Chapter 19: Particularly Potent

On the ninth day, the change began, affecting each and every creature on which the black snow fell. Human and beast alike, their forms began to twist, howls raising the morning in such a blend that none could tell the difference between.

The morning after her disastrous birthday, Briddy awoke to find the small flame of flickering rebellion lit in her chest once more. As her eyes opened, the thought occurred to her that if she could find a way to succeed, to prove Hennigan and her parents wrong, she could be free of them once she graduated. As much as Kerr tried to force her onto the path, he could not make her choose the Gilded Down, and losing his relic to another guild would be just as big a blow as Briddy was capable of making.

That thought sustained her through Weapon Mastery and into breakfast, when –halfway through a forkful of eggs– she realized she still had absolutely no idea of how to accomplish that. Placing the silverware down on the table, she ran through a quiet list of options in her mind. Getting her bearer to teach her was out of the question, given that Kerr still maintained that she shouldn’t even be his heir, Hennigan had decided to hate her before she even opened her mouth thanks to Adelaide, so what did that leave?

“What are you thinking about?” Gail’s voice cut into her reverie, the words somewhat muddled by the mouth full of food that she spoke around.

“Hmm?” Briddy looked up to find her friends looking at her, an expression of concern clouding Tuck’s brow. “What? Nothing. Why?”

“You’re looking at your food like you want to stab it. Rather pointedly, as it were.” The sandy-haired boy offered her a grin as Gail nodded in agreement, scarfing down her meal.

Glancing at her breakfast, Bridget pushed the plate away, leaning forward as an idea sparked in her mind. “Do you…” She hesitated, lowering her voice slightly so that the people around them wouldn’t hear without trying. “Do you think I could get an upperclassman to help teach me to summon my relic? They’ve been at this for a while and if they’re an heir, they’ll have gone through Hennigan’s class and can teach me what he won’t.”

“Hm,” Gail responded, snaking some food from Briddy’s abandoned plate as she pondered the question. “I’m not-”

“There’s no way that would work.” Niles’ voice cut in from the table next to them, and Briddy looked back to see him leaning over the back of his chair, looking at the trio.

“That was a private-”

“Not unless they have somehow had experience with your specific relic, but that would mean they would have to be its full bearer because the only other way for a relic to change its heir is if they die.” Briddy resisted the urge to roll her eyes at the lancer’s self-superior tone as he continued, “And bearing a relic is such a personal thing, even if they could get across how to do such a personal thing, they hardly have the training and experience that Instructor Hennigan possesses.”

Sighing, she glanced over at Gail, who was polishing off the last of Briddy’s eggs, offering a shrug and a roll of her eyes in response to the silent look.

“Well I’m glad that he’s willing to teach you, Niles, but he’s said he’s done with me,” Bridget responded without turning around. She wasn’t even sure if what he was saying was right.

“Maybe if you actually applied yourself, you wouldn’t be in this situation.”

“Oh shove off, Niles!” She snapped, whipping her head around. “I try just as hard as anyone else, work as much as I can with absolutely no help. Don’t tell me what I do or don’t put effort into when you have no way of knowing.”

The lancer pursed his lips, looking back at the group at his table as if to say ‘I told you so.’

Briddy felt a pit of regret forming in her stomach as his blonde-curled friend shot a venomous scowl her way, though the emotion disappeared the moment Niles said; “I’m just trying to help, you don’t have to be so hostile. It’s not my fault that you keep getting in your own way and creating obstacles.”

Fixing him with a long, hard look, Bridget’s lips drew into a thin line, saying nothing as she pinned him under her gaze. After a few moments, he began shifting uncomfortably, glancing back at his cronies, and then she spoke.

“Thank you, Niles.” Briddy’s voice was flat. “Though next time, I would prefer if you waited until I asked before butting in on a private conversation.”

He scoffed, turning back around in his chair and addressing his friends loudly. “Can you believe it? What a b-”

A loud slam interrupted him, Gail’s palms smacking flat on the table as she pushed herself to stand. “I’m done.” Her dark eyes flicked over at Niles, and then back to Bridget. “With breakfast. I seem to have lost my appetite. Coming, Briddy?” Tossing twin braids back over her shoulder, she turned to leave.

“Sure thing,” Bridget replied, grabbing the strap of her borrowed bag and following her friend down the steps of the Palaisaide’s raised interior, trying to distract herself from the rush of emotion by examining the architecture. As far as she had been able to discern, the building’s configuration changed depending on the time of day, though that was just a hunch she had yet to confirm.

Footsteps clattered behind them as Briddy rushed to keep up with her friend’s long-legged stride, and Tuck caught up a few moments later, a pear gripped in one hand. “You didn’t wait for me.” He said, voice hurt.

