Half or Eury’s snaked had turned towards Vela, staring right at her, almost as if she were ready to engage in a fight. The intensity was obvious to everyone else in the hall. Hunters stopped what they were doing and stood up, forming a round circle around the two. Even the male gorgon took a few steps back, leaving this play out. It was a matter that could only be settled between the two.

Lux, Dallion thought. When I tell you, fly to Eury and start healing. Gleam, you get ready too.

Okay! The firebird chirped in response.

Gleam, on the other hand, remained silent. There was a contest of wills going on between Euryale and her could-have-been mentor. It wasn’t measured in blows or even instances, however Dallion could feel invisible blows being exchanged.

Is that a skill? Dallion asked.

That’s difficult to say, dear boy, the old echo replied. Hunters definitely have the ability to intimidate others through a sort of invisible presence, but—

It’s a mind trait ability, Vihrogon interrupted. They’re fighting in their minds.

I’ve never heard of that. Dallion fought hard not to blink with surprise.

That’s ludicrous! Nil grumbled. I happen to be quite familiar with the characteristics of the mind trait, and I have never—

It allowed a person to convey what is happening in their thoughts to the outside. The armadil shield continued. Presence of fear, intimidation, dominance, support… Some refer to it colloquially as an aura, but it’s not that. it’s just the effects of a person allowing sensations leak out of their belief in the real world. It’s generally been forgotten for a while. Most people use a semblance of it instinctively, but it’s an ability.

Droplets of sweat formed on the gorgon’s forehead. More and more snakes turned to stare at Vela until at one point almost everyone on her head was looking in that direction. However, it wasn’t enough. Anyone could sense it, clear as day. After a few more moments, some of the hunters stopped observing the scene and returned to what they were doing before.

It’s over, Vihrogon said. Eury’s pride is forcing her to go through the motions, but she knows she’s lost.

Are you able to use that skill? Dallion asked.

Not anymore. Being banished imposes certain limits. Maybe I could pull it off with a lot of effort, but that’s not my role anymore. Harp could.

Dallion could that being the case. However, why hadn’t Harp offered to teach him so far?

Eury clenched her fists harder. The pressure she was subjected to was a lot more than she could handle. Vela, on her part, didn’t seem in the least tired. If anything, she appeared rather amused.

“You’ve improved a bit,” the woman said, taking a step forward. “Maybe more than a bit. But even you can’t achieve in years what it has taken others decades.”

Dallion attempted to take a step forward, but the moment he did, a hand slammed onto his shoulder.

“No,” the fury hunter whispered. “It’s not your place.”

Not to mention you’d only embarrass yourself, Nil said, helpfully. Elite hunters are a scary sort. Even the Academy has hired them on occasions.

“I offered you help when your teacher died,” Vela said. “You ran off without accepting it. Now, you’re back here, asking for it. Did you think everything would be forgotten?”

Euryale’s snakes were trembling as she attempted to stand her ground.

“I know what happened on Nerosal. I know what happened to Ji. Neither of those things is enough to make up for what you’ve done.” She took another step forward.

The pressure in the air increased to the point that even Dallion felt it like an avalanche crashing on him. His fight of flight instinct was triggered, along with the realization that he wouldn’t stand a chance in a fight. Voices in the back of his mind called out for him to run off, to flee this place and never look back. The only thing stopping him was the fact that his muscles refused to do even that. Red was creeping in everything Dallion could see, as if blood had been splashed on his eyes. His throat felt tight, as if someone was choking him. Then, suddenly, the tension disappeared.

Dallion gasped for air. Several steps away, the sneaks on Eury’s head went back to normal, returning to their usual positions. Even so, the gorgon was looking down at the floor in a sign of defeat.

“Still—” Vela put her hand on Eury’s shoulder “—your skills are undeniable. And now, you’ve trained an apprentice.” The prime hunter looked at Dallion. “Another otherwolder? And one with empathy at that.”

A shock of surprise ran through Dallion’s body.

“Don’t be so surprised,” Vela said before he could ask the obvious question. “You aren’t the only one who could talk to guardians. Hawk has been the guardian of this home ever since it was first built. Back in his day, he used to be a hunter as well. Now he keeps an eye on things and lets us know when something curious happens.” She pointed at one of the walls. There, pinned to the stone, was what Dallion had first mistaken to be a painting. Looking at it carefully, he could see that it was, in fact, a thin layer of dusk beneath a glass frame. The word Empath was written there in large letters.

Sorry about that, the guardian said. Part of the process. Don’t worry, we keep our secrets.

Dallion nodded, but this was a reminder that his secret might as well be considered out. Several people in Nerosal knew about it, and now here. In half a year, everyone interested would likely be able to find out.

“I wouldn’t have come here if it wasn’t important,” Eury whispered. “I need your help.”

Vela nodded.

AREA AWAKENING

The surroundings didn’t seem to change. It was the hunters who had disappeared. At present, only Eury, Dallion, Vela and the male gorgon were in the room. Moments later, a someone new appeared. He looked like a grizzled human ranger in weathered leather clothes, but Dallion could tell he was a copyette.

