s going to tip people off it’s repeating that conversation.”

“Hmm. I suppose you are right. But I still stress, do not reveal yourself to the church until you are at least level 5. I know you have it in you to go that far, if not farther. If you can’t defend yourself from those who would exploit you then it is too soon.”

“Yeah,” Thomas sighed. “It sucks though. I’d never have to worry about money again if I could use it without the cooldown.”

“The same could be said if you remained with your family.”

“Them? Nah. I’ll check in but they don’t need me and I don’t need them. I mean, I will if…” he trailed off.

“You are conflicted?” Quala was using the same gentle examiner’s tone she used frequently on Claire, and when Thomas responded his voice was significantly disheartened.

“Yeah. I mean, it shouldn’t matter, right? Either way, we could meet back in a month or so. But where were we a month ago? How many people were alive that aren’t anymore?”

“I have no plans to die, but I will, one day. We all will, and you seem taken with the process.”

“That last time was your fault! I can’t believe you just broke my neck. It still hurts a little.”

What? That, that was something else. Could Thomas raise the dead? Her brother… No, the faint hope Claire felt left just as quickly. There was nothing left of Parduc. Still, it was good to know.

“I had to, as I explained. And you would do just as well to keep quiet about it. The point is that you can’t base your decisions on what you fear will happen. That road may lead to security, but it will also lead you to paranoia and darker things.”

“I guess. It feels like the obvious solution is to go to Aughal. The rest sound like they’re all for it. Well, except for Evalyn, but I don’t think she’d be happy either way.”

“Oh? Well, it is good you’ve found a group that will stick together.”

“I’m not hunting monsters, if that’s what you mean, but I want to keep up with them if I can. Maybe heal them if they get hurt or something, I don’t know.”

“I also imagine there’s one amongst them you are particularly keen to follow.”

“Maybe.” Claire could hear the smile in Thomas’ voice, taunting her.

“Thomas, do not take this as instruction or professional advice.” Quala’s tone turned more familiar as if she were Thomas’ nosy aunt. “You would do well to find someone you are content with for more than a few days.”

“Oh come on, I’m still young. Barely 25, and I’ll age slower now that I’m level 2.” This wasn’t helpful. She shouldn’t be listening to this.

Quala was irritated for the first time ever it seemed, though only in jest. “And what does that make me?”

“I didn’t say anything about you, Quala!”

“That’s Cleric Fulwing to you, you upstart. And mark my words, keep up at this pace and you’ll earn the wrong kind of reputation.”

“I’m a people person! I’m not worse than any Bard.”

“I wasn’t aware you’ve multiclassed. That will stunt your growth significantly.” The lightheartedness left her voice after that. “Think about it, alright? I’m aware it’s only been through my presence in the region to keep you broadly in line. I shudder to think of what will happen when you are outside my influence.”

“I didn’t say what I decided yet!”

“I know.” Quala’s voice faded as the familiar left the area. Useless. No, that secret power was worth hearing about. As a studied Arcanist Claire could guess as to its exact nature. It was the kind people would kill to know about, especially this early on when the mortal could be manipulated.

It appeared Thomas was heading in the wrong direction for her to make use of the information. Also, she wouldn’t sell him out. Claire was all too experienced with the dark side of the talent scouting practices. It was impossible not to be, having been part of a large Sojourn. Regardless of how they governed, the leadership of regions was hardly charitable towards those who frequently crossed regional boundaries en masse.

It wasn’t so much the general population as the rare classes that went with them. Popular belief held that any rare class that awakened in a region counted against a maximum, and the spot wouldn’t free up until they died. There were several in her Sojourn, including the leader who was level 6. Many would prefer to have them remain under their influence. Yes, the governing bodies of the Forlothan Kingdom could be mercenary like that.

That was part of the reason why she’d left. There’d also been the hope that the advancement block she’d run up against could be overcome in this new region. That’s why people came right? The blessings supposedly bestowed on those who braved new wilds. Experience, pardons, rising to new heights, or even just up the social ladder. She’d held onto that hope for a year but still hadn’t broken through. Then, there’d been despair. Resignation, the dying of a fire deprived of new fuel, the same way everyone who failed to overcome their wall felt. Something else had sparked when Lyander came into her life, and it wasn’t as if she’d been alone before him. Parduc had come with her, for no reasons of his own but because of their kinship.

In a way, in a terrible way, it seemed the loss of those closest to her had been what she’d needed. So long as she kept focused, kept the vengeance in her heart, she’d have the strength to push herself. She was close to level two and close to something else. The more she used Calm Nerves, the more something shifted. Claire couldn’t explain it, other than the same feeling one gets from a loose tooth in a dream close to falling out. She didn’t think it was a new power awakening, not in that sense. No, Claire could sense the passive mana flow within her shifting. Powers could disturb this, causing ripples, but at rest it was always the same.

Where she was going, and what would happen when the change reached its hidden threshold, she didn’t know. The only thing Claire knew was she was going to find out, and that all roads towards her future started with escaping her captivity.