Gail shrugged, not looking back as she continued walking. “He’s your cousin and I didn’t want to put you in an awkward place by asking you to leave with us.”

“I get that,” Tuck said, taking another bite of his fruit and swallowing. “And Briddy, I’m sorry for Niles. I’m sure he was just trying to assist you.”

“Yeah, he sounded really helpful there at the end,” Bridget said dryly. Seeing Tuck wince in response, she added “It’s not your fault though. He’s his own person, I don’t hold his clubheaded behaviour against you.”

“I had hoped,” Gail remarked from where she led the group across the campus, the early morning heat already beginning to finger its way under the semi-sheer collars of their uniforms. “That becoming an heir would’ve helped him grow up a bit, but it seems he’s just as bad as ever.”

Tuck examined his half-eaten pear. “He can be a bit rough sometimes, but he’ll back off if you can make him see he’s in the wrong.”

Briddy turned to him, cocking an eyebrow. “And how often does that occur?”

“Not very.” Tuck said, at the same time as Gail muttered “Extremely rarely.”

They walked in silence for a few moments, the Somnasium Annex’s innocuous tan walls looming closer.

“He’s always been self-centered, which wouldn’t be that bad if he ever actually apologized,” Gail said, breaking the quiet.

“I’m not sure he knows how,” Tuck observed, his voice light as though to make the statement a joke.

“I could teach him how.” Gail’s growl echoed off the stone of the hallway as they entered the Annex. “River’s rush, someone should.”

Common Scenarios slipped by in a blur of grey fog, nets, and winged Mirebees, the time punctuated by Niles bossing them about, all too happy to inform Briddy of exactly how she was doing everything wrong.

“Maybe if you could handle your relic, you wouldn’t need so much direction.” He sniped in response to a particularly frustrated glare she shot his way. Doing her best not to get into another fight where a teacher could see, Briddy bit her tongue and soldiered on through the class, trying her best to ignore.

Her thoughts slipped back to Vex and attempting to find a way to work through the cracks in the wall that seemed to separate them. If an older student couldn’t help, and Hennigan wouldn’t, that only left one teacher that she could think of, though how he could help was beyond her, given that she had never seen him in person.

Waiting at the start of Relic Lore, Briddy slowly tapped her pen against the blank sheet of paper in front of her, anticipating Doctor Gektu’s voice. If nothing else, the cool air of the room that hissed out from the black iron vents was a welcome relief from the desert’s constant warmth.

Next to her, Gail was humming, a tune that had started without a melody, and then slowly began shifting into something that Bridget recognized. Softly, she began singing the words alongside her friend’s hum, the chorus slipping out without a second thought.

Oh, I'll mix you a batch, sir,

Of a particularly potent potion

Warrin’s voice joined in, warbling the last few phrases in a horrible falsetto.

But what you won't like, sir,

Is what you've set into motion.

“Shut it,” Gail said, irritably flapping her hands at the both of them. “It’s not my fault the damn thing gets stuck in my head, it’s catchy.”

“It’s my mom’s favorite,” Warrin said, dodging the hand with a grin. “She always sings it around Mistletide. Speaking of, before we go on break, I need to show you this clearing I found-”

Briddy began to add that it was popular in her house too, when something brushed past them, a familiar rush of air announcing their teacher’s arrival before Doctor Gektu even spoke.

“I hope everyone’s doing well today.” His cool voice said, still sounding like he stood directly behind Briddy. She shuddered slightly, her months in his class not lessening how unsettling she found it to have someone constantly speak like they were there, but not be seen.

Some small murmurs broke out in response to their teacher’s question, and the doctor gave them a few moments to die down before continuing. “Now who remembers where we left off last time?”

A silver hand shot into the air, waiting to be acknowledged.

“Parvati?”

“The use of relics in the establishment of the guilds.” The dark-haired girl responded.

In the middle of the classroom, below the sunken, tiered steps, a piece of chalk rose, suspended in midair, and began to write on the board next to it. “Very good. Now all of the guild’s histories agree, they were founded by one of the first relic bearers not long after the fall. Each wanted to pursue their own path forward after the world was nearly destroyed, and seeing as most of the remaining population was still new to magic, they didn’t face any strong opposition in establishing these organizations.”

Briddy began furiously taking notes, her pen flying across the paper in front of her as she tried to keep up.

“The six guilds held most of the power within Sekna’s Reach, making decisions on national security, economics and even helping to further establish the religion of the Sculptor. This ended up effectively rendering most of the remaining monarchies as no more than puppets until the Vault of the Unborne was discovered beneath the neck about 300 years after the founding. Now, how did this affect the political landscape?”

