The rays of the sun can be seen beaming like curtains of light seen by the end of the tunnel.
We soon reached the egress of the sewers, just the same way we got in. Naya raise her head from her seemingly shallow nap when we stepped out to daylight.
Jin pulled back the irons bars that he bent to the sides earlier as if it was the easiest thing to do.
The hyped-up sensation inside me had eventually faded and everything is back to normal once again.
I wonder if everyone is back at the inn by now? I certainly hope Aide won't think of my disappearance as an attempt to escape.
"Yo! Are you brooding again?" Jin snickered,
It's then that I realized that Jin had already climbed on Naya's back.
"I'm coming." I replied, beaming at him apologetically. I guess I was spacing out more than I should.
It can't be helped though, there are so much things going on around me lately.
I took a deep breath and as what Faram always reminded me, I increased my senses.
An itched suddenly bloomed
alarming my senses.
I abruptly turned my head to a far corner of the open space we are in. Far ahead from us, where a row of trees and bushes lined like margins near the Palace walls, is a presence.
I can sense it. I can't be mistaken.
I focused.
Someone is watching us.
"Two of them" I murmured.
"Yo!" Jin hollered at me. "We gotta go!"
I nodded at Jin, uneasily.
I leaped off from the grounds and landed just behind Jin.
"Let's try to see if they will follow" he says in almost a whisper when I sat down as he did.
Ah.
So Jin had noticed them too.
Naya spreads her wings and began to fly us up.
Soon, we were soaring above the city's buildings and streets. I can see people just glancing at us nonchalantly, not even raising any clamour. I guess it's because most people in this city are either so used in seeing many different things travellers bring along with them or they are travellers themselves.
"Don't look now but... royal guards are really following us from below" Jin says coolly.
"Since when?" I uttered, thinking out loud as I tried to recall if I have sensed them somehow before but overlooked it because I was so immersed in some other stuff.
"They weren't there before when we entered the sewers" Jun replied in a shrug. "But maybe they fancied to check on us since Naya is too big to ignore?"
"What are you planning then?" I blurted just out of curiosity.
"I'll take you back to the inn. I'll see if I could lose them after that. If Faram and the others are already there and one of those royal guards chose to stay and spy on you or something, I'm sure they can do something about it."
I nodded and just set my eyes straight ahead, watching the cityscape under the bright and scorching heat of sun as we soar in a steady speed.
••▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅••
I just jumped down from Naya and to the narrow balcony of the inn as Naya hovered over it.
"See ya' around, my Meister!" Jin salutes with two fingers while flashing a proud grin. I opened my mouth to reply but they suddenly took off even before I could have said anything.
I stared blankly at the floor but my focus was on my senses. It seems like both the royal guards followed Jin and Naya. I sighed in relief somehow that their attention wasn't entirely on me, but I'm somehow worried for Jin. Not that he needs it. Yeah... I'm sure he can take care it.
I fixed my wig in place, making sure it's tuck tight and off I went and walked back inside.
———
"Where's everyone?" I asked, seeing Scias just idly lying down on his back on one of the beds with his arms folded behind his head; one leg crossed over the other.
"They went to gather somewhere. How about you, where did ya went off to with Jin?" Scias sprung off bed and stood up, facing me. I closed the door behind me and walked towards him.
"We went to 'watch' a rot." I air quoted.
"Aaaaand, he made you his Meister out from that?" He replied, one brow stood on end.
Oh.
He heard that...
Since it's too tedious and bothersome to narrate everything that had happened, I just nodded in reply.
Scias held his gaze steady for several seconds before hauling a sigh.
"I can't believe you had someone from Claude's team as your transmuter first than from our group." He grunted but then he shrugged and brushed it off. "Anyway, let's go to where the others are. Faram and Claude are there. It's rare enough for all of us to be present in one area, more so that we're all being summoned for an assembly."
Scias walks towards the door that leads to the balcony. "Can you jump?" He say in a side-long glance.
"Of course," I replied almost instantly.
"No, I mean... never mind. Just keep up!"
He swung the door open, stepped out and suddenly disappeared in a blink of an eye.