You are in the world of HAWK.

Defeat the guardian to change HAWK’s its destiny.

“So.” Vela went directly to the point. “Why exactly are you here?”

“Nothing I tell you must leave this realm,” Eury said.

“I vow by the Moons to keep the secret,” the woman said. She was shortly followed by the male gorgon. “Well?”

“I’m here as part of a group for hire.”

“March’s team,” Vela nodded. “I know. Word spreads quickly when an ex-legionary sets foot here, especially someone like her. What were you hired to do?”

“We’re told to find an item that could have caused the poison plague.”

Several of Lithospasia’s snakes stirred.

“That’s quite the task.” Vela nodded. “Sounds like the assignment is coming from the Archduke. Only he would have the will to go after something like this.”

“I want to know if anyone else was hired to take part in this.”

There was a long moment of silence. Vela remained motionless for five full seconds, after which she went to the nearest chair and sat down.

“I understand now. Smart move coming here. Stupid, but smart.”

Dallion winced. He didn’t like suck paradoxical statements, but even he could tell that the comment was more than an attempt at a joke.

“No one’s hired at present,” the copyette said. “But that hasn’t always been the case. Two separate mages from the academy were specifically hired to find the item. Or rather, the person with the item. One of them serves as the city’s mage even now, maintaining the magic barrier. Sloppy work, but it gets the job done, I guess.”

Vela audibly sighed.

“As for hunters, none were approached,” Hawk went on. “In fact, we were specifically told not to get involved in the matter or we might outstay our welcome in the city.”

“I wasn’t aware of that,” the male gorgon said.

“It was a private conversation between the overseer and I.” The copyette smiled. “Nothing that had concerned you, since no such offers had been made. Now that little Eury opened the topic, I thought it might be worth a mention.”

The overseer had warned against anyone following up on this? Dallion wondered. That didn’t make much sense. Actually, maybe it made a lot of sense. If the sword was indeed the source of the plague, the Archduke wouldn’t risk anyone but him getting it.

“The question is—” Eury began.

“Why hire us for something that mages had failed at?” Dallion quickly finished for her. He wasn’t certain what she as about to ask, but didn’t want it let known that the Icepicker guild, and they in particular, had already explored the realms of two swords.

The interruption didn’t pass unnoticed. Neither Eury nor Vela seemed particularly pleased about it.

“March is strong,” Vela said slowly. “But not that strong. And you’re still just children. If it were something serious, the Archduke would have gone himself. It wouldn’t be the first time. There are only two reasons I can think of why he’d send you. The first is if he suspects a trap and wants to use you to spring it.”

Cannon fodder, Dallion thought.

“The second…” The woman cracked her fingers. “There’s some requirement only you could fulfil. If I had to guess, it would be because the both of you are otherworlders, but it might be something different. It definitely doesn’t have anything to do with you being hunters. There’s enough local talent for that, and since it’s the Archduke, we’re talking about money isn’t the issue.”

“What then?” Eury asked.

“Were you told anything specific about your task? Anything you can share?”

“A bit of history, a bit of threats, but nothing that stood out. The item is in the wilderness, somewhere in the vicinity of the city. We’re to go in a few days to claim it.”

“Why not immediately?”

“I don’t know.”

“Hmm.” The woman tilted her head to the side, cracking her neck. “As usual, you’ve put me in a difficult position. If what you’re saying is true, if you mess up, you’ll die and the plague might become worse. However, if I openly assist you, I’ll make the city my enemy.”

“I was hoping you’d have some advice.”

“There’s nothing I can say that you haven’t considered already. The only thing…” her words trailed off. A smile formed on her face. “That’s it, isn’t it? It’s not often that you’re sneaky, but when you are, you really go for it.”

“I don’t get it,” the male gorgon said.

“She’s come for the gear.” Vela clarified. “The weapons and armor I promised would be hers if she became my protégé. That would definitely give you an edge no matter what you’re facing. It might even help you take down a mage.”

“Help me and once this is over, I’ll do what you asked.”

What? Dallion almost said out loud. This went beyond unexpected. He knew that as a hunter, one always had to take every advantage given, but this went beyond that. Could it be that he had just been dumped? If Eury were to become this woman’s apprentice, she’d certainly need to abandon her home and workshop in Nerosal and move here, leaving Dallion behind. Or maybe there was more to it.

Thinking back, Dallion had definitely noticed changes in her ever since Jiroh had left this world. They were subtle, mostly insignificant, but had slowly been piling up. This mission wasn’t the reason for her request, it was an excuse. Everything had been building up to her leaving for months. The worst of it was that Dallion had noticed, but thought that giving her some space would settle things. In truth, he had done the exact thing that had pushed her to make her decision. That’s why she had asked him to make his. It wasn’t about the pets or about his attitude—Eury had asked him to choose between her and Nerosal.