Briddy’s hand went into the air this time, even as she continued scribbling her notes.

“Bridget?”

“It created an enormous influx of bearers, which meant that the guilds were no longer the only ones with relics.”

“Just so. Now a larger amount of bearers meant that there was a scramble for power as different organisations tried to snap up those that the relics bonded to…” Doctor Gektu wore on, explaining the various tactics that the empires had used in their recruitment. The chalk continued to squeak on the board, and Briddy tried to catch every bit of information that she could within the black ink on her notes.

“-In the Great Melting, two of the original relics possessed by the Teradish Coalition and the Final Sunrise were stolen, melted, and somehow reforged into several derivatives, a task thought to be impossible as even when a relic was broken, it would reform itself. This was an art that was born and lost within the span of a century, as the only man capable of it refused to pass on his secrets. Despite this, he was still highly sought for his expertise during the census of the known species of monstrosity, which we know came out to be two hundred-”

Next to her, Gail’s head began to droop, a few half-hearted lines of scrawled information at the top of her paper. It looked like she was not long to join Warrin, who was already softly snoring at the end of the long desk, solidly asleep without a single thing written on his page.

Class continued, and Briddy let herself get distracted for a moment, her attention caught in the small, feathered shadows cast by Gail’s long eyelashes. She had such a proud face, the kind that could convey danger without ever needing to glare, all sharp lines, and swooping cheekbones. She had stood up for her earlier, both literally and figuratively, which wasn’t something Briddy was used to.

The lecture wore on around them, yet Bridget found herself staring, all the same, the harsh angles directing her attention to the way her friend’s lips parted in silent sleep, or the way the light shone on her skin, like morning reflecting off a cup of warm coffee. A snore from Warrin startled her out of her reverie, and Briddy shook her head, refocusing her thoughts on the lesson in front of her. She didn’t usually have this much trouble keeping up, and she firmly reminded herself that any bit of information that could possibly help her could not afford to be ignored.

“While Piet the Breaker still lived, the number of relics swelled from a couple hundred to over a thousand, which you should remember from our coverage of the topic several units ago. Now, of the major bloodlines left behind by the founders, only four still carry the original, unbroken relics used in the fall.”

Briddy winced, anticipating the next part to come. It wasn’t bad, but she had heard the story a hundred times over various dinners and speeches, and she wasn’t looking forward to the mention of it once again.

“-the families Keracosa, Vasily, Mexic, and Torchover gave up the rights to lead their guilds unless specifically elected due to the Squire Revolt, which saw a large number of reforms regarding how guilds recruited and treated their members.” It was a credit to Doctor Gektu that he did not pause to acknowledge the relation, but the class still noticed all the same.

Several heads swivelled around to look at Briddy, who inspected the notes in front of her with burning ear tips, refusing to glance up and meet the curious gazes of the few classmates who weren’t aware of her lineage. The attention lingered even as the lecture drew to a close, and her classmates filed out, chattering amongst themselves while Bridget stayed immobile, looking at the paper in front of her and chewing on her lip. At some point, she must have stacked her books in front of her, but she didn’t move to leave, staring at the spines in silent contemplation.

“Are you alright, Bridget?” Doctor Gektu’s cool voice somehow sounded even closer, and Briddy gave a start in surprise.

“I-” She cut herself off, shaking her head. “It’s nothing, sir. I’m sorry if I’ve bothered you.” Standing, she reached down for her bag to shove her supplies in.

“You had a question?”

Briddy looked up, glancing around the round, empty room. It looked ridiculous, standing here and spilling her heart to someone she couldn’t even see, let alone what it would seem like if anyone walked in. But what choice did she have? Time was running out, and she couldn’t find her path through the wall in her way.

“Do-” She broke off with a sigh. “Do you think you could help me with something regarding my relic, sir?”

A soft chuckle answered her, driving embarrassment to close her mouth tight. “Normally, I would refer any questions like that to Instructor Hennigan,” The Doctor’s voice responded. “But given the hostility he holds for your family, I think I can make an exception.”

Bridget took a deep breath, swallowing the lump in her throat. “Can relics choose wrong?” Her question came out soft, barely audible. “Can they change their minds after they get to know their heir?”

There was a pause, the kind that is taken when someone is choosing their words carefully, and Briddy found her hands beginning to shake.

“That doesn’t ring any bells.” Doctor Gektu’s voice murmured thoughtfully. “There have been many heirs who struggle with one aspect of their relic or another, whether it’s wielding the Unspoken Shaping, or struggling against the Legend that follows them, problems are common. They’re never outright wrong, though.”