I hurried to the balcony and saw Scias way above the rooftop of the inn, standing on the edge as he looks down to where I stand, "Hurry now!" he hollered as he dashed towards the other edge and crossed the open space, landing on the roof of another building.
Now I get it why he was asking if I could jump!
I leaped off from the balcony and to the rooftop and in a hurry, I tried to catch up with him. A little stumble here and there but I managed.
"Ha! So you were at least trained to do these sort of stuff huh, princess?" He says in a sneer.
"Ever since the night of the harvest moons, it seems like my jumps are higher and my feet are more nimble." I replied as we uniformly crossed one building to the next while dashing across the place in haste.
"And yet, your innate powers haven't awakened yet, huh? You sure are a late bloomer!"
I scowled at him for a moment, "Well, I'm sorry!" I grumbled, focusing my eyes on our paths
Scias laughed. "It would be better if you're a Wielder than a Transmuter though!"
"Why is that?"
"Well, we're all Transmuter in Ouboros, having a Wielder for one seems nice."
"Isn't it that Cerguz is a Wielder?"
Well— 'was', I corrected inside my head.
"Yep, but he's already gone."
I pursed my lips shut.
It's because of me.
I waited if Scias would elaborate about having a Wielder on the group topic but he didn't. He just went silent for some reason so I just kept glancing at Scias as he plastered a contemptuous smile across his face. His silence was becoming dreadful on my part so I decided to speak up, "Are you angry that's he's gone?"
"Is that really your question?" he chuckled. "Look kid, Cerguz was our Leader just because of a deal we all made with him. We aren't really close to that old fool to begin with. So if you're asking if I'm angry because you caused his demise, the answer is No."
Scias slowed down and halted. I did so too and eyed him.
"And besides—! After watching you for quite some time now, I already figured you're someone who's not capable of killing someone in cold blood. So I'm sure Stray had something to do with his death instead."
Stray... that name again.
I wish I can respond about that but quite frankly my memories regarding our escape from the deserts are a blur.
"Why are you crunching your brows like that?" Scias laughed, "Oh right! You got your memories about Stray erased! Hahahaha! Look, Stray and Eriol is the same guy. Stray is the name Claude calls him with so we all just referred to him samely like how Faram calls you Ri!"
Ah!
Now that he mentioned it, I suddenly remembered Eriol did mentioned that name when we were talking in the Piano Room... no wonder it sounded familiar.
"Why did Faram erased my memories of him?"
Scias tapped on his chin.
"I'm not sure if I should tell you or not. I don't want to get in trouble..."
"Just tell me..."
"Why not go and ask Faram directly?"
"There are lot of things I want and I tried asking Master Faram but he doesn't really answer them, you know that!"
Scias shrugged, "Then don't ask!"
I glared at him, deadpan.
"If people can't provide you answers why not search for a way to acquire them yourself?"
"You're not really helping..." I paced few steps forward, "How can I possibly look for answers when the source won't tell me himself?"
"Either you're asking the wrong questions or he sees you're too naive to understand! I personally think it's both."
I watch Scias as he began to run again and jump towards the next building's rooftop. "There is an art in acquiring information from people!" He yells as he gestured at me to come.
I crossed towards the next building and stood beside him. "You can be persistent; be damn manipulative; or be intimidating enough to extract informations out from anyone."
I almost snorted from trying to hold a laugh in, "Me—intimidating to Faram?" I asked, sardonically.
"You're a clever young girl, go figure!"
And then he went off again.
I watched him as he hops so nimbly across the city, one building to the next, as though he's simply doing hopscotch.
I tilted my head to the side and pondered.
I can be persistent but... hmmm—
'manipulative'...?
I don't think I'm devious enough to pull that off... I suck at lying too.
But I bet Scias is adept in fooling others, seeing that he has the ability to shapeshift into someone as an enorcist, he needs to play the part perfectly. I believe that's an indirect way to trick and manipulate people into thinking he is as what he say he is and acquire whatever it is that he needs from them.
This must be the second time I am left alone with Scias though. The first is when he was playing the role as Leon.
We were all fooled by him.
