Chapter 2: Alice, The Blight Seeker

Subject: Caim Location: Shimmerden

“Wow, It’s never worked this well before,” Caim heard a woman’s voice remark.

Caim couldn’t remember where he was.

It’s funny how familiar it is to feel so lost, he silently remarked in his recently awakened haze. Is this going to become routine?

Caim was cold, lying shirtless on his back against a hard rocky surface.

“Hey, mage! I can see and feel you breathing. You’re not dead, so stop pretending to be dead,” the voice complained.

An anxious wobble was buried somewhere in the complaint. It sounded like the warrior he’d met in the cave.

Caim opened his eyes.

Alice was indeed kneeling over him. Only her left hand had a trace of the blue glow that accompanied her magic, trailing down the exposed skin in a strange branching pattern. It was dimmer than the murky white crystals illuminating their surroundings.

The parts of her ruined armor that still clung to her petite body were stained with blood. Alice’s blood, and Caim’s blood.

Were her eyes always blue? he wondered.

“Thank you for saving me,” Caim mumbled.

Surprisingly, it didn’t hurt to talk. He pushed himself up to a sitting position, finding his gray shirt lying on the ground beside him. Caim looked down at his bare chest. There were no marks where the monster’s mandibles had impaled him. His skin was wholly intact. While Caim gawked, Alice withdrew her hand from his chest and rose.

Some of the fogginess clouding his mind dispersed. Caim quickly retrieved his shirt and pulled it on. Memories of the events before he lost consciousness were supported by two large holes in the wet shirt.

Wet with his blood.

Even if his body didn’t bear the scars, this shirt was evidence of his encounter with the beast.

Still cold, Caim looked around for his black jacket. He hastily pulled it on and zipped it closed. Alice watched the whole time with wide eyes that made him shiver with discomfort.

Maybe it’s just from the cold, but I do wish she would stop looking at me like I’m some strange creature.

“I’ve never seen a mage wear clothes like that,” she shared. Alice’s hands groped the air awkwardly. “I only took them off because I needed to see where you were hurt. I didn’t take anything or do anything else.”

Shattered crystal clusters littered the ground. These didn’t generate light, but they did reflect it more clearly than the rock. Some of them crunched easily beneath Alice’s black boots when she shifted her weight, more brittle than first glance would lead one to believe.

“I should be dead, shouldn’t I?” he wondered aloud.

“I know some spells from the ‘Vitality’ branch. Do you know the ‘Renew’ spell? It’s in the ‘Mend’ grouping.”

“You healed me?”

Caim looked up in awe at his savior. Alice saw his expression and looked surprised.

“Yeah, I guess so,” she replied, looking a little embarrassed. “A low level spell shouldn’t have worked so well, especially when it’s me casting it,” Alice went on, and then she began to ramble. “I’m really bad at magic. I-”

“Thank you,” he interrupted. “I remember what happened, and I know I would have died.”

“Vitality” is a category with healing spells. She used a spell called “Mend” to save my life. I can follow that much.

Alice flinched at his words. She looked giddy, prideful, and then uncomfortable. Repeatedly her stance shifted, like she didn’t know what to do with herself, hands clenching and unclenching randomly.

“Here, let’s get you on your feet,” she offered, extending a hand.

Caim reached up to accept the assistance, but he paused to stare at the trail of blue zigzagging up Alice’s skin. Though largely faded, it was still visible. Seeing him staring, she quickly withdrew her hand and winced, just as he was about to take hold of it.

“I’m sorry, did I offend you somehow?”

“What? No, not at all. It’s just… are you sure?” she asked in a tone that made Caim feel like he was missing some pretty crucial information.

His hand still hung in the air. Alice reached out once more and helped him up. Once Caim was steady on his feet, she hastily let go and stepped away.

“I appreciate it.”

“No, I appreciate it,” Alice countered.

Why? he wanted to say.

Seeing that Caim wasn’t getting it, she changed the subject.

“I’ve never seen magic like that before. The stupid varcer didn’t even know what to attack! I guess it can’t see magic… summons? Is that what they’re called?”

Before Caim could answer, Alice asked a new question.

“Oh! What’s your name? I’m Alice, but I guess I’ve already said my name.”

“Yeah, but it is good to formally meet you. I’m Caim. What was that thing?”

Caim looked around, but the body of the creature Alice had called a varcer was gone. “

“Wait. Where is it?!”

Scratches and fractures in the rock floor were still there, but even the purple ooze, what he believed was its blood, had vanished.

The fogginess in Caim’s mind worried him. He remembered the details of the fight, but he might have mixed some of them up.