“But what if the heir is inadequate? Or just incompetent?” Briddy fought to keep her tone neutral, still looking down at her textbooks.

“Then it would not have chosen them in the first place.” Her teacher’s voice was firm this time, filled with absolute surety “Due to the very private nature of relics, we may not understand much about why they choose the bearers that they do, but over two thousand years of records assure us this much: A relic fully understands its bearers potential before it reveals their name to them, and if they were not sufficient to wield its power in the first place, they would be unable to hear it, the same as everyone else.”

Briddy slowly looked up, not seeing her surroundings, but lifting her head all the same. She opened her mouth several times, trying to find a way to push out the next words that seemed stuck in her throat. “What about the times it rechooses?” Her voice was hoarse, dropping to a whisper as she added. “What about the White Choice?”

Another pause filled the room, though this one contained a different sort of terrible energy, one of shock and suspicious appraisal. Briddy could feel her heart pounding out of her chest, each beat threatening to rip the skin apart with its force. Her face felt cold, her hands clammy in their clenched fists. It was a risk to open herself up like this, but she had to know. Someone had to know.

“I am… surprised that you know about that. Do you understand what it is you are asking about?” Doctor Gektu’s voice had changed, his normally nonchalant tone now tense, with some unknown undercurrent rippling through.

“Yes.” Bridget whispered. “And I know that it works.”

“An old practice. A barbaric one, at that, and not used in centuries. It is a horrible thing, to attempt to manipulate a Relic in such a way, and such methods fell out of practice for a very good reason. Murder is never the answer.” The disgust in his words was clear.

“But it does work?”

“Bridget.” The intensity had returned. “How did you learn about this?”

“Does it work?”

Horrible silence answered her even before her teacher did, his reluctance filling the pause before finally, a begrudged “Yes.”

Briddy swayed slightly, feeling weak and ill all of the sudden.

“Bridget, where did you hear of such a thing?” Doctor Gektu’s voice sounded even closer, the tone firmer.

It was her turn for hesitation, grey eyes darting back and forth as she tried to decide how much she should say. “I came across a book.” She said, finally.

“Where?”

Flinching from his sharp tone, Briddy shook her head, chewing on her bottom lip.

When he spoke again, Doctor Gektu’s voice had softened. “This isn’t knowledge that should be getting into the hands of new heirs, Bridget. If the school is going to keep you safe and teach you properly-”

“It wasn’t here.” The words escaped before she could stop them, but after they were out of her mouth, it shut tight, refusing to let anything else out. In her mind, she could see it, open on her father’s desk, the page earmarked and underlined in different sections.

Doctor Gektu prodded several more times, trying to get the information out of her, but she remained shut against his questions, a fortress built around her secrets.

“Bridget, I’m not asking for gossip. If your life is in danger-”

“It’s just a book, sir.” She gave a horrible, false smile that she doubted would fool him. It didn’t even fool her. “I’m just trying to understand why I’m failing so badly despite trying everything I can.”

“If you say so.” The note of concern was still there, but Doctor Gektu continued, “To hear Hennigan tell it, you don’t try at all. What is the problem you’re encountering?”

Her head drooped at the mention of Hennigan’s name. She was going to be late for his class at this point, but it didn’t matter to her right now. “I can’t get it to come to me, no matter what I do. There’s this… barrier in the way, this wall. If there’s a way through the cracks in it, I can’t find it.”

“Hmmmm.” Her teacher sounded thoughtful. “ And what does your father think about this barrier?”

“That I’m weak, my potential isn’t potent enough to bear it, or his legend.” Bitter pain weighted her words in wobbling tones.

“I… see.” The statement hung in the air for a moment before Doctor Gektu carefully continued. “I would suggest, Bridget, that your potential is more than ‘potent’ enough to wield the relic. You would not have heard its call otherwise. Perhaps…”

The door to the room opened and students clad in soft yellow Shrouds began filing in, chattering amongst themselves.

“Perhaps try rethinking your approach. Examine this ‘barrier’, and if what you have been doing to try and overcome it has not been working, then change it. Perhaps that approach is not true to what your relic saw inside of you in the first place.” A slip of paper flew through the air towards them, signed with an embellished signature at the bottom. “Now here’s a note for Instructor Hennigan, I’m afraid it won’t improve his mood, but it’ll at least prevent you from getting sent to the eels.”

Thanking her invisible teacher, Briddy gathered up her things and headed for Relic Mastery, her thoughts tumbling around what they had just discussed. If what Doctor Gektu said was true and Vex could be made to choose again, then she had to get through that wall no matter what. As much as it pained her to admit, maybe Niles had been a little bit right. Something was getting her way. She just needed to figure out how to be rid of it.