Even Lady Mirel had never suspected that he let an Ouboros member inside our castle herself...
I watch Scias cover a distance. His sage-green hair shines in a vibrant lush color against broad daylight.
...suddenly he paused and turned to look at me.
"Hurry up!" Scias hollered from one of the rooftops, five buildings away from me.
I made haste as he continuously moved farther.
I know Scias is a Dark Magus with the capability to Shapeshift into anyone he killed, they call it Enorcist. But that's his elemental ability alone.
His non-elemental ability as a Transmuter is still unknown to me.
He won't tell me.
And yet he sulked for a moment about me becoming Jin's Meister first than anyone from Faram's group...
He did made a deal with me few days ago...
____
**Aide spoke: "Alright, now about Transmuters. Scias for example. He is a—!"
"Hey hey hey, why do you have to use me as your example!" Scias interrupts as he merges out from the woods, holding their hunt, five small dead animals.
"Because I have to teach her that Transmuters can either be a weapon or an equip," Aide explains. Scias walks to us and sets their hunt down on the fire, like barbecue.
"She'll learn it when she sees it!" Scias says, sweeping his eyes at me.
I straightened my back.
"Hey, how about we make a deal?" Scias asks in a sneer.
I tilted my head to the side curiously, "What deal?"
"If you can guess what I can transform into as a Transmuter, I'll gladly take you in as my Meister."
~[Chapter 15: Off Road]
I never seen him turn into anything though...
But according to Aide, Transmuters can either be a weapon or equip... maybe Scias is an equip.
If I figure out what he can turn into, I can make him my Transmuter.
Perhaps this would even be a good way to practice this 'acquiring information' he spoke of.
"Scias!" I called out as he slowed down a bit until I finally were able to caught up with him.
I pursed my lips and hesitated. If I asked him directly, he won't tell me for sure.
Oh now I get what he meant by 'asking the wrong question!'
I need to ask something else... something that seems unrelated...
An equip....
or
a weapon...
"I'm curious... When Eriol fought the dæmon back in Greenrun, he turns his hand into a crooked blade of a scythe to attack. But when Jin summoned his Forest sprites, he barely turned any of his limbs into a rod and yet he was able to use his Transmuter ability as a Theurgist Rod. Why is that?"
"Why suddenly bring that up?" Scias murmured but then he went on talking continuously anyway, "Look, any Transmuters can either turn completely or just their limbs, depending to what they want but it takes a lot of skills and years of training to be able to summon a separate astral form of our Transmuter ability and wield them. Aide is a good example. She's not particularly hiding it!"
I tried to recall my encounter with Aide back in Greenrun. "She has chains coming out from any directions especially her back..."
"She is a Transmuter of Chains! But see what she can do? Instead of transforming her fingers or her arm into chains, she's able to instead summon it out from her and use it while still in full control. All of us in Ouboros are capable of summoning a separate astral form of our ability. I just don't understand what that Stray is up to but I'm pretty sure Claude had taught him that as well."
"Hold on, so if Eriol wants to... he can simply summon a full size scythe out instead of turning his arms into a scythe-blade?"
Scias shrugged, "I believe so at least. I doubt Claude would pass the chance in teaching him that!"
Now that I think about it... Eriol was just hacking and slashing the dæmon we fought at the fields in Greenrun. He wasn't particularly exerting more effort than that. I wonder why he was holding back?
I tried to reminisce the night of the Harvest moons...
But my mind suddenly fleeted off to that moment when Eriol and I stood in that snowy courtyard. He told me he understands why I have to go and that he's willing to wait... his arms were around me and his breath were trembling...
His voice...
His sneer that shows the dimples on his face...
His sleeping face...
Blood rushes to my cheek.
I pat my face to snap out of these needless reveries!
And shook the thoughts off immediately.
I'm getting side tracked. One thought at a time!
"So as a Rod Transmuter, Jin is also able to summon an astral form of himself to use his abilities? But Jin never called any rod out when he summoned the sprites..." I explained, trying to recall the event.
Scias chuckled, "Are you sure? I'm pretty sure he never miss to summon a palm size rod inside his hand whenever he summons anything!"