Alice was momentarily distracted. She grazed one of the intact crystal clusters with a finger. Her covetous gaze vanished when part of the cluster chipped. The warrior seemed to be disappointed by just how frail the glittering thing was. Frowning, Alice looked around until she found Caim again.

“I was-” she slowly began, but then she forgot her words. She tried again. “It’s fortunate to meet you, Caim. Could you please repeat the rest?”

Caim summarized his confusion.

“That was a blightbeast. Couldn’t you tell? I think it was the strongest I’ve faced yet. As for where it is… it’s right here.”

She produced a small object from a black leather hip pouch. Caim studied the bristly, dark green orb. It was about the size of the tip of Alice’s pointer finger, like a small fruit. Alice quickly put it back in her pocket, giving Caim a guarded look.

Where is this attitude coming from?! He asked himself.

“I… I saw it first,” Alice stammered defensively. “Anyway, you’re in the Shimmerden festerfont.”

What is a blightbeast? What is a festerfont?

Alice studied Caim’s reaction upon hearing where he was. Unsatisfied, she stepped closer. Careful eyes took in all of his uncomfortable body language. He felt like he was being silently interrogated in between each question.

“You didn’t know where you were until I told you. Where are you from, ‘Caim, the curious Synergist’?”

Narrowed eyes continued to silently judge him.

“Nowhere you’ve heard of. I promise you that,” he replied.

“That only makes me want to know more,” she persisted, stepping even closer.

When Caim recoiled, Alice stopped and backed up. She looked ashamed like she had only just realized what she was doing.

“I’m sorry. We need to leave the tunnels. I cleared the outermost layers of the festerfont, but the blightbeasts will return. I don’t know when, and that is why we need to leave. I can’t handle many more on my own, and I-”

Reaching a terrifying thought, Alice froze and hugged her body to comfort herself.

“My armor. There is no way I can hide this from her. I can’t make this any worse. Mille will punish me when she finds out about this. If I confess right away, I think I can avoid the worst of it.”

Mille was the person she told me to find when Alice and I first met. Who is this character? Her military leader? Is she dangerous?

Alice started walking toward the tunnel leading out of the chamber, lost in thought and rambling, and Caim rushed to catch up. She nervously cast a sideways glance but looked relieved when she saw him there.

Together, they left the chamber and entered a space just large enough for the two of them to comfortably walk without needing to squish together. Alice seemed to know exactly where she was going, aware of each bend and change in slope before they reached it.

At least I have Alice to lead me out of this place. She is a drop of good luck in a tremendous wave of misfortune.

“I wish I had more answers for the person who saved me, but I really have none to share. I hope you can try to understand,” he explained.

“The curious fixation is just a side effect of my-” Alice began, but she just stopped the sentence partway through and kept walking in silence. “It will stop eventually. I’ve been through it before, just please bear with the side effects until they go away.”

Side effects? Like how she was acting in combat? Does the magic really affect her mind to that degree?

“You are right, though,” Caim admitted. “I don’t know where I am. I never meant to come here.”

“Would you be willing to tell me who Vera is?” she quietly asked.

The warrior was clearly desperate to know more, but she also didn’t want to make him uncomfortable.

Alice cast Caim a pleading expression, an innocent one that didn’t fit the face of the person who had slain that monstrous varcer. It made him want to tell her everything, but he needed to hold back.

“That is also a difficult answer,” he replied. “She is the one who sent me here and gave me the ability to use that magic.”

“She was your teacher?”

“You could say that.”

“Do you hate her? Did something happen? Is that why she sent you here?”

The questions came rapidly, but Alice’s tone remained gentle. She was trying to show restraint.

“It’s complicated,” Caim answered. “She didn’t ask me if I wanted to come here. It’s hard to understand what she really wants.”

“What do you call that magic you used?” Alice inquired. “How much does it drain you?”

She stopped and stared at Caim. With her eyes wide like this, he could make out a faint blue tinge within the pale green.

“Your eyes really are green,” he exclaimed, not meaning to speak the words.

When Alice heard that, she looked away, put her head down, and picked up speed. She was ashamed of something. Of that much, he could be certain.

It was heartbreaking to see such a powerful girl like her affected this much by such a benign statement. But Caim knew one thing that might bring her back.

“Its name is ‘Scion’,” he offered. “My spell. It is called Scion.”

Immediately, Alice perked up. All Caim had given her was a name, but it was enough to get her to smile.

“But that is enough questions, please. We should focus on getting out of this place. What was it you called it?”

“Shimmerden?”

“No, the other word,” Caim clarified.

They arrived at a tunnel intersection. There were three paths to take, not including the way they had come. Nothing seemed to distinguish any of the tunnels as the way out, but Alice confidently took the rightmost one.

