The door to Brigaseta’s cottage creaked open as the elder opened it, revealing her aged features to Diven and Belilamos. Her eyes scanned the hunter and the boy and she said, “You’re not bringing that artigoat carcass into my house.”
Stunned for a moment, Belilamos struggled to answer, “Oh—yes, sorry about that.”
“Go put it where it belongs,” Brigaseta ordered. “And fetch Theaphilia, she will be needed here.”
Belilamos acquiesced, bade farewell to Diven, and left.
(Just like that, we’re alone in the hands of the most powerful person in the village.)
Div didn’t bother responding to En’s whining. The latter had been grumpy since leaving the rift. For good reasons, but it was starting to weigh on Div’s nerves.
“So, what’s your name?” Elder Brigaseta asked in perfect Ameian.
“You speak Ameian?” Diven blurted out, neither Div nor En believing their ears.
“Of course I do. For someone in my position, it’s a necessity. But you haven’t answered my question.”
“My name is Diven.”
“No clan?”
“Leios, but I was exiled,” Diven said.
“Well, Diven, why don’t you come inside?” Brigaseta said.
Diven followed the village’s leader into her house. It was cozy, though a bit sparse. A few chairs, a table, and a chimney with embers warming up the place.
Brigaseta directed Diven to sit down in front of her.
“I’m guessing you’ve been exiled from Kheiron because of your bloodline,” she went straight to the point.
“How did you know?”
“It’s common knowledge among the villages along the Lien River. With your Rot Heart bloodline, it’s a simple matter of connecting dots,” Brigaseta said.
Div and En paused. Their bloodline was already exposed.
Seeing the effect her revelation had on Diven, she continued. “Don’t worry, we are much more open-minded here. A rot-attunement is not a problem. For all the power they wield, Ameians are rather foolish sometimes.”
“You don’t find rot disgusting?” Diven asked.
“Of course it’s disgusting. But it's irrelevant. You’re not physically rotting–only your skills and spells carry rot,” she said, waving off his concerns. “Your attunement isn’t what matters—it’s how you use it. Do you think my own magic is not dangerous? It can be. But since I use it correctly, my friends don’t have to be afraid of me.”
[See, she agrees with me.]
(You’ve never said that. You’re not eloquent enough.)
[Well I was thinking it, and we share the same head so you should know.]
(I’m not saying she’s wrong, but I still don’t like rot.)
Brigaseta was silent while Div and En debated the issue. She could tell the boy was struggling to make sense of what she’d just said.
“So, you don’t have a problem with me?” Diven asked.
“Not so fast. I don’t have a problem with your rot attunement. Your mind skill, however…”
“You can see my skills too?” Diven asked.
“It seems your education is lacking,” Brigaseta said. “Yes, I can see your skills. Everyone in the village can. Well, the adults can.”
“How?”
“We’ll go over that later. Maybe I’ll ask Thea to teach you. Yes, this might be the best solution,” Brigaseta mused. “Anyway, your mind skill, and your personality; those are the things I need to vet before I allow you to stay with us permanently.”
“I didn’t say I wanted to stay,” Diven said.
(Why did we say that? Are we stupid? Even if we’re not sure, we shouldn’t close the door like that.)
[We are not that bright. When you think about it, it’s a miracle we’ve made it this far.]
“Do you not want to stay with us?” Brigaseta asked, surprised. “You don’t have to. But as I understand it, you have nowhere else to go.”
“Sorry. I’d like the chance to stay.” Div and En corrected sheepishly.
Silence settled over the room. Div and En’s gaze wandered from the elder to a pot of water sitting by the fire. It was made of metal, but they were not knowledgeable enough to figure out which one it was. It was simple, without ornaments. The whole house seemed unfit to house an Ascended Rank powerhouse. Compared to the elders of the Leios clan… Compared to even Uncle Basil’s villa… No, even Diven’s home was more ornate.
“It seems I forgot to offer you a refreshment,” Brigaseta broke the silence. “At my age, I should know better. Would you like an infusion?”
Div and En didn’t refuse. They were curious about what the barbarians drank. Though, calling them barbarians was starting to feel rude.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.
[Camboacian?]
(That works.)
They were curious about what the Cambacians drank. Brigaseta stood up and fetched a cup which she plunged into the pot Div and En had noticed earlier. Then, she handed it to him.
Div and En's hands wrapped around the cup. “It’s hot. How?”
The pot wasn’t on the fire.
“Benefits of being old and powerful. Go on, drink.”
Div and En brought the concoction to their mouth. It smelled of herbs. Once again, they had no idea which ones, but it was unfamiliar. At least, those herbs were not used in Kheironite cuisine.
It was hot.
Hotter than they were comfortable with. When the liquid touched their lips, Div and En flinched. They put the cup down.
Brigaseta looked into Diven’s eyes, a smile tugging at her lips. “It will not cool down. Drink it.”
Div and En gulped, then licked their lips to calm the burn. They couldn’t refuse an order from an Ascended Rank.
[Let’s do it.]
(It’s hot. It will not be pleasant, but it will not kill us. Let’s do it.)
Gathering their strength, Div and En took a single deep breath, counted to three, and raised the cup to their lips. Without giving themselves the time to process the heat, they downed the entire contents in one gulp.
“You didn’t have to go this far…” Brigaseta sighed.
Div and En were panting as the warm liquid spread inside their body. It wasn’t cooling down.
“You know, this kind of beverage is best sipped slowly. I made it specifically so people could stay warm during the colder months. The effect is going to last for a while.”
“What?” Diven blurted.
[Ugh.]
(We’re definitely not the sharpest.)
“Well, it’s not going to hurt you, but it may be slightly uncomfortable,” Brigaseta laughed.
To Div and En, it felt like their body was cooking from the inside out. Sweat dripped down their forehead. Not that it mattered, even after the involuntary swim he took when leaving the rift, he was still covered in grime. He just didn’t have time for hygiene when rift monsters were chasing after him.
“You talked about my mind skill,” Div and En tried to change the subject. They didn’t want Brigaseta to make fun of them more than was needed.
“Yes. Theaphilia is the expert, she will know more than I do,” Brigaseta said, turning serious. “But as you’ve no doubt noticed, mind skills can be dangerous. For other people, it’s not necessarily worse than other types of skills. The true danger is for the mind skill user.”
“I see,” Diven nodded.
Although Div and En were happy to exist, they had to admit that picking up Sundered Mind had not done Diven any favor. In reality, he was gone. Diven Leios, the boy who dreamed of regaining his parents’ honor, that person was no more. Now there was Div and En.
“Every skill has an effect on you. But a skill affecting its owner's mind… I would tell you more, but we’d better wait for Thea to arrive.”
Div and En nodded. The elder’s words were alarming.
[But, ultimately, we already know we’re not exactly in an ideal position. Maybe they can help us see a path forward.]
(I hope so. But don’t get your hopes too high.)
[You were literally ready to subject yourself to the guardians' crazy ritual.]
(And my hopes were crushed. I know what I’m talking about.)
“How are you finding the ‘Wildlands’ so far?” Brigaseta asked.
Div and En were at a loss. What did she mean by that? Not knowing what to answer, they decided to be truthful.
“I have not spent that much time here. I’ve fallen into a rift and only managed to get back today. Then Belilamos found me. But to me, the Wildlands are synonymous with exile, loneliness, pain, and struggle. I can’t say I have a good impression, no matter how lovely Camboaci is…”
“You’re full of surprises, surviving a rift is no small feat,” she said. “This explains your title. Don’t worry, I understand your difficulties in our land. I’m sure your opinion will evolve as you make good memories here.”
“Speaking of my titles,” Diven said. “Could you explain what they mean?”
“That’s the thing with titles,” Brigaseta said. “It’s always hard to tell what they do. How they change you. There are many ways to acquire them, but figuring out what they do is often a personal journey. I cannot help you with Rotten Sun.”
“Oh…” Diven said, dejected.
“As for Rift Pioneer, it is actually quite common,” She continued. “It’s awarded to the first to explore a rift and survive. It’s generally agreed that it gives an increased leveling speed to your exploration-related skills.”
“That’s very good. Thank you.”
[That’s great, En!]
(We don’t have any exploration-related skills.)
[We will, eventually.]
(If only we had an easy way to get one…)
[As I said, eventually.]
After all, they had Facet of the Explorer ready to be selected. Still, it wasn’t enough to shift Div’s opinion about their next facet.
“May I ask another question?” Diven said, his breath still warm from the concoction.
Brigaseta gestured for him to go ahead.
“What was that giant deer that came through a few months ago? Belilamos mentioned the name—Elenvind, I think.”
“Elenvind. Yes, it passed around here this summer. I assume you saw it. Hard not to. A giant deer towering above the clouds, tearing open rifts in the veil as it moves. A mythical Transcendent Rank.”
“It was going south, do you think it reached Kheiron?” Diven asked.
“You’re still worried about that place. Even after what they did to you?” Brigaseta smiled.
“Not everyone was involved in my exile.”
“I hope you can keep that spirit as you grow up. Say, do you want to return home?”
“Yes,” Diven said. “I still have a friend there… and my family.”
Brigaseta sighed. “To answer your question, no, you don’t have to worry. Elenvind does not care about razing a city, the deer is actually being careful to cause as little disturbance as he can as it wanders. But a monster this size, there is bound to be collateral damage. Elenvind isn’t trying to crush things under his hoof, just like you don’t mean to crush insects as you walk through the forest. You don’t even notice it. Just like Elenvind,” Brigaseta explained.
Div and En were both relieved Kheiron was safe and worried at the prospect of such powerful beings walking upon the world.
“Nothing is being done to stop it?” Diven asked.
“Stop Elenvind?” The elder scoffed. “Go ahead and find another Transcendent Rank to fight it. Even then, a fight at that level would cause too much destruction. A lot more than if the deer is left alone. Elenvind is not that bad for a Transcendent Rank.”
“You mean there are human Transcendent Ranks?”
“Of course,” she said. “But they are few and they’re not here, and not in Kheiron either.”
“Where are they?”
“How am I supposed to know?” Brigaseta shrugged.
Right – transcendence was basically a myth. How could the elder of a small village lost in the Wildlands know where to find such a master?
Div and En were about to ask another question when someone knocked on the door.
“Brigaseta,” A feminine voice came from outside. “It’s me, Theaphilia.”
“There is our expert! Come in!” Brigaseta said.