I blinked my eyes away and hazily remembered when Jin clapped his hands together, something did seem to appear between his hand, like a stick. Maybe that's that...
"So either a weapon or an equip type of Transmuter, as long as he has the skill and trained to do so, you can all call out a separated astral form of your abilities and use them as your own? Wow." I glanced at Scias as he finally slowed down.
"Equip types of Transmuters are usually particular in training to be able to do that! Otherwise, they won't be able to use their non-elemental innate ability! Anyway, we're almost there!"
We stopped to one particular rooftop as he pointed afar. "That's where we need to go! Sharisukhteh District. Stay alert, princess. There are soldiers patrolling around its perimeter. We need to get pass them first so we can go to where the others are!"
I followed the directions where he was pointing to and saw a desolated district, almost completely rundown and barren. Far ahead is a temple with a wide rotunda and narrow towers jutting out with pointed roofs. It seemed abandoned as much as the streets are.
I held on to my thoughts about the topic despite gazing at the scene before us.
"What about equips?"
Scias faced me. "We're still talking about this?" He hauled a sigh. "Fine. Ask away, after this you need to focus on our goal, got it?"
I nodded. "Tell me more about Equip-types Transmuters."
"Let's say... shoes!" He points at my shoes. "You won't really use your shoes to smack and hit your opponent, won't you? Instead, it's purpose is to be worn to protect your feet. It's like that if you have a Equip-type of Transmuter. Let's say one can transform into a pair boots but they usually grant their Meister something more... like maybe allow their Meister to run faster or jump higher. Although I've never seen a Boots Transmuter before!" Scias laughed. "Imagine how unfortunate a Boots Transmuter can be! Worn by smelly feet! Hahahaha!"
I just eyed him in silence.
At least he's enjoying this, I thought.
He stopped from laughing and cleared his throat, "Ahem! So anyway, Rod Transmuters like Jin can allow you to summon whatever entity you made contracts with, right? Rods are weapon types but they function like an Equip type, since no one sensible enough would really use a Rod or Staff to strike or pummel their opponents with it. Am I explaining this enough? Aide usually gives a better explanations out of this! Err— Anyway, it's basically just the same. You synchronize with a Weapon type Transmuter and all his abilities will be granted to you! Only the weapon types are more forward with direct attacks than granting their Meister passive abilities, which is what Equip-types do."
I quirk my lips to the side. "How about you, Scias? Can you call out a separate astral form of your ability???"
"Of course!!!" Scias crossed his arms and held his nose up high and proud. "I already mastered it even when I was around your age!"
"Oh, I see. I thought you don't— since I never really seen you transform into anything aside from being an Enorcist..."
"What are ya talking about! I always call out my astral form all the time whenever I change into someone as an Enorcist. My abilities are perfectly congruent with my element! I'm that amazing!"
Ah! So he's an Equip type after all!
So he wears his astral form whenever he uses his abilities huh...
Something he doesn't wear now...
I eyed him head to toe. My eyes scanning him discreetly.
His sharp jade eyes sweeps from me and to what's ahead of us.
"Now, can we focus back to our real motives here?" he unwinds his arms and began to walk forward. "I do hope you learned something from all that I've been saying. Otherwise I wasted my breath the entire time!"
"Don't worry, Scias. I learned and understand enough, if not a lot. " I answered, following after him.
"Good!" he chuckled as he leaps high to cross onto the next rooftop. I followed a little behind him.
He then paused and stood at the edge, ready to jump to the next rooftop.
"Now I know there are two types of Transmuters, Weapon types like Aide and Jin..." I said as he nodded as if to tell me go on, "And an Equip type like you, Scias."
Scias staggered the moment I mentioned his name.
"You're an Earring Transmuter, aren't you?" I added.
He abruptly turned to me and tried to stop the momentum of him jumping but he already swayed forward, lost his balance, and I ended up just watching him fall down to the streets below like sack of weight.
I can hear crashing sounds going off as I ran to the edge to see if he's alright.
All the way down below the steep alley, I can see him on a bed of wreckage of crates and barrels that caught his fall.
"HOW THE HECK DID YOU COME UP WITH THAT JUST FROM WHAT I SAID?!"
I jumped to where he is and reached a hand over to help him up.
"I figured you have it on you whenever you tranform into someone else and I remembered the first time I met you as Leon, you had an eye-catching jade earring on your right ear that particularly caught my attention. You also had it on when you transformed into that old woman when we tried to get pass through the gates of Ak'hilheim earlier this morning but right now... you're not wearing that same earring. Plus it has the very color of your eyes, Scias!" I grinned at him.
He dusted himself off and sighed, "That's sly."
"Honestly speaking, I wasn't entirely sure if my hunch is right but basing from your reactions right now tells me I am correct!"
Scias scratches the back of his head, "Y-yeah. You got it right.... You really surprised me."
I pumped a fist of victory.
Scias just watched me in amusement. "You're one peculiar girl. You can be sharp when you want to but when it comes to certain stuff you're dense and naive as a toddler."
I crossed my brows hearing his remark. "That's very rude! I'm trying my best here..."
Scias walks out from the alley and to the narrow streets, I just shadowed him.
"Yeah yeah!" He laughs, patting my head. "I know right! Well anyways, a deal is a deal! But let's establish the Meistership thingy a little later and all other explanations regarding my abilities. We have to get to where the others are first. They're waiting for us at the Sharisukhteh District. And we're getting close; you can tell by looking at this very street"
I look side to side and noticed how bleak empty and silent the street is.
"The district ahead is closed. The land is condemned as the Sultan's edict. It's strictly off limits so no one really goes there anymore, not even the guards patrolling outside its perimeters."
Why?— was the question that ran inside my head but I don't think that's the right question. "There's a growing rot we found deep inside the dungeons under the palace awhile ago. It seems like they have been feeding a dæmon inside it." I said.
Scias turned to me, "They what now?"
"Jin was able to harvest from the watch. But seeing that the Sultan had been ordering to feed the dæmon residing there means he knew the rot has began. Who knows if that Sharisukhteh District has the same plight inside it's sewage system just underground it's very land that it stands on."
I'm entirely bluffing my grasp regarding the matter right now but it seemed to be working on making Scias spill a little more.
"Faram had already gathered the fragment that can be found around the vicinity" Scias stated, "Actually, we found a rot on that district growing as well. Perhaps that's why the Sultan evacuated the citizens in that area. I'm just not sure if there's also rot in their sewage system underground. You might want to mention that later on to Faram. It would explain why they said the land is corroding. It might be helpful for us if that turns out to be true!"
Helpful for them but dangerous for the citizens of this Kingdom, I thought as Scias began to race to the ends of the streets.
I quickly followed after him until we reached the gates that leads to the closed district of Sharisukhteh.
••▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅••
We quickly hid from the shadows of the nearest buildings while watching the soldiers on patrol. There are tons of them.
I wonder how can we sneak pass them in broad daylight...
There is one soldier stationed at least every ten meters or so. And the concrete walls that fences the district stretches to a hundred from both sides.
If we distract one, few may pay attention but the rest will be alerted regardless.
"Dammit! There were only few earlier this morning..." Scias cursed under his breath. "You go first!"
I abruptly faced him and scowled, "Why me?!" I grunted, whispering. "I don't know how to sneak pass that!"
Scias grinned, "We can go in a frenzy and just kill all of them, I have no problems with that but— Faram won't be too happy if I caused too much commotion. Plus, that might cause the entire Kingdom alert when they noticed all of their soldiers over here in this area are dead."
"How were you able to sneak in awhile ago then?"
"I was with Aide, okay? She can make people sleep. I don't have that ability!"
I sighed.
"So how are we going to do this...?"
Scias curled a finger under his chin. "Brawling is the only thing I could think of right now..."
"I'm not going out there to challenge the soldiers to a fist fight..." I eyed Scias coldly.
"I was joking!"
I studied Scias reaction.
Somehow, I feel like he knows he can do something but schemingly prefers not to. He might want to watch me do something first, that's why.
Suddenly a roaring sound of an engine emitted. The crisp sound of tires against sands is heard looming about.