“Is this your first time being in a festerfont?! Your teacher sent you into a festerfont with no preparations?” Alice was stunned. “I can see why you feel conflicted about her.”

“That is the word I was referring to. And she didn’t know where I would be sent.”

Alice nodded along to Caim’s explanation. She seemed to be more aware of her surroundings now. She patted her hip pouch with one hand, biting her lip slightly. Then, her hands traced the damaged sections of her armor, her wide eyes revealing irises with flecks of green in them.

“You’re right. We do need to leave Shimmerden quickly. We are almost there, so stay close.”

Subject: Caim Location: Shimmerden

Together, Alice and Caim stumbled out of the mouth of the Shimmerden tunnel entrance. Dim light gave way to a vibrant forest basking in the glow of the midday sun.

Alice looked up at a black metal pillar embedded in the mossy ground just outside the cave entrance. A second pillar stood tall on the other side of the entrance.

“We’ve officially left Shimmerden festerfont,” she announced.

Alice had mentioned a nearby city, but Caim could only see a verdant wilderness. Their recent near-death experience heightened his senses, and there was a lot to take in. Unfamiliar flora and fungi grew all around.

Caim’s guide began walking along a path leading from the tunnel entrance down into the valley below. He tried to keep up, but he wasn’t used to such exertion. Even after going head-to-head with that varcer, Alice wasn’t breaking a sweat.

Colonies of enormous mushrooms grew closer to the Shimmerden cave entrance, extending out into the forest beyond. Some of the purplish-red mushroom caps reached Caim’s waist. He kept his distance. Something about these strange sights disturbed him.

Alice didn’t seem worried in the slightest. From the moment they had passed those metal pillars, a great weight lifted from the wounded warrior’s mind.

“About what you saw. Could you please not mention it to anybody?” she asked.

“I don’t know what you’re referring to,” Caim cautiously explained.

“My Mark,” She attempted to clarify.

Alice stopped walking. Caim took the opportunity to rest. He stared ahead at the tall trees with reddish bark and branches dripping heavy trails of spiraling purple blossoms. These flower clusters obscured the view of the valley basin below, making the whole area seem like it was frozen amid a purple downpour.

“Most people here aren’t as accepting as you seem like you are. It’s the same with the Bearers of Red. No matter why they feel that way, they would make life very hard for me if they knew I was a Bearer of Blue.”

Caim remembered the bands of blue light snaking up her body back in the cave. That same light had also temporarily drowned out her green irises and flooded the whites of her eyes. Now, Alice’s eyes were pale green. Now, her emotions were painted on her face.

He discreetly glanced at the areas where he had seen these glowing marks on her body. They had completely faded from sight.

“I won’t make trouble for you. I promise.”

“Thank you.”

They continued walking. Eventually, a small clearing in the tree canopy gave Caim an unobstructed view of the sky. Wispy, pastel green clouds did little to obstruct the light from the sun that shone through these cloud layers like they weren’t even there.

A sky that was simultaneously clear and cloudy at once reminded him that he needed to be careful. This was dangerous territory.

While he was busy examining the sky, a rustling in the bushes startled Caim. A strange forest critter peeked its head out from the underbrush. It looked like a miniature fox, about the size of an adult squirrel, but it had buck teeth and olive green fur.

Alice glanced over at the creature and then kept walking. Her reaction led Caim to believe that it wasn’t dangerous, but Shimmerden had already put him on edge, and he couldn’t so easily calm down.

Caim quickened his pace and walked closer to Alice. He thought he noticed the corner of her lip curling into a grin.

Subject: Caim Location: Shimmerden

Further along the trail, Caim had passed many more plants and fungi that he’d never seen before.

The silence between him and Alice was oppressively awkward. Even if she wasn’t obvious about it, Caim could tell his companion was still watching him closely.

“We aren’t far from Maliscade. When we get to the gate, don’t look directly at any of the Enforcers, and we shouldn’t have any problems,” Alice explained.

She continued to stare. Caim looked at the ground while he walked, deep in thought.

“You can trust me, you know,” Alice insisted.

There was a hint of annoyance in her tone.

“I do trust you. When a soldier saves your life, you tend to feel indebted.”

“That right there is what I mean. I’m not a soldier, I’m a seeker. Here, our soldiers stay out of festerfonts. Their duty is to protect the citizens, not battle the Blight. If you were a citizen, you would know that.”

She was too suspicious, and Caim wasn’t putting enough effort into this act. He was tired and preoccupied.

“What do you think I’m hiding?”

