CHAPTER 35: A Pact of Necessity - Part 1
Varne landed in a half-kneeling position, his sword dripping with monster blood. A dozen winged creatures resembling eagles lay dead around him. Their wide gashes told of how his sword had ended their lives.
“Al, behind you!” Varne only had time to stretch out as a pair of eagles swooped down towards Almyria.
But she was ready. She manifested a pair of defensive spheres, trapping the monsters mid-air. As they struggled to break free, she cast a set of Sacred Spear, piercing her own spheres along with the creatures within.
“I told you I could take care of myself, didn't I?” She said with a smile.
“I wouldn't have worried if I had known you could cast spells that quickly.”
“I had that spell cast earlier. A completed spell doesn't need to be manifested immediately; I can save it for later. It’s called reserving.”
Nearby, a small stream flowed. They took the opportunity to clean themselves. Autumn leaves drifted in the water, casting shadows on the overwintering shoal of rainbow trout that swam upstream.
“In that case, can you reserve as many spells as you want?”
“Sadly, no. Reserving a spell, like maintaining one, requires one Focus.”
Varne washed his face and sat, legs stretched by the riverbank. The cold water made his feet get chill bumps. “We're really unlucky to encounter monsters so close to our destination.”
“Look on the bright side.” Almyria set down her belongings and washed her hands. “At least we only met them once since their numbers are dwindling. If it had been like before, who knows?”
“I heard that often. But why are their numbers decreasing? Too many Monster Hunters are hunting them?”
“No, it's not that,” Almyria refilled her water container and sat down. “Monsters originate from living beings infected with enough Umbra to undergo monsterization. Do you know why not all beings turn into monsters?”
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He shook his head.
“Because each living being has its own monsterization threshold. Some are more susceptible to becoming monsters because they require less Umbra for transformation than others. Also, because the concentration of Umbra itself varies. When dense Umbra enters a susceptible animal, it turns into a monster.”
“And the more Umbra, the stronger the monster form.”
“Yes. And when you kill a monster, you don't destroy the Umbra within. It's just released and infects other creatures. So, though there's some variation, the number of monsters in the world should remain constant.”
Varne wiped his sword with a cloth and olive oil. The triple fullers of his sword were hard to clean. “So, why are they decreasing now?”
“No one knows for sure.”
“You said all living beings contain Umbra. Does that include us?”
“Yes, us too. But the current Umbra concentration isn't dense enough to transform humans.”
They resumed their journey before midday, and by evening reached a small fortress belonging to Isofea.
“This isn't what we expected,” Almyria said, “It seems the war has changed territorial boundaries, and Orfia is no longer within Isofean domain. This fortress is at the front, we need to cross it to get to Orfia.”
“Then use your special privileges.”
“This... is difficult. I don't know if you're aware, Varn. But our order's main temple is in Terzion, so Isofea has long been concerned that we might side with Terzion. We're neutral, but they won't listen to that reason.”
“We have to try.”
“Very well.”
Almyria's concerns were confirmed. The fortress guards refused them entry even after she identified herself as a member of the order. Varne’s insistence only made everything worse.
“Varn, stop.” Almyria pulled him back.
“Curses! How can we get to Orfia like this?”
“Let them through. They're with me.” A voice came from behind. A young man, slightly younger than Varne, approached. He had short white hair and round black eyes, with a medium build and a little shorter than him. A large boomerang hung across his back.
“Who are you!” the gate guard barked.
The young man stepped forward with a smile, handing a scroll to the guard. After consulting with the gatehouse captain, the guard returned and allowed the youth to enter with respectful gesture.
“Come on, you two,” he said, still smiling.
Varne did not care as long as it got him closer to Orfia. Crossing the gatehouse corridor, a squirrel peeked out from the young man's satchel, sniffing and eyeing Almyria before diving back in.
“Seems you two have already met,” the youth said. “I call him Red. And I'm Cael.”
“I apologize, but may I inquire about your identity?” she asked. “Are we acquainted with you?”
Cael leaned in to whisper to her, though Varne could still hear him.
“Don't tell anyone, but I'm an Isofean special agent, sent to investigate Terzion territories. My cover in Terzion involves two companions, and you two are a perfect fit for the profile. So, I help you, and you help me. Agreed?” Cael ended with a wink.