We hid further to the shadows as an Osteell military automobile cruised forward and pass us, screeching into a halt when the soldiers at the gates blocked it.
The automobile pulled a tall structure behind it, covered in resilient material that resembles a cloth. Another one of those flying industrial contraptions they are manufacturing, I bet.
Scias and I exchanged glances.
Scias sighed in dismay but nodded briefly at me and then he scampered off to his feet in one quick dash towards the automobile's rear and took a peek at the covered structure loaded behind it.
I watch Scias as he gestured at me to come over as he went inside the covered structures. I ran as fast as I could and climbed on, Scias helped me and we both hid inside it.
We can hear the men talking outside, "The streets are condemned. This moving iron thing you are running on might cause the collapse of the streets. It's dangerous."
"We already have the permission of the Sultan."
"Didn't you hear me just now? The streets will collapse if you crossed the streets with it! You may go in but this thing stays here!"
Seems like they are in a disagreement, I thought as I gaze up at the industrial contraptions that I stood beside with. It's the same one we saw yesterday and the ones at the main gates of Ak'hilheim. These things can hover around without any pilot in them. Pretty impressive at how Levi was able to lead his men to build something so advanced.
I tried to observe the design and tap on the material. It's metal but it seems to have small inscriptions embedded to it. Wait, these look familiar...
Think, Aerra! I saw similar symbols before...
"What part of those documents can you not read?! It says we are allowed to let our equipments in!"
"The documents allowed you to conduct a search! There's nothing here that says you can let your giant metal toys run about the district! Tch. Don't make a fool outta me!"
"Why you—!?"
"You might have the Sultan's permission but don't get cocky! This is our Kingdom! You Empire dogs are not welcome to snoop into our home and ran around like you own the place!"
...
"What seems to be the problem here?"
A familiar voice suddenly spoke.
My breath caught in my throat hearing the voice from outside.
"I am Levi of House Morlock. I came here with the complete granted access from His Majesty to conduct search on the premises. We are aware of the situation and we came here prepared. Rest assure we won't ruin any of your streets, soldier. We mean no disrespect...
But... If you insist that our documents are insufficient for your taste, I'm willing to take you in front of the Sultan himself. We can either waste each other's time here and yet yield the same result or you can just let us pass and I will overlook your impudent behaviour."
There was silence.
"Let them pass."
The engine began to roar again.
"Don't say I didn't warn you..." says the soldier
"Interesting, I was about to say the same thing to you as well." Levi retorted.
Another silence.
And then the automobile began to move.
"Hey. This Levi kid, he was your fiancé, right? He sounds like an entire different person from how I remembered him, back when I was pretending to be Leon." Scias uttered, testingly.
"Yeah... Maybe he just got annoyed. The man did call them Empire dogs." I answered
Scias chuckles and just shakes his head, smirking.
••▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅••
Few minutes later, the automobile stopped.
We jumped down and quickly hid from plain sight by going to the nearest ruins of a building.
"I really want to see how strong that giant metal thing is..." Scias whispered as we took a peek. Levi steps down from the automobile clad in red and black. He's looking sharp as usual with a blank facial expression but his eyes are scary looking now. They were cold as ice.
"Analyze the perimeters. Make sure the grounds are stable enough for our operations. Set the generator and black box over there and move fast. Are the cells fully charged?" He spoke as his men scattered and began to get busy, setting thick bundles of wires here and there, while others began to unload huge metal boxes.
"The cells are on a hundred percent, my Lord. The signals are open and the system is connected"
"Good. Launch it for the search immediately." Levi stated short as he walk to the opposite direction. Behind them, another automobile cruised in just after. More equipment are set in place.
"So chaotic..." Scias murmured and then he stood up and pats me on the shoulder. "As much as I want to try out those commoner toys, we should go. We already made the others wait far too long."
I nodded uneasily and minutely glanced back to where Levi is; there he stood exchanging small talks with his men. If only he turns around, he would've seen me...
Still so hardworking...
I really ought tell him to stop all of these...
"Psssst! Hurry up!"
"Right!" I replied as I shook the thoughts off and followed after Scias, who led the way.