“You don’t seem like a bad person, but I think it is dangerous for both of us if you hide where you came from. If your teacher used traversal magic to transport you from somewhere within the Shrouded Theocracy, that would be strange enough, but you don’t act like a Shaden citizen. Maybe the other cities are different, and maybe your clothes are normal somewhere. Maybe I’m wrong… but I don’t think so.”

Caim looked around warily to confirm they were alone. His hand slipped down into his jacket pocket and grazed the surface of the black card with his fingers. He considered using Scion again.

Alice was casually leaning against a nearby tree, silently staring up at the forest canopy with a solemn expression. A cluster of purple petals drifted lazily to the ground between them, carried by a gentle spring breeze.

Her hands were nowhere near the hilt peeking out of the sheath at her waist, but she caught him staring at it.

Alice undid the clasp around her waist and dropped her belt to the ground. She had effectively disarmed herself.

It’s a test. And she still has that strange blue magic.

“You’re from beyond the barrier,” she speculated.

There was a long silence. All the while, Caim held fast to the card in his pocket.

“Yes. I’m sorry for concealing that.”

“Why are you here? Are you a spy?”

“No. I’m here because Vera decided to send me away. Honestly, I don’t know her reasons for doing so. I’m at a loss. I don’t know where I am, and that worries me.”

Alice cracked a smile and started chuckling. Leaving her weapon by the tree, she skipped over and punched his shoulder playfully. Caim flinched. She started pacing back and forth and then stopped to thrust her arms into the air triumphantly.

I can’t read this one. I guess I’m grateful she hasn’t attacked me?

“Was that so hard? I’m sure there is a lot more you aren’t saying, but that is all I need for now. I’ve decided to help you.”

“You have? I don’t know much, but it sounds like you are risking a lot if you involve yourself with me.”

“Oh, I am risking a lot. That’s why you need to promise me that you won’t share this with anyone else. Anyone but Mille.”

“I promise. You mentioned Mille before. Who is she?”

“Mille is the best friend a girl like me could have. She is also the best employee the Blightbane Guild could have. I’ll take you to the Guild headquarters. Agreed?”

Caim didn’t have a response. It was too convenient to meet someone willing to help him, even if he’d narrowly avoided death.

Alice casually walked back to retrieve her belt. Caim felt guilty that he had considered using Scion to escape.

“I don’t think you should risk anymore for me. I just need a little information about this area, and then we can split up, and I’ll find some way to repay you someday.”

Predictably, Alice frowned.

“Are you going to find your way home? You can’t cast traversal magic, can you? I don’t really get magic, but I know that mages that can cast spells in that grouping are hard to find.”

“No, I won’t be going back. This was a one-way trip, and Vera won’t be coming after me,” Caim answered definitively while trying to balance a variety of feelings into a neutral tone.

“Are you afraid of me?” she asked.

“What? Why would I be afraid of you?”

“My Mark? My personality? I don’t know. Nevermind.”

Alice shook her head and ran a hand through dirty locks of hair.

“I’ll go with you,” Caim changed his mind somewhat reluctantly. “Thank you for the offer.”

“I can sweeten the offer,” she began.

Alice began rummaging through her hip pouch until she produced the bristly green orb he’d seen once before.

“This blightseed looks like it’s better quality, too. That was no ordinary varcer in Shimmerden.”

Caim didn’t know what a blightseed was. He didn’t know anything about the Blight. Her offer implied that it was valuable, but he didn’t know what it was used for.

Alice grabbed his arm and placed the blightseed in his palm. Then, she rummaged through her pouch and produced three more seeds. They were smaller and gray in color.

“Now, I know you aren’t a seeker, so I’ll teach you how to accumulate.”

Maybe it was just the strange circumstances and the fact that he was overwhelmed by new information, but Caim actually followed her direction. He brought the blightseed to his lips.

Wasn’t she intent on keeping this for herself not so long ago? What happened to that?

“You saved me too. You deserve a reward.” Alice grinned savagely. “This is what being a seeker is all about. We kill blightbeasts and take some of the power of the Blight for ourselves. Just do what I do.”

Alice swallowed her handful of seeds, not even bothering to chew. Caim forced himself to do the same. He immediately regretted it. Alice winced a moment before the burst of acidic fluid gushed back up into his mouth. Before he could spit it out, Alice rushed forward and held her hand over his mouth.

The liquid wasn’t stomach acid. The taste was foreign. Something viler than the worst taste he had ever had the misfortune of experiencing slid across his tongue. Alice’s eyes were tearing up from her own mouthful, but still, she held Caim’s mouth closed. Even when he doubled over, she kept him from spitting it up.

“Don’t throw it up,” she ordered when she was finally able to speak. “I want to tell you it gets better, but it doesn’t. However, this will make you stronger, and there is nothing like the first time you steal power from the